Excerpt

Excerpt from Philoktetes, by Sophocles

They came for me in their mighty warships
with painted prows and streaming battle flags.
Odysseus and my father's tutor were the ones.
They came with a story, true or a lie,
that the gods had decreed, since my father had died,
that I alone could storm Troy's walls.
So they said.
You can be sure that I lost no time
in gathering my things and sailing with them,
out of love for my father, whom I wanted to see
before the earth swallowed him.
I had never seen him alive.
And I would be proved brave if I captured Troy.

We had a good wind. In two days we made bitter Sigeion.
A mass of soldiers raised a cheer,
saying dead Achilles still walked among them.
They had not yet buried him.
I wept for my father. And then I went
to the Atreids, my father's supposed friends,
as was fitting, and I asked for my father's weapons
and his other things.
They said with feigned sorrow, "Son of Achilles,
you may have the other things,
but not Achilles's weapons.
Those now belong to Laertes's son."
I leapt up then, crying in grief and anger,
and said, "You bastards, how dare you
give the things that are mine to other men
without asking me first?"

Then Odysseus, who happened to be there, said, "Listen, boy.
What they did was right. After all, I was the one
who rescued them and your father's body."
Enraged, I cursed him with all the curses I could think of,
leaving nothing out, curses that would be set in motion
if he were truly to rob me.
Odysseus is not a quarrelsome man,
but what I said stung him. He replied,
"Boy, you're a newcomer. You have been at home,
out of harm's way. You judge me too harshly.
You cannot keep a civil tongue.
For all that, you will not take his weapons home."
You see, I took abuse from both sides. I lost
the things that were mine, and I sailed home.
Odysseus, the bastard son of bastards,
robbed me. But I blame him less than the generals.
They rule whole cities and a mighty army.
Bad men become so by watching bad teachers.
I have told you all. May he who hates the Atreids
be as dear to the gods as he is to me.

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Explanation

This excerpt from Philoktetes (or Neoptolemus, as the speaker here is Neoptolemus, the son of Achilles) is a powerful monologue that reveals deep personal betrayal, generational conflict, and the moral corruption of leadership in the Trojan War. While the play Philoktetes (c. 409 BCE) by Sophocles primarily focuses on the abandoned warrior Philoktetes, this speech is spoken by Neoptolemus, who recounts his own bitter experiences with Odysseus and the Greek commanders (the Atreids, Agamemnon and Menelaus). Below is a detailed breakdown of the passage, emphasizing its themes, literary devices, and dramatic significance from the text itself.

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Context of the Excerpt

1. Dramatic Situation:

   • Neoptolemus is speaking to Philoktetes (though the audience is not explicitly named here), explaining why he despises Odysseus and the Atreids.
   • This speech occurs early in Philoktetes, where Odysseus has sent Neoptolemus to deceive Philoktetes into returning to Troy. Neoptolemus, however, is conflicted—his hatred for Odysseus and the Atreids makes him sympathetic to Philoktetes’ suffering.
   • The monologue serves as backstory, revealing Neoptolemus’ personal grievances and foreshadowing his moral dilemma in the play.

2. Mythological Background:

   • After Achilles’ death, his armor was contested. According to some versions of the myth, it was awarded to Odysseus (not Ajax, as in other accounts), enraging Neoptolemus, who believed it rightfully belonged to him as Achilles’ son.
   • The Atreids (Agamemnon and Menelaus) are the supreme commanders of the Greek forces, often depicted as corrupt, self-serving leaders in tragedy.

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Themes in the Excerpt

1. Betrayal and Injustice

   • Neoptolemus was lured to Troy under false pretenses ("a story, true or a lie")—the Greeks claimed the gods demanded his presence, but their real motive may have been to exploit his heritage.
   • The denial of Achilles’ armor is a symbolic theft of identity. The weapons represent his father’s legacy, and their loss is a humiliation and disinheritance.
   • The line "You bastards, how dare you / give the things that are mine to other men" underscores the violation of natural order—a son robbed of his father’s honor.

2. Generational Conflict & Legacy

   • Neoptolemus never knew Achilles alive ("I had never seen him alive"), making the loss of his father’s armor even more painful—it was his only connection to his heritage.
   • His grief is twofold: for his father’s death and for the corruption of his legacy by those in power.
   • The contrast between youth (Neoptolemus) and experience (Odysseus) is sharp. Odysseus dismisses him as a "boy" who "judge[s] too harshly", implying that moral outrage is naive in a world ruled by cunning.

3. Power and Corruption

   • The Atreids and Odysseus represent abusive authority. Neoptolemus blames them not just for the theft but for setting a moral example: "Bad men become so by watching bad teachers."
   • The line "They rule whole cities and a mighty army" suggests that power corrupts absolutely—their actions are unchecked because they control the military and political machinery.
   • Odysseus’ hypocrisy is exposed: he claims to have "rescued" Achilles’ body, yet he participates in the theft of his armor, revealing his self-serving nature.

4. Anger and Curses

   • Neoptolemus’ rage is ritualistic. His curses are not just emotional outbursts but formal invocations of divine justice ("curses that would be set in motion").
   • The repetition of "bastards" (twice) emphasizes his contempt for illegitimate authority—both Odysseus (called a "bastard son of bastards") and the Atreids (whose lineage is also tainted by crime, e.g., Agamemnon’s murder of his daughter Iphigenia).

5. Isolation and Disillusionment

   • Neoptolemus was "out of harm’s way" at home, but his idealism is shattered when he enters the world of war and politics.
   • His final line—"May he who hates the Atreids / be as dear to the gods as he is to me"—is a prayer for divine alignment with his vengeance, suggesting his moral alignment with Philoktetes, another victim of the Atreids.

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Literary Devices & Stylistic Features

1. Dramatic Irony

   • The audience knows that Odysseus is manipulating Neoptolemus in the present moment (trying to trick Philoktetes), making his past betrayal even more bitter.
   • Neoptolemus’ hatred for Odysseus contrasts with his current role as Odysseus’ pawn, heightening the tragedy.

2. Rhetorical Questions & Exclamations

   • "How dare you / give the things that are mine to other men / without asking me first?" → Outrage expressed as a challenge to authority.
   • "You bastards" → Direct insult, breaking decorum to emphasize raw emotion.

3. Imagery & Symbolism

   • The Warships: "mighty warships / with painted prows and streaming battle flags" → Glorious but deceptive; the Greeks arrive with false honor.
   • Achilles’ Armor: Represents heritage, honor, and divine favor. Its theft is a metaphor for the corruption of heroic ideals.
   • The Earth Swallowing His Father: "before the earth swallowed him" → Death as consumption, emphasizing the finality of loss.

4. Contrast & Juxtaposition

   • Youth vs. Experience: Neoptolemus’ idealism vs. Odysseus’ cynicism ("You judge me too harshly").
   • Public vs. Private Grief: The soldiers cheer for Achilles, but Neoptolemus weeps alone—his sorrow is personal, not performative.

5. Foreshadowing

   • Neoptolemus’ defiance of Odysseus here foreshadows his later rebellion in the play when he refuses to deceive Philoktetes further.
   • His sympathy for the wronged (like Philoktetes) sets up his moral conflict.

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Significance of the Passage

1. Character Development

   • This speech humanizes Neoptolemus, showing he is not just a tool of Odysseus but a wronged son with his own grievances.
   • His anger and sense of justice make him a foil to Odysseus’ deceit and a potential ally to Philoktetes.

2. Political & Moral Commentary

   • Sophocles critiques abusive leadership—the Atreids and Odysseus exploit the young and vulnerable (Neoptolemus, Philoktetes) for their own ends.
   • The theft of Achilles’ armor symbolizes the decay of heroic values in the late stages of the Trojan War.

3. Connection to Philoktetes’ Central Themes

   • Suffering and Abandonment: Like Philoktetes (abandoned on Lemnos), Neoptolemus is betrayed by those he trusted.
   • Truth vs. Deception: Odysseus lies to Neoptolemus here, just as he later orders Neoptolemus to lie to Philoktetes.
   • Divine Justice: Neoptolemus’ curses invoke the gods, suggesting that moral wrongs will be avenged—a theme that resonates with Philoktetes’ own quest for justice.

4. Audience Engagement

   • The speech elicits sympathy for Neoptolemus, making the audience root for his moral choice later in the play.
   • It also complicates Odysseus’ character—while he is often the clever hero in the Odyssey, here he is a villain, exposing the moral ambiguity of Greek leadership.

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Conclusion: Why This Matters

This monologue is not just backstory—it is a microcosm of the play’s central conflicts:

• Betrayal by authority (Atreids, Odysseus).
• The struggle for justice (Neoptolemus’ curses, Philoktetes’ suffering).
• The corruption of heroic ideals (Achilles’ armor stolen, honor discarded).

Neoptolemus’ personal tragedy mirrors the larger tragedy of the Trojan War—where glory is tarnished, leaders are corrupt, and the innocent suffer. His speech sets the stage for his moral dilemma: Will he obey Odysseus and deceive Philoktetes, or will he rebel and side with the wronged?

In the end, this excerpt challenges the audience to consider:

• What does true heroism look like? (Is it Odysseus’ cunning or Neoptolemus’ integrity?)
• How does power corrupt? (The Atreids’ unchecked authority leads to injustice.)
• Can the wronged ever find justice? (Neoptolemus’ curses suggest a hope for divine retribution.)

Sophocles, through this raw, emotional speech, exposes the human cost of war and political manipulation, making Philoktetes not just a myth, but a timeless critique of power and morality.