The scene is laid on the lonely north-east coast of Lemnos. Odysseus and Neoptolemus have just landed, and have now walked along the shore to a little distance from their ships
1, which are no longer visible. Odysseus tells his young comrade that here, long ago, he put Philoctetes ashore, by command of the Atreidae. He desires the youth to examine the rocks which rise above their heads, and to look for a cave, with a spring near it. Neoptolemus presently finds the cave, with traces in it which show that it is still inhabited.
A seaman, in attendance on Neoptolemus, is then despatched to act as sentry, lest Philoctetes should come on them by surprise.
Odysseus explains that it is impossible for
him to face Philoctetes; he must remain concealed, on peril of his life; Neoptolemus must conduct the parley. Neoptolemus must tell Philoctetes truly who he is—but must pretend that he has quarrelled with the Greeks at Troy, for depriving him of his father's arms, and is sailing home to Greece.
The youth at first refuses to utter such a falsehood; but yields at last to the argument that otherwise he cannot take Troy. Odysseus now departs to his ship,—promising that, after a certain time, he will send an accomplice to help Neoptolemus in working on the mind of Philoctetes. This will be the man who had been acting as sentry; he will be disguised as a sea-captain.
The Chorus of fifteen seamen (from the ship of Neoptolemus)
now enters. They ask their young chief how they are to aid his design. He invites them to look into the cave, and instructs them how they are to act when Philoctetes returns. In answer to their words of pity for the sufferer, he declares his belief that heaven ordains those sufferings only till the hour for Troy to fall shall have come.
Philoctetes appears. He is glad to find that the strangers
II. First episode: 219—675. |
are Greeks; he is still more rejoiced when he learns that the son of Achilles is before him. He tells his story; and Neoptolemus, in turn, relates his own ill-treatment by the chiefs. The Chorus, in a lyric strophe, confirm their master's fiction. After some further converse about affairs at Troy, Philoctetes implores Neoptolemus to take him home. They are on the point of setting out for their ship, when two men are seen approaching.
The supposed sea-captain (sent by Odysseus) enters, with a sailor from the ship of Neoptolemus. He describes himself as master of a small merchant-vessel, trading in wine between Peparethus (an island off the south coast of Thessaly) and the Greek camp at Troy. He announces that the Greeks have sent emissaries in pursuit of Neoptolemus:—also that Odysseus and Diomedes have sailed in quest of Philoctetes. He then departs.
Philoctetes is now more anxious than ever to start at once. Accompanied by Neoptolemus, he enters his cave, in order to fetch his few necessaries.
In the choral ode which follows, the seamen give full expression to their pity for Philoctetes. They have heard of Ixion, but they have never seen any doom so fearful as that of this unoffending man.
III. Second episode: 730—826. |
Just as he is leaving the cave with Neoptolemus, Philoctetes is seized with a sharp attack of pain. He vainly seeks to hide his agony. Neoptolemus is touched, and asks what he can do. Philoctetes, feeling drowsy, says that, before he falls asleep, he wishes to place the bow and arrows in his friend's hands. Thus Neoptolemus (still with treason in his heart) gets the bow into his keeping.
A second and sharper paroxysm now comes upon Philoctetes. In his misery, he prays for death—he beseeches his friend to cast him into the crater of the burning mountain which can be seen from the cave. Neoptolemus is deeply moved. He solemnly promises that he will not leave the sick man; who presently sinks into slumber.
Kommos (taking the place of a second stasimon): 827—864. |
Invoking the Sleep-god to hold Philoctetes prisoner, the Chorus urge Neoptolemus to desert the sleeper, and quit Lemnos with the bow. Neoptolemus replies that such a course would be as futile as base,—since the oracle had directed them to bring not only the bow, but its master.
IV. Third episode: 865—1080. |
Philoctetes awakes, and, aided by Neoptolemus, painfully rises to his feet. They are ready to set out for their ship. And now Neoptolemus has reached the furthest point to which the deception can be carried; for at the ships Philoctetes will find Odysseus. Shame and remorse prevail. He tells Philoctetes that their destination is Troy.
The unhappy man instantly demands his bow—but Neoptolemus refuses to restore it. And then the despair of Philoctetes finds terrible utterance. The youth's purpose is shaken. He is on the point of giving back the weapon, when suddenly Odysseus starts forth from a hiding-place near the cave, and prevents him. Philoctetes—whom Odysseus threatens to take by force—is about to throw himself from the cliffs, when he is seized by the attendants. In answer to his bitter reproaches, Odysseus tells him that he can stay in Lemnos, if he chooses:— other hands can wield the bow at Troy. Odysseus then departs to his ship, ordering his young comrade to follow; but, by the latter's command, the Chorus stay with Philoctetes, in the hope that he may yet change his mind.
In a lyric dialogue, Philoctetes bewails his fate, while the
Second Kommos (taking the place of a third stasimon): 1081— 1217. |
Chorus remind him that it is in his own power to escape from Lemnos. But at the bare hint of Troy, his anger blazes forth, and he bids them depart. They are going, when he frantically recalls them. Once more they urge their counsel—only to elicit a still more passionate refusal. He craves but one boon of them—some weapon with which to kill himself.
They are about to leave him—since no persuasions avail—
when Neoptolemus is seen hurrying back, with the bow in his hand,—closely followed by Odysseus, who asks what he means to do. Neoptolemus replies that he intends to restore the bow to its rightful owner. Odysseus remonstrates, blusters, threatens, and finally departs, saying that he will denounce this treason to the army.
The youth next calls forth Philoctetes, and gives him the bow. Odysseus once more starts forth from ambush—but this time he is too late. The weapon is already in the hands of Philoctetes, who bends it at his foe, and would have shot him, had not Neoptolemus interposed. Odysseus hastily retires, and is not seen again.
Philoctetes now hears from Neoptolemus the purport of the oracle; he is to be healed, and is to share the glory of taking Troy. He hesitates for a moment—solely because he shrinks from paining his friend by a refusal. But he cannot bring himself to go near the Atreidae. And so he calls upon Neoptolemus to fulfil his promise—to take him home.
Neoptolemus consents. He forebodes the vengeance of the Greeks—but Philoctetes reassures him: the arrows of Heracles shall avert it. They are about to set forth for Greece, when a divine form appears in the air above them.
Heracles has come from Olympus to declare the will of Zeus. Philoctetes must go to Troy with Neoptolemus, there to find health and fame. He yields to the mandate of heaven, brought by one who, while on earth, had been so dear to him. He makes his farewell to Lemnos; and the play closes as he moves with Neoptolemus towards the ships, soon to be sped by a fair wind to Sigeum.
General scope of the treatment. |
