“Filoketet” ( Greek Φιλοκτήτης ) is the tragedy of Sophocles . It was first introduced to the public at Dionysius in 409 BC. e., where she received the first prize. One of the seven works of Sophocles, which has survived to the present day in its entirety. The history of Philoctetus was also described by Aeschylus and Euripides , but their variants have not survived to this day. The play takes place during the Trojan War, approximately after the events described in the Iliad , but before the fall of Troy. The main character is a wounded archer Philoctetus , whom Odysseus abandons to his fate on the island of Lemnos , but with the help of Hercules and Neoptolem, he manages to escape and take part in the siege of Troy.
| Philoctetus | |
|---|---|
| Φιλοκτήτης | |
 | |
| Genre | tragedy |
| Author | Sophocles |
| Original language | ancient greek |
The main subject of the drama is the physical suffering of Philoctetus and the moral torment of Neoptolem's choice. The play uses the technique of deus ex machina - the plot node is cut by the unexpected intervention of Hercules [1] .
Content
Actors
- Philoctetus
- Odysseus
- Neoptolemus
- Hercules
- Scout as a merchant
- Sailors Choir
Story
Background
Before his death, Hercules demands to burn himself alive on a funeral pyre [2] . Philoctetus agrees to do this. In gratitude, Hercules gives his bow. The Philoctetus goes to the Trojan War, but a poisonous snake bites him in the leg. The wound brings him terrible torment and exudes a disgusting smell. Odysseus decides to leave Filoctetus on the island of Lemnos.
Ten years later, the Greeks capture Gehlen , the son of Priam . He predicts that to win the war, the Greeks will need Philoctetus and his magic bow. Odysseus returns to Lemnos to persuade Philoctetus to take the side of the Greeks. This is a non-trivial task, since Philoctetus hates Odysseus and the Greeks, who left him to their fate.
Main action
Odysseus and Neoptolem arrive in Lemnos. Odysseus explains to Neoptolem that in order to achieve a noble goal they will have to commit a shameful act - by tricking them into luring Philoctetus on a ship by stealing a magic bow. Neoptolemus, an honest young man, doubtfully agrees to take part in the deception. In order to gain the trust of Philoctetus, Neoptolem tells us that he also hates Odysseus, since he stole the armor of Achilles, the father of Neoptolem.
Filoctetus allows Neoptolem to take and inspect the magic bow. The bow is in the hands of Neoptolem, but Philoctetus comes in an attack of pain from a wound on his leg. Ashamed, Neoptolem wants to return the bow to Philoctetus, but here Odysseus enters the scene, demanding to act according to the plan. Neoptolem is torn between a duty requiring the Greek army to be defeated and compassion for Philoctetus. Odysseus leaves. Neoptolem tries to persuade Philoctetus to help the Greeks voluntarily, but he does not agree. As a result, Neoptolem decides to help Philoctetus return to Greece, even though such an act will draw the wrath of Odysseus and the Greek army on the youth.
At the last moment, Hercules appears on the scene (as "the god from the car") and informs Philoctetus that if he takes part in the siege of Troy, his terrible wound will heal and the Greeks will win. Philoctetus agrees.
Product Analysis
The main theme of Filocteta is the conflict between the interests of society and the interests of the individual, as well as low and noble motives in behavior [3] [4] . The conflict between the honesty of Neoptolem and his hatred of Odysseus, on the one hand, and the duty, requiring participation in the unprincipled plans of Odysseus, on the other, for the sake of victory in the war [4] . “Philoctetus” is the only tragedy of Sophocles in which “the god from the machine” appears [3] .
Interesting Facts
- Robert Silverberg transferred the plot of the tragedy of Sophocles in our days in the science fiction novel "The Man in the Maze ".
Notes
- ↑ Antiquity before the mystery of man and space. An anthology. . Date of treatment December 21, 2015.
- ↑ These events are described in another tragedy of Sophocles, “ Trahinyanki ”
- ↑ 1 2 Ancient literature . Date of treatment December 18, 2015.
- ↑ 1 2 Yarho, W. Sophocles and his tragedy: [ Russian ] .
Links
- translation by F. F. Zelinsky, ed. M. L. Gasparova and V. N. Yarkho
- translation by S. S. Shervinsky
- http://www.meyerhold.ru/en/performances/archives/filoktet/