Philoctetes is a Greek tragedy written by Sophocles. The play tells the story of Philoctetes, a Greek warrior who was abandoned on the island of Lemnos by his comrades after he was bitten by a snake and his wound became infected. Ten years later, the Greeks realize that they need Philoctetes and his magical bow to win the Trojan War. They send Odysseus and Neoptolemus to retrieve Philoctetes and bring him back to Troy.However, Philoctetes is angry and bitter towards the Greeks for abandoning him, and he refuses to go with Odysseus and Neoptolemus. The two try to convince him to come with them, but their attempts fail. Neoptolemus, who is conflicted between his loyalty to the Greeks and his sympathy for Philoctetes, eventually decides to help him and return him to Greece.The play explores themes of betrayal, forgiveness, and the importance of human connection. It also showcases Sophocles' mastery of character development and his ability to create complex, multi-dimensional characters. Overall, Philoctetes is a powerful and thought-provoking play that has resonated with audiences for centuries.NEOPTOLEMUS: And yet I wonder not; for if aright I judge, from angry heaven the sentence came, And Chrysa was the cruel source of all; Nor doth this sad disease inflict him still Incurable, without assenting gods?This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.