The
play is about the wounded warrior Philoctetes abandoned by his comrades. Ten
years later they discover they need him after all. The play begins with the ever-devious
Odysseus instructing Achilles’ son Neoptolemus how to entrap Philoctetes “tell
him a story. You have to trick him, lead his mind astray.” The play ends with Philoctetes willing
departure with his comrades in arms.
In
previous re-readings of the Ancient Athenian tragedies I have concentrated on
some aspect of the story line other than the main characters. Under the mistaken impression that Sophocles
blamed one of Heracles poisoned arrows for Philoctetes unhealing wound, I
thought that those famous arrows dipped in the bile of the Hydra would be my
focus. Rather Philoctetes says, “I was bitten by a savage deadly snake”,
the guardian spirit at the shrine of the nymph Chryse that lamed Philoctetes. Chryse and her snake get mentioned three times
in the play. In the Oresteia we heard Apollo’s shafts
compared to snakes when he threatened the ancient Erinnyes.
But
the word I kept stumbling over was “boy”.
Neoptolemus was 10 years old when the story takes place. Ludicrous at first glance, but Encyclopedia
Britannic, via Wikipedia says the life expectancy of the Ancient Greeks was
between 26 and 28. So maybe the heroes
of the Trojan War grew up quickly. One theory says that Castor and Polydeuces
were twelve when the lead the Spartan army that rescued their sister Helen from
her Athenian captors.
Around line twenty Odysseus sends the boy to scout out a
two mouthed cave where they left the reeking archer a decade before. I was reminded of Somnus’ two gated cave from
which pass the true and false dreams respectively.
Odysseus starts this education in deciet by saying ”
Son
of Achilles, to fulfill your mission you must be loyal
to your ancestry, but at line
79, admits that ” My boy, I know your
nature is not fit to make up lies or speak deceitful things tow
which the boy replies “It’s not my
nature to do anything based on deceit. My father, so
they say, was just the same” This debate is surely a foretaste of things
to come. By line 135 the boy ass, “ But
how can anyone control his face when he dares speak such lies?” Which make me wonder how much of the
following dialogue between the apprentice liar and the desperate warrior
deserted a decade before is lies on Neoptolemus part, second thoughts about his
deceit and truths of another nature.
Particularly when Odysseus admits the only way the city can be captured is
with Philoctetes’ bow and arrows. “So I am not the one who’ll take that
city, as you told me.” “It’s not my
nature to do anything based on deceit. My father, so they
say…” I would much prefer to fail in something honorable, than to win
out with treachery. “Still the boy eventually says at line 120,
“All right, I’ll do it. I’ll set all shame aside.” Of the Ancient Greek works we’ve read this
might be the firmest most passionate commendation of lying and deceit. I was reminded of Creon and Polydeuces trying
to convince or kidnap Oedipus and return him to another place.
Odysseus
leaves before Philoctetes returns to his cave and recognizes that deceit is at
hand. Neoptolemus and the chorus hand
about. The boy observes, “He lies all by himself,
apart from other human beings, with shaggy
goats and spotted deer, suffering from hunger
pangs and from his painful wound. It’s
pitiful—he has to bear an agony that has no
cure, and, as he cries in bitter pain, the
only answer comes from Echo, a distant, senseless babble. “ I
was reminded of Polyphemus and the crew of Odysseus at his cave.
The
boy introduces himself to the castaway, “My
birthplace is the island Scyros…I’m Neoptolemus, Achilles’
son. “ The supplicant responses, “My lad, son of a man I truly loved,
and from a land I cherish, you were raised by old Lycomedes,
your mother’s father.” Which makes
Philoctetes sound like an old friend of the family and puts Neoptolemus under
obligations of family friendship and alliance.
