Sophocles' Philoctetes
The idea of "tragedy" has been my primary academic theme for this term. On the past Thursday I gave my seminar presentation on Oscar Wilde's Salome and Richard Strauss' Salome and how both works are tragic, in the definition given in my previous entry. I was quite happy that my definition works even for such a bizarre work as Wilde's drama. Its success gave me confidence to apply it to Julius Caesar and Milton's Samson Agonistes.
But just last night I read Sophocles' late tragedy Philoctetes, and a good deal of my definition now needs reconsideration. While my general definition more or less stands, the three tragic situations all fail to account for the tragic beauty of Sophocles' work.
Philoctetes, for those of you who do not know Greek mythology, was the bearer of arms (bow) for Heracles. He joined the Troy expedition with Agamemnon and his crew, and was abandoned by the crew in Lemnos when he accidentally disturbed a special santuary of the gods and was bitten by a poisonous snake. He was abandoned because his wound reeked and his screams were unhumanly loud and annoying. He was left all alone for nine years until after the death of Achilles and Ajax, when Helenus (son of Priam) prophecized that the Grecian crew needs Philoctetes and his bow to achieve victory. Sophocles' story begins with Neoptolemus (the son of Achilles) and Odysseus coming back to Lemnos. Odysseus plans to take Philoctetes by craft. He convinces Neoptolemus to help him. Neoptolemus, whom Philoctetes never saw before, approaches the crippled hero. They have an extensive conversation, through which Neoptolemus wins Philoctetes' trust. The crisis of the drama comes when Odysseus shows up and tells Neoptolemus to give him the bow (which Neoptolemus holds in his hands). After an internal struggle, Neoptolemus, assuming his nature again, gives the bow back to Philoctetes and asks him sincerely if he will come to Troy. Philoctetes, while thanking the son of Achilles, bitterly declines the offer. At the end of the play, Heracles appears in human form and finally convinces Philoctetes that he is destined to be in Troy and win all his honours there.
What's interesting about Sophocles' play is that the tragic moment occurs before the beginning of the play. The moment in which Philoctetes was abandoned by his crew is the time when he realizes his own imperfection and helplessness (against the gods, especially, whom he only accidentally offended) as a human being. Throughout the course of the play, Philoctetes gradually reveals his immense suffering during his nine years of solitude. His bitterness is a very powerful manifestation of the pains he suffered. It is certainly an emotionally extremely powerful drama. But if we want to analyse it, we find that many theories of tragedy break down.
My theory of the tragic situation breaks down: Philoctetes' accident is not an error - it is not even an action; unlike Oedipus, who actually undeliberately acts and kills his father, Philoctetes just walks into the santuary (Greek santuaries actually have no indicative boundaries at all). Philoctetes might as well stand still and mistakenly breath in air that is especially reserved for the gods. Philoctetes is not hubristic, nor is he torned by any psychomachic struggles. Aristotles' theory falls apart with this play: if the protagonist is Philoctetes, then there is no reversal, no recognition, and many too much suffering. Wikipedia's theory also fails: Philoctetes ends happily. Philoctetes is better off at the end of the play. The fact that the tragic moment occurs before the beginning of the play is Sophocle's stroke of absolute brilliance; it is also that which makes the play so problematic to analyse.
One thing is certain though: Sophocles most definitely is saying something fundamental about the human condition. The fact that both divinities and human beings hurt and abandoned him for nine years suggests some kind of irrationality of this universe. The drama is set up such that the cunning Odysseus is played by the same actor as Heracles, the god who restores Philoctetes. Being compelled by both the human and the divine force to return to Troy, Sophocles, through the story of Philoctetes, seems to suggest that the condition of human existence is suffering. Suffering is something we cannot escape; at the same time it is only through suffering that the joys of human existence come to mean anything. This is why Philoctetes is such a powerful play.
(Who are we kidding? Which of Sophocles' surviving play is not powerful?)
But just last night I read Sophocles' late tragedy Philoctetes, and a good deal of my definition now needs reconsideration. While my general definition more or less stands, the three tragic situations all fail to account for the tragic beauty of Sophocles' work.
Philoctetes, for those of you who do not know Greek mythology, was the bearer of arms (bow) for Heracles. He joined the Troy expedition with Agamemnon and his crew, and was abandoned by the crew in Lemnos when he accidentally disturbed a special santuary of the gods and was bitten by a poisonous snake. He was abandoned because his wound reeked and his screams were unhumanly loud and annoying. He was left all alone for nine years until after the death of Achilles and Ajax, when Helenus (son of Priam) prophecized that the Grecian crew needs Philoctetes and his bow to achieve victory. Sophocles' story begins with Neoptolemus (the son of Achilles) and Odysseus coming back to Lemnos. Odysseus plans to take Philoctetes by craft. He convinces Neoptolemus to help him. Neoptolemus, whom Philoctetes never saw before, approaches the crippled hero. They have an extensive conversation, through which Neoptolemus wins Philoctetes' trust. The crisis of the drama comes when Odysseus shows up and tells Neoptolemus to give him the bow (which Neoptolemus holds in his hands). After an internal struggle, Neoptolemus, assuming his nature again, gives the bow back to Philoctetes and asks him sincerely if he will come to Troy. Philoctetes, while thanking the son of Achilles, bitterly declines the offer. