by Sophocles
reeking with my pain.
What now will befall my days?
Where will I find hope
—in my misery—of finding food?
You timid doves,
once so fearful,
fly freely in the whistling winds 1240
I can’t stop you now!
LEADER
Your lot is hard, but you
you brought this damnation
down yourself on yourself,
unfortunate man. Know this.
Nothing outside you,
no overwhelming power
did—but you alone.
You had the chance
to choose a better way 1250
and chose a worse one.
PHILOKTETES
I’m miserable rotten miserable then—
abused in my misery
I have to live with this, with no human being
other! Ever! How will I
get food? when I can’t,
with my strong hands, let
the feathered arrows fly.
Sly words of a swindling soul
unsuspected 1260
wormed into me.
May I see the one behind this scheme
suffer like me, and as long!
LEADER
It was the gods doomed
this on you, not me. I had
no hand in tricking you.
Aim your hate your curses
elsewhere. What I don’t want
is you refusing my friendship.
PHILOKTETES
Aie me . . . 1270
somewhere, sitting on the shore
of the gray sea
he mocks me—showing off the weapon I lived by,
that none other ever handled.
Beloved bow
torn from hands that cared for you
if you have feelings feel for this
friend to Herakles.
He’ll never use you again.
You’re in the grasp of a new master, 1280
a crafty one: you will see
countless shameful deceptions rising in the face
of him, my enemy,
by whom a thousand awful things
O Zeus
were done to me.
LEADER
You’re right to say what’s right.
But once you’ve said it,
stop. Don’t go on and on
needling and bitter. 1290
Odysseus was doing a job
the whole army wanted done,
doing what was best for all
them, in the long run.
PHILOKTETES
All you wingèd ones I’ve hunted,
all you tribes of glare-eyed beasts
feeding in the hills up here,
don’t flee your nests or dens! Nor me!
I no longer hold the powerful bow
protecting me. 1300
Go where you want. I’m no threat now.
Get your own back, blood for blood,
glut yourselves much as you want
on my rotting flesh.
I’ll die soon.
How will I find means to live?
Who lives on air without
all that life-giving earth gives?
PHILOKTETES heads back toward his cave.
LEADER
By the gods, if you respect anything
respect a stranger who entreats you. 1310
Meet him halfway! It’s up to you
to help yourself out of this fate.
It’s pitiful the way this sickening
doom keeps eating away at you.
All the time in the world cannot
teach your body to live with this.
PHILOKTETES
AGAIN
you bring old agony up!
You, the kindest of all
who’ve come ashore here. 1320
Why have you killed me like this?
What have you done to me?
CHORUS
(individual)
What do you mean?
PHILOKTETES
You planned to take me
back to Troy, which I hate.
CHORUS
(individual)
We think it’s for the best.
PHILOKTETES
Then leave me. Now!
LEADER
Fine by us. More than glad to oblige.
(to the CHORUS)
Come on, let’s take up
our stations on the ship. 1330
The CHORUS starts to leave.
PHILOKTETES
Please! As Zeus hears curses . . . Don’t go.
LEADER
Get hold of yourself.
PHILOKTETES
Strangers! Wait! By the gods, I beg you!
LEADER
What is it?
PHILOKTETES
Doom! it’s the doom got me.
Foot, damned foot, where ahead
can I go with you!?
Strangers! Come back!
Again the CHORUS has moved to leave.
LEADER
To do what now any different
from what you wanted before? 1340
PHILOKTETES
No sense getting angry at a man
so wild with pain he talks crazy.
CHORUS
(individual)
Unhappy man. Like we said, come with us.
PHILOKTETES
No! Never! Believe it. Not though
the lord of lightning bolts thunder
burn me up in his fire. Let Troy
die, die every man under its walls
who had the heart to cast out
this poor cripple of a foot.
But, strangers, one thing I pray you . . . 1350
CHORUS
(individual)
What thing?
PHILOKTETES
A sword.
You have one at hand? Or ax?
Any weapon. Give it me.
CHORUS
(individual)
To do what?
PHILOKTETES
Hack this body limb from flesh
and off my head. Death is
death all I can think now.
CHORUS
(individual)
Why?
PHILOKTETES
So I can find my father. 1360
CHORUS
(individual)
Where?
PHILOKTETES
In Hades.
No longer here, in the light.
O city of my fathers, if only
I could see you—fool as I was,
leaving your sacred streams
to help the Greeks, my enemies.
Only to come to . . . nothing
PHILOKTETES drags his foot back into the cave.
LEADER
I’d be gone back to the ship by now
if I hadn’t seen Odysseus, and the son of Achilles, 1370
climbing this way.
NEOPTOLEMOS appears, dogged by ODYSSEUS.
ODYSSEUS
At least, would you be so kind as to say why
you’re headed back here in such a hurry!
NEOPTOLEMOS
To undo the wrong I did. Back here.
ODYSSEUS
What kind of talk is that? What ‘wrong’?
NEOPTOLEMOS
Obeying orders from you and the Greek army I . . .
ODYSSEUS
. . . did what? What that was beneath you?
NEOPTOLEMOS
I set a man up. Tricked him, and betrayed him.
ODYSSEUS
What man? You’re not planning something rash, are you?
NEOPTOLEMOS
Rash? No. But to the son of Poias I’ll . . . 1380
ODYSSEUS
. . . what!? You’ll what?
I feel strange uneasiness creeping up on me.
NEOPTOLEMOS
I’ll . . . give him the bow back.
ODYSSEUS
NEOPTOLEMOS
Really. I got it by fraud. I have no right to it.
ODYSSEUS
Gods above! You’re just giving me a hard time, right?
NEOPTOLEMOS
Only if truth gives you a hard time.
ODYSSEUS
What do you mean? Son of Achilles, what are you saying?
NEOPTOLEMOS
How many times do I have to go over this? Two? Three?
ODYSSEUS
Better you hadn’t ‘gone over’ in the first place. 1390
NEOPTOLEMOS
Well relax. Now you’ve heard it all.
ODYSSEUS
There’s someone will stop you from doing this.
NEOPTOLEMOS
Meaning what? Who’s to stop me?
ODYSSEUS
The whole Greek army. Me with them.
NEOPTOLEMOS
Smart as you are, your words aren’t.
ODYSSEUS
There’s nothing smart in what you say or do.
NEOPTOLEMOS
Being just beats being ‘smart.’
ODYSSEUS
How is it just to give up what you got
thanks to my . . . strategic advice?
NEOPTOLEMOS
I did something shameful. I have to undo it. 1400
ODYSSEUS
You’re not afraid what the Greeks will do
to you, if you do that?
NEOPTOLEMOS
With justice by my side, I’m not afraid.
ODYSSEUS
You will be.
NEOPTOLEMOS
I won’t back off. Even for you.
ODYSSEUS
We won’t fight the Trojans then. But you.
NEOPTOLEMOS
If it comes to that, so be it.
ODYSSEUS
(reaching)
You see my right hand?
By my sword hilt?
NEOPTOLEMOS
(reaching)
Watch my own, it’s 1410
quick as yours.
ODYSSEUS
(withdrawing his hand)
OK. I’m not bothering with you anymore.
I’ll go tell the whole army about this.
They’ll straighten you out.
ODYSSEUS leaves. Downhill, he hides behind rocks.
NEOPTOLEMOS
(partly to himself, as ODYSSEUS is hurrying off)
Good thinking!
If you stay this sensible you might even
keep yourself out of trouble.
NEOPTOLEMOS turns to face the mouth of the cave.
NEOPTOLEMOS
But you, son of Poias, Philoktetes,
come out from your rocky enclosure!
PHILOKTETES
(from within)
What’s all the racket out there? Strangers, 1420
why are you calling? What do you want from me?
PHILOKTETES emerges, surprised. He had expected only sailors.
O no. Not good. You here to announce
new bad news, on top of my other miseries?
NEOPTOLEMOS
Don’t be afraid. Hear what I have to say.
PHILOKTETES
That scares me. Last time I believed
your reassuring words, I got taken.
NEOPTOLEMOS
But can’t I change my mind? Again?
PHILOKTETES
Just how you talked when you stole my bow.
So trustworthy. Friendly. And treacherous.
NEOPTOLEMOS
Not now though. All I want to know is: 1430
you aim to hold on here, or sail with us?
PHILOKTETES
Stop! Enough!
Whatever you say, you’re wasting your breath.
NEOPTOLEMOS
Your mind’s made up?
PHILOKTETES
More than words can say. Yes.
NEOPTOLEMOS
I wish I could have brought you round on this,
but . . . if my words are getting nowhere, I quit.
PHILOKTETES
Right. You’re getting nowhere.
I’ll never feel friendly toward you. Now, after
stealing by deceit the bow that means my life, 1440
you come to give advice? The shameless son
of a noble father!? Die! the bunch of you,
sons of Atreus, Odysseus son of Laertes,
and you!
NEOPTOLEMOS
Stop! Enough!
No more curses. Here. Take them.
NEOPTOLEMOS offers PHILOKTETES the bow and arrows.
PHILOKTETES
What are you saying! This another trick?
NEOPTOLEMOS
No, I swear. By the awesome majesty
of Zeus on high.
PHILOKTETES
Wonderful words! If true. 1450
NEOPTOLEMOS
The act speaks for itself. Hold out your right hand,
take these. They’re yours.
NEOPTOLEMOS hands weapons to PHILOKTETES.
VOICE OF ODYSSEUS
The gods be my witness . . .
ODYSSEUS jumps out from behind rocks.
I FORBID THIS! By authority
of the sons of Atreus and the entire Greek army!
PHILOKTETES
My boy . . . whose voice . . . I hear Odysseus?
ODYSSEUS
Better believe it. Up close, too!
Me, see? The Odysseus who will
cart you off to the plains of Troy
by force, no matter what 1460
the son of Achilles wants.
PHILOKTETES
Not without paying for it . . .
—he has fitted an arrow to the bowstring and is drawing the bow back—
if this arrow flies true.
NEOPTOLEMOS
(grabbing PHILOKTETES’ arm)
By the gods, no! Don’t let it go!
PHILOKTETES
Let go let go my hand dear boy!
NEOPTOLEMOS
No. I will not.
PHILOKTETES
Why did you stop me
killing my enemy he hates me with my bow?
NEOPTOLEMOS
This killing isn’t worthy of you. Nor of me.
ODYSSEUS has run off.
PHILOKTETES
Well one thing’s sure. Greek army chiefs 1470
who trumpet themselves with bold words
are cowards at backing them up.
NEOPTOLEMOS
So let that be. You have your bow now.
No reason to be mad, or hold anything
against me.
PHILOKTETES
No, son, there isn’t. You’ve shown
the stock you come from. Not Sisyphos
but Achilles, the noblest man who lived, and now
no less so among the dead.
NEOPTOLEMOS
I’m pleased, hearing you speak so well 1480
of my father, and of me. But now listen.
I have something to put to you.
What fortunes
the gods give us, we have to live with.
But when, like you, we willfully persist
in being victims, there’s no excuse for that.
No pardoning, no pity.
You’re stubborn, like an animal. You won’t
take advice. Someone says something helpful
you hate him. Like he’s an enemy. Even so 1490
I’ll speak up. May Zeus, god of oaths, witness.
Mark my words. Write them down in your heart.
Your sickness and pain are a doom from a god.
You came too close to the serpent you didn’t see
guarding the open shrine of the god Chryse-.
You’ll never find relief, not so long as this
sun rises in the east and sinks in the west,
till you come freely to the plains of Troy
and meet wit
h the sons of Asklepios
who will cure you. With the bow then 1500
and with me, you will bring down Troy.
PHILOKTETES doesn’t respond.
How do I know this will happen? I’ll tell you.
We took a Trojan prisoner: Helenos, a prophet
as good as his word. He says straight out this
must happen. What’s more, Troy must fall
this summer. If I lie, he says, then kill me.
Now you know.
So come with us, freely. The bonus is,
your glory will grow! You’ll stand out among
the Greeks—find healing hands—and when 1510
you’ve reduced Troy the source of so many
tears to ruins, you’ll be famous.
PHILOKTETES
(quietly, as if speaking into a void)
Hateful life! why do you hold me
still above ground, in the daylight
of here on earth?
Why haven’t you let me go
down into darkest Hades?
What will I do? How can I not
hear this man’s well-meant advice?
Should I give in then? But how, 1520
after that, show myself in public,
shunned as I am? Who will speak to me?
And O my eyes, you’ve seen all
they’ve done to me, how could you
bear to see me going along with
the sons of Atreus who, here,
have made me rot away?
Or that damned son of Laertes?
It’s not bitterness over the past
that eats at me, but what I expect 1530
these men will make me suffer
in days to come. Men whose souls
have conceived, once, an evil know
ever after how to breed other evils.
(to NEOPTOLEMOS)
You too I wonder at, wondering . . .
you yourself shouldn’t be going to Troy,
you should keep me from going too!
Those men humiliated you, stripped you
of your father’s arms—now you want
to join them? And make me join too? 1540
No, my boy, no. Take me home, like
you promised. And you, stay in Skyros.
Let these evil men die their evil death.
My father and I, both, will thank you
twice over. By not helping these evil
ones, you won’t seem to be one yourself.
