Philoctetes

Sophocles, Volume 2. Storr, Francis, editor. London; New York: William Heinemann Ltd.; The Macmillan Company, 1913.

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This dramatic work depicts the conflict surrounding the hero Philoctetes, who was abandoned on the uninhabited island of Lemnos during the Trojan War, and his invincible bow. Odysseus, a commander of the Greek army, and Neoptolemus, the young son of Achilles, devise a scheme to seize the bow, which is prophesied as essential for the fall of Troy. Although Neoptolemus gains the trust of the suffering Philoctetes and takes custody of the bow, he is soon tormented by severe pangs of conscience over his deception, eventually confessing the truth and returning the bow. Neoptolemus then tries to persuade Philoctetes to join them, promising that his wound will be healed and glory achieved in Troy, but Philoctetes, harboring deep-seated resentment, stubbornly refuses and demands to be taken home. Ultimately, the deified Heracles appears from the heavens to deliver the will of the gods, prompting Philoctetes to accept his destiny and set sail for Troy.