Philoctetes Flashcards
Philoctetes
has been living in a cave on the island of Lemnos for the past 10 years. He was dropped off there by Odysseus because he was constantly screaming and smelled really bad after a snake bit his foot. (blank) hates Odysseus for deserting him. He has a magical bow from Heracles (see “Heracles” below for more details) that ends up helping the Greeks win the Trojan War. Odysseus and Neoptolemus come back for (blank) in the play because Odysseus wants to steal his bow. At the end, (blank) is persuaded by Heracles to go with them and let them use his bow. Though not in the play, (blank) ends up having his foot cured and being a successful war hero.
Odysseus (philoctetes)
takes on a “mentor” role to Neoptolemus and manipulates him into lying and scheming. He wants victory over everything else and is basically willing to do anything to achieve it. He has no problem with sacrificing individuals to accomplish his goals, he looks at the overall welfare as the only relevant standard for his actions.
Heracles (philoctetes)
strongest man in the world, but has a bad temper and isn’t too smart. Also husband to Deianira. He is gone for an extended period of time. After being treated badly by King Eurytus (of Oechalia) he kills him, and destroys the city, capturing the women and sending them back to his wife. However, he falls in love with Iola, daughter to King Eurytus. When Deianira learns that he has fallen in love with Iola, Eurytus’ daughter, she is extremely sad. Realizing his love for her is waning, she naively uses a “love potion” she (the blood of Nessus) which she believes will make him love her again. She sends (blank) a robe with the potion on it, which turns out to be poison, which eats (Blank)s’ skin. (blank) dies. He forces his son to marry Iola before dying.
Neoptolemus
Son of warrior Achilles. A Trojan Seer, Helenus, told the Greeks that they could only defeat Troy with the poisoned arrows of Heracles. Philoctetes who possessed the arrows of Heracles was exiled by Odysseus and others on a island alone because of the injury that crippled him. (blank) was to go and retrieve the arrows by lying to Philoctetes by saying he was offering him passage home. Philoctetes didn’t know (blank)therefore was less likely to kill him on sight and trust him compared to Odysseus.