Philoctetes’ pathetic and lengthy self-introduction continues with a
listing of all the crimes that the Astresides and Odysseus are guilty of. The boy replies, “I, too, can testify to what
you say. You speak the truth. For
I’ve experience (380) how bad the sons of Atreus can be and Odysseus’ brutality
as well” Just got to wonder if he isn’t
thinking about his father’s armor which he still hasn’t received.
Odysseus,
hiding in the bushes, sends one of his men disguised as a passing merchant to
spread the gossip that another ship is looking for Philoctetes is hopes of
convincing the stinking archer to climb into their ship all the faster. Philoctetes, thinks all this odd, then after
reminding everyone the Chryse’s snake wounded him suggests they leave quickly. The boy says at 639 “ We’ll
set sail when the wind stops blowing in
right at our bow. Its course is now against us. “ Is he having second thoughts about betraying
Philoctetes? He tells Philoctetes to pack up his stuff; an herb that helps
sometimes. Philoctetes replies that he
also needs “Any of the arrows I’ve
forgotten or overlooked.” The
arrows in question are the poisoned arrows of Heracles that did in two
centaurs; Chiron and Pholos, when they were left lying around. Neoptolemus offers to hold onto the sacred
bow while the older man gathers his things.
While
they pack the chorus compares the sufferings to Philoctetes to those of
Ixion. Ixion killed his father-in-law
and is purified by Zeus. In gratitude
Ixion attempts to rape Hera and ends up bedding Nephele. Consequently he is tied to a burning wheel
and rolled up and down a stygian hill for all of eternity and he became the
father or grandfather of the centaurs
Nesus and Pholos who were killed by these poisoned arrows.
As
they exit the cave, the snake venom sends the poor man into a fit; “a storm of
pain” . His cries and shrieks remind me
of the death of Agamemnon at the hands of that often-deemed “viper”
Clytemnestra. The whole “fit” seemed inappropriate
for the stage, based on other readings of the Ancient Greek tragedies.
At
468, the Chorus, Neoptolemus’ sailors pray to Rhea for assistance. Now, when
the poor man falls asleep the chorus prays again at 1098 to Sleep
O
Sleep who knows no pain,
sweet Sleep so free of suffering,
come to us with joy, my king,
and bring him happiness.
Hold before his eyes that lightt
which shines around them now.
Come down, I pray, and heal him
Neoptolemus
assists the ailing archer to his feet but then in the throes of a new round of
second thoughts confesses all the conspiracy.
Philoctetes tells the boy “You’re not an evil man,” Which seems to
be Odysseus cue to jump out of the bushes.
Odysseus
is at his worse and most abusive. He
leaves the chorus to see to Philoctetes and leaves with Neoptolemus to prepare
the ship. Philoctetes laments his fate
to the chorus. Their debate continues
until they see Odysseus coming and bringing with him Achilles’ son.
ODYSSEUS; Why are
you coming back along this path at such a rapid pace (boy)?
NEOPTOLEMUS; I was
wrong before. I have to fix all those mistakes I made.
ODYSSEUS; You
sound odd. What mistakes are those?
NEOPTOLEMUS; When
I obeyed you and the entire army.
Odysseus
no longer refers to Neoptolemus as boy. Neoptolemus
returns the bow and apologizes to Philoctetes, promising that he will not force
Philoctetes to go anywhere. He tries to
convince Philoctetes to see the wisdom of attaining a cure and glory at Troy,
but the archer will not give up his anger at Odysseus and company. Neoptolemus advices; “My dear man, in such
troubles you must learn not to be so stubborn.” Although another translation says “You must learn to extract
yourself from this anguish” which I liked better. “ They agree to forget Troy and head to their
mutual homes.
“Not
yet…” says the voice of the now divine Heracles, who’s returned to the man who
graciously lit his funeral pyre. He
instructs both me that they must go to Troy and promises there you “make your
life something men honor.” The two
heroes promise they will. Philoctetes
bides good bye to the place including the nymphs of streams and meadows. The chorus runs ahead to pray to the
Nereids.
The
end.
