Philoctetes

Philoctetes is dominated by Neoptolemus’ inner struggle between his inner sense of honor and morality, and the deception and trickery that Odysseus is convincing him to undertake: “I would rather/ Do right and fail than do wrong to win” (7), he tells Odysseus. Odysseus can convince Neoptolemus to go along with the deception, telling him its essential to Neoptolemus’ prophesied victory at Troy, and Neoptolemus successfully lies to Philoctetes to gain his trust and possession of his bow.

Neoptolemus’ moral compass appears to win out in the end, as the warrior, having secured Philoctetes’ bow, ultimately returns and gives it back to him: “I had no right to take it,/ I acted shamefully” (59), Neoptolemus explains to Odysseus. Though Neoptolemus then tries to convince Philoctetes to accompany him to Troy honestly, he is unsuccessful and agrees to take him home when Philoctetes insists that’s what he wants, rather than forcing him to go to Troy. Yet as Neoptolemus never directly tells Philoctetes that they are going home—“If that is what you want, we will go,” he only says (68)—some scholars have suggested that Neoptolemus’ sense of deception may actually continue through the end of the play, as Neoptolemus could have still been plotting to bring him to Troy under the guise of sailing home. Whether Neoptolemus is ultimately driven by honor or the prospect of military victory, then, is ultimately left an open question.

The theme of deception is also illustrated through Odysseus’ actions, as he persuades Neoptolemus to lie and inspires a sentry to appear as a trader and inform Philoctetes of the prophecy. Unlike Neoptolemus, though, there is no struggle here: Odysseus can act deceptively and encourage others to do so without any remorse or concern about morality. For Odysseus, honor comes through military victory—not his moral code.

In addition to the debate between morality and deception, there is also an ongoing tension in Philoctetes between doing what’s best for the individual versus what’s best for the collective (in this case, the Greek army). Odysseus, who is ultimately trying to win the war, puts the collective’s interest front and center, as he condones deception and tries to persuade Neoptolemus and Philoctetes to go against their own beliefs and grudges for the sake of the Greek army. Lying isn’t shameful “if the lie brings deliverance,” Odysseus tells Neoptolemus (8).

Philoctetes, on the other hand, is on the other side of the individual versus collective argument, as his situation—the direct result of the Greek army putting their collective desires as a group above his well-being—has caused him to value himself over the needs of the Greek army: “Never! […]/ […] Death to Troy and all those men/ Beneath her walls who cast this cripple out!” (57), Philoctetes says when the chorus asks him to go to Troy. Neoptolemus seems to lie somewhere between these two extremes. He initially agrees to deceive Philoctetes in order to serve his army, putting aside his personal values: “It is my duty and in my interest/ To obey the orders of my commanders” (46), he tells Philoctetes when he refuses to give back the bow. As this quote’s reference to his “interest” suggests, Neoptolemus also acts according to his own self-interests, such as when he ultimately gives into his guilt and returns the bow to Philoctetes. This causes Neoptolemus to go directly against the group, as Odysseus threatens to have the Greek army “fight not only the Trojans but you” (60): “What will be, will be” (60), Neoptolemus responds.

The play explores pain and suffering through Philoctetes’ plight, as he’s been marooned and left to die on the island of Lemnos. The pain from his wounded foot frequently leaves him in agony and calling for death. The trauma of abandonment and isolation on the island has also mentally affected Philoctetes: “Odysseus! If only you could feel this pain,/ Feel your frame split in two and your guts/ Wrench in your chest! […]/ Death! Death! Every day I call to you—/ Why do you never come?” (38-39), he says in a fit of pain.

The other characters in the play deal with Philoctetes’ pain in a variety of ways: Odysseus, of course, feels no mercy toward him, and he and the Greek army responded to Philoctetes’ outcries of pain by marooning him on an island and leaving him stranded. Yet Odysseus cannot abandon Philoctetes completely, returning once again to Lemnos to call on his help because he needs him in battle. Neoptolemus and the chorus, on the other hand, are more directly sympathetic for Philoctetes’ plight beyond their own needs, expressing sympathy and regret for his condition and pledging to help him even as they deceive him. Because of these themes of trauma and suffering, Philoctetes has proved to be a particularly relevant play for veterans. The play was initially presented during the Peloponnesian War in 409 BC, and has more recently come to be associated with and used to help modern-day veterans suffering from injuries and PTSD.