Philoctetes (Sophocles)
Short summary
Ancient Greece, during the Trojan War. Ten years earlier, Greek chiefs abandoned Philoctetes on the deserted island of Lemnos because of his festering foot wound.
Now the Greeks needed him back, as a prophet revealed that Troy could not be taken without Philoctetes and his sacred bow of Heracles. Odysseus brought Neoptolemus to help retrieve the bow through deception.
Neoptolemus pretended to be sailing home in anger at the Greeks, claiming they had wronged him. He gained Philoctetes' trust by sharing false grievances. A disguised sailor warned them that Odysseus was coming to capture Philoctetes. During a painful attack of his wound, Philoctetes entrusted his bow to Neoptolemus, who then revealed the plot.
Stung by conscience, Neoptolemus struggled with his betrayal. When Odysseus demanded the bow, Neoptolemus confessed his shame.
If it be mockery to speak the truth... I got it basely, shamefully... Must I repeat the same words twice and thrice?... Rest well assured I have nothing more to add
Neoptolemus returned the bow to Philoctetes, who nearly killed Odysseus with it. Though urged to go to Troy, Philoctetes refused. Finally, the divine Heracles appeared, commanding Philoctetes to sail to Troy where he would be healed and help capture the city. Philoctetes obeyed the god's will.
Detailed summary
Division into sections is editorial.
Odysseus plan to deceive Philoctetes and seize his bow
On the rocky coast of Lemnos, a desolate and uninhabited island, two figures arrived by ship. The first was a cunning Greek commander who had once abandoned a wounded warrior on this very shore nine years earlier. The second was a young man, son of the greatest Greek hero who had fallen at Troy.
Odysseus instructed Neoptolemus to find a cave with a double entrance where the abandoned warrior dwelled. The Greek chiefs had learned from a captured Trojan seer that Troy could not fall without this man and his sacred bow, the weapon of Heracles. Odysseus revealed his plan: Neoptolemus must deceive the warrior by pretending to be his friend, claiming he too had been wronged by the Greek commanders and was sailing home to Greece, not to Troy.
Neoptolemus located the cave and found signs of habitation: a rough wooden cup, tinder, and filthy rags stained with the discharge from a festering wound. Odysseus explained that Neoptolemus must cajole the warrior with fair words, for he himself could not approach the man who hated him above all Greeks.
Neoptolemus wins Philoctetes trust with false tales of grievance
The young man initially resisted the deception. He declared that his nature shrank from deceitful words and practice of guile, and he would rather fail with honor than succeed by fraud. But Odysseus persuaded him that success depended upon this lie, promising that he would be hailed as both wise and brave. Reluctantly, Neoptolemus agreed to the scheme.
Son of Laertes, what upon my ear Grates in the telling, I should hate to do. Such is my nature; any taint of guile I loathe, and such, they tell me, was my sire.
After Odysseus departed with his sailor, a chorus of Scyrian sailors remained with Neoptolemus. Soon they heard the sound of labored footsteps and agonized groans. A man emerged, dragging his wounded foot, his appearance savage from years of isolation.
Philoctetes questioned the visitors about their identity and purpose. Neoptolemus revealed himself as the son of Achilles, sailing home from Troy. The wounded warrior was overjoyed to hear Greek voices after so many years of solitude. He recounted his tragic story: how he had been bitten by a venomous serpent at the shrine of Chryse, and how the Greek commanders had callously abandoned him on this desolate shore while he slept.
I am that man... The son of Poeas, Philoctetes, whom The Atridae and the Cephallenian prince Cast forth thus shamelessly, a derelict, Plague-stricken, wasting slowly, marked for death
Neoptolemus then told his fabricated tale of grievance. He claimed that after his father's death, he had sailed to Troy expecting to receive Achilles' arms as rightful inheritance, but the Greek commanders had given them instead to Odysseus. Outraged by this injustice, he was now sailing home to Scyros. Philoctetes sympathized deeply, recognizing in the young man a fellow victim of the commanders' villainy. The two men bonded over their shared hatred of the Greek leaders.
