In this week's review, I am looking at Sophocles’ Philoctetes. Now just to start, I am a fan of the character, the idea of this master archer, who has a bow from the mighty Heracles himself, and is essential in the destruction of Troy is quite a cool concept to get behind. However, I am not a fan of the play. I just think that it is too bland an idea to use in a Greek tragedy, there isn't any real drama, action and a quick deus ex machina at the end to wrap it up. Just to summarise the story:
Philoctetes has been discarded on an island with a festering wound on his foot — he was abandoned there by the Greeks because his sickness made his presence insufferable (which I thought was kind of hilarious). It turns out, however, that they need his bow, the one given to him by Heracles, to lay waste to Troy finally. So Odysseus sends Neoptolemus, the son of Achilles, to trick Philoctetes into giving him his bow. Initially thinking it shameful and beneath him to deceive a man in such a way, he is finally persuaded by Odysseus to take part in the ploy. He wins poor Philoctetes' confidence, who then hands him his bow, after which the scheme is quickly disclosed. Feeling pity for Philoctetes, and deeming the act wrong once more, Neoptolemus returns the bow to Philoctetes in defiance of Odysseus. However, the Greeks still need Heracles' bow to settle the war. And in the end, it takes the spirit of Heracles to persuade Philoctetes to leave his desolate island and a pitiful cave of suffering and return, cum bow, to Troy — to have his rotting foot finally be healed and to help the Greeks gain their victory.
It's interesting to think about the symbolism within the play. Philoctetes' bow, for example, is a symbol of power, whoever possesses the bow is in control, they have power. While owned by Philoctetes, the promise of its power drew Odysseus to return to Lemnos. Because it's arrows never miss, possession of the bow prevents anyone from forcibly taking Philoctetes, giving him a certain degree of power over Odysseus and his will. When the bow winds up in Neoptolemus' hands, however, Philoctetes is at his mercy and begs for the bow back. Philoctetes is then faced with the critical decision of returning the bow or obeying Odysseus' commands. Although he seems for a moment to be the one in control, the appearance of Hercules at the end, and his final pronouncement that they must all go to Troy shows that it is the true owner of the bow that actually holds power in this story.
You could argue that, as is the case with most literature, the snake represents a kind of evil. Philoctetes first encountered it by doing something he shouldn't have been doing (Hera sent it to punish him for helping Heracles) and the snake's bite was a constant source of agony for Philoctetes and essentially the catalyst for this entire tale. The snake wound is also representative of Philoctetes' fractured relationship with society. Once bitten by the snake, he is cast out, like a leper and sent to live on the island in isolation.
His unhealable wound can also be seen as a symbol for his unhealable pride, which was damaged from his desertion, resulting in a deep-rooted bitterness, that benefitted neither himself nor the Greeks.
One apparent theme in this play is decision making and its consequences. For example, throughout the entire story, Neoptolemus is confronted with difficult choices that test his integrity and morality. These decisions serve a practical purpose as they propel the action of the story forward and also serve a symbolic purpose in the way they lead to the growth and development of Neoptolemus. Philoctetes, too, is faced with a big decision: continue nursing his grudge against the Greeks or be cured of his illness and aid the Greeks in victory? With both characters, the aspect of decision-making is essential because it develops the division between the best interest of the individual and the best interest of society, the Greeks.
Despite being an incredibly skilled archer, Philoctetes is characterised by his suffering. He has been cast out of society because of his disability and is unable to function effectively in isolation. Once a renown archer, he barely seems able to procure food for himself, despite his skill and his possession of the special bow of Hercules, and yet somehow this same man holds the key to victory over the Trojans.
In conclusion, while Sophocles' Philoctetes may not be your usual blend of Greek tragedy with the usual amount of action and sorrow, it includes themes that remain very relevant to this day, pride, contempt, resentment, fate and tons of symbolism to create what is a unique story.
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