Philocetes

Philoctetes, the bowman, is a most haunting and ambiguous character of Sophocles. He represents the pain which the world subjects all creative people to. Keeping his simplicity and innocence in a world of confusion and lies ends up being his greatest challenge. Through intense character portrayal, Sophocles presents the story of Philoctetes in a way so that the reader can empathizes and truly understand the pain of Philoctetes. The story begins when Odysseus and Neoptolemus …

…in his own eyes. The story of Philoctetes does not simply tell the story of one man, but of two, and the struggles which set them apart from the rest of the world. Neoptolemus struggles with an internal fight between personal advancement and moral obligation, while Philoctetes struggles to find his way home. The commonality of these struggles bring the two men together, and from this togetherness comes solution and blessings for both of them.