Philoctetes agonizing attack; entrusting his sacred bow to Neoptolemus
Philoctetes eagerly accepted Neoptolemus's offer to take him home to Greece. Before departing, he invited the young man to see his cave and gather the medicinal herbs he used to dress his wound. As they prepared to leave, Philoctetes was suddenly seized by a violent paroxysm of pain from his festering foot. The agony was unbearable, causing him to cry out in torment.
It stabs me, stabs me through and through and through... For heaven's sake, if thou hast a sword at hand, Draw it, my son, strike swiftly, at a stroke Cut off this foot
The wounded man writhed in agony, begging Neoptolemus not to abandon him during this attack. He explained that after such seizures, deep sleep would follow, and this was the only relief he knew. As the pain intensified, Philoctetes realized he would soon lose consciousness. Knowing he would be helpless, he made a momentous decision: he entrusted his most precious possession, the bow of Heracles, to Neoptolemus.
Neoptolemus swore to guard the sacred weapon and return it to its owner. Philoctetes warned him to propitiate the jealous gods, for the bow had brought suffering to both himself and its former owner, Heracles. Black blood began trickling from the wound, and Philoctetes collapsed into unconsciousness. The chorus of sailors urged Neoptolemus to seize this opportunity and depart with the bow, but the young man insisted they must take Philoctetes himself, as the prophecy required.
The truth revealed; Philoctetes learns of the betrayal
When Philoctetes awoke from his deep sleep, he was grateful to find Neoptolemus still by his side. He praised the young man's compassion, contrasting it with the cruelty of the Greek commanders. Feeling stronger, he asked to be helped to his feet so they could board the ship and sail for home. But as Neoptolemus assisted him, the young man's demeanor changed dramatically. He began speaking in confused, whirling words, clearly tormented by inner conflict.
All is offensive when a man is false To his true self and, knowing right, does wrong... I shall be proved a rogue; this tortures me.
Finally, Neoptolemus could no longer bear the deception. He confessed the truth: they were not sailing to Greece, but to Troy. Philoctetes would be taken to the Greek army and the commanders he despised. The revelation struck Philoctetes like a physical blow. He demanded the return of his bow, but Neoptolemus explained that duty and policy bound him to obey the Greek chiefs. The wounded warrior felt utterly betrayed by the one person he had trusted.
Philoctetes erupted in bitter denunciations. He called upon the cliffs and caves of Lemnos to witness his suffering. Without his bow, he would starve, becoming prey for the very beasts he once hunted. He cursed Neoptolemus for using a boy's innocent appearance to mask such treachery. The chorus of sailors, moved by his anguish, asked Neoptolemus what they should do. The young man admitted he had been strangely moved with pity from the very beginning.
The disguised merchant warns of pursuit; urgency to depart
At this critical moment, a sailor arrived disguised as a merchant captain. He claimed to be sailing from Troy to his home island and had learned important news concerning Neoptolemus. The disguised sailor reported that the Greek commanders had dispatched ships in pursuit of the young man, led by Phoenix and the sons of Theseus. More significantly, Odysseus and another commander were also at sea, searching for Philoctetes himself.
The merchant explained that a captured Trojan seer had prophesied that Troy could never fall unless Philoctetes was brought from Lemnos with his bow. Odysseus had sworn before the entire Greek army to accomplish this mission, either by persuasion or by force. The urgency of the situation seemed clear: they must depart immediately before the pursuing ships arrived. Philoctetes urged immediate departure, but Neoptolemus hesitated, claiming the wind was contrary. The wounded warrior argued that no wind was contrary when fleeing from evil.
Neoptolemus conscience awakens; struggling with his deception
Neoptolemus agreed they should prepare to sail, but first suggested Philoctetes gather the medicinal herbs he needed from his cave. As they moved toward the cave entrance, Philoctetes again requested his bow. Neoptolemus refused to return it and confessed the full extent of the plot. The wounded warrior now understood he had been completely deceived. He denounced Neoptolemus bitterly, calling him a monster of villainy who had used his father's noble name to work this treachery.
O cave... to thee I turn; Stripped of my arms and lacking means of life, Here shall I wither in this lonely cell... a quarry for the creatures I pursued, My blood for their blood shed
The chorus asked Neoptolemus what they should do, noting it was his decision whether to sail or heed Philoctetes's prayer. Neoptolemus admitted his heart had been strangely moved with pity from the very first. Philoctetes begged him to show mercy and not let men brand him as a betrayer. The young man wavered, torn between his mission and his conscience. He wished aloud that he had never left Scyros, finding himself in this desperate predicament. Philoctetes sensed the young man's internal struggle and pressed his advantage, urging him to leave the villainy to those naturally suited for it and simply return the bow before sailing away.
Odysseus appears; Neoptolemus defies him and returns the bow
Just as Neoptolemus seemed about to relent, Odysseus suddenly appeared from behind the cave. He demanded that Neoptolemus hand over the bow immediately. Philoctetes recognized the voice of his greatest enemy and realized the full extent of the conspiracy against him. Odysseus declared that Philoctetes must accompany them to Troy, willing or not, or his men would drag him by force. The wounded warrior invoked the fires of Hephaestus and the land of Lemnos, protesting this outrage.
When Philoctetes threatened to throw himself from the cliffs rather than submit, Odysseus ordered his men to seize him. The cunning commander mocked Philoctetes, saying they no longer needed him personally—only his bow. With the master archer Teucer in their ranks, and Odysseus himself skilled with the weapon, Philoctetes was expendable. He could remain on Lemnos while his bow won glory for others. After delivering this cruel blow, Odysseus departed with the bow, leaving Philoctetes devastated.
The chorus urged Philoctetes to come with them to Troy, but he refused absolutely. He would rather perish on Lemnos than help those who had wronged him. The sailors prepared to leave him to his fate. But then Neoptolemus came hurrying back, closely followed by an angry Odysseus. The young man had made his decision: he would return the bow to its rightful owner, regardless of the consequences.
Neoptolemus urges Philoctetes to sail to Troy and fulfill prophecy
Odysseus tried to prevent Neoptolemus from this act of betrayal, threatening to report him to the army as a traitor. The two men nearly came to blows, hands on sword hilts, before Odysseus withdrew to carry out his threat. Neoptolemus then returned the sacred bow to Philoctetes. The wounded warrior, overjoyed to have his weapon back, would have shot Odysseus with it had Neoptolemus not restrained his hand.
Now that trust was restored between them, Neoptolemus made one final appeal. He urged Philoctetes to come willingly to Troy, explaining the full prophecy: the wounded warrior's affliction was a divine punishment for profaning the shrine of Chryse, and it would never heal until he came to Troy of his own free will. There, the sons of Asclepius would cure him, and with his bow and Neoptolemus's aid, he would win glory by conquering Troy. The young man swore this was the truth, revealed by the captured seer Helenus.
What fates the gods allot to men They needs must bear, but whoso hug their griefs... who can pity or condone Such self-tormentors?
But Philoctetes remained adamant. He could not bring himself to face those who had wronged him or fight alongside them. He urged Neoptolemus to keep his original promise and take him home to Greece instead. The young man, true to his word, reluctantly agreed to convey Philoctetes to his homeland, abandoning the mission to Troy. They prepared to depart together.
Heracles descends from Olympus; divine command resolves all
As they were about to leave, a divine apparition appeared above them. It was Heracles himself, the former owner of the bow, sent by Zeus from Olympus. The deified hero commanded Philoctetes to hear the will of heaven's king. He reminded Philoctetes of his own mortal sufferings and how he had won immortal glory through endurance. Philoctetes's fate would be similar: through suffering, he would glorify his life.
Heracles revealed that Philoctetes must go to Troy, where he would be healed and chosen as champion of the host. With the sacred arrows, he would slay Paris, the cause of the war, and help sack the city. He would win the prize for bravery and carry home rich spoils. The divine hero also addressed Neoptolemus, explaining that neither could take Troy without the other—they must work together like two lions on the prowl. Asclepius would be sent to heal Philoctetes's wound, for Troy must fall a second time before these arrows.
Piety can never die; It lives on earth and blossoms in the grave... Only take heed, In laying waste the land to reverence Its gods
Both Philoctetes and Neoptolemus declared they would obey the divine command. Philoctetes bid farewell to his cave, the streams, the shore, and the caves where the breakers roared—his home for ten long years. He prayed to the sea nymphs for a safe voyage to the land where mighty destiny and the god's decree called him. The chorus joined in prayer as they all prepared to sail together toward Troy, their fates now aligned with the will of the gods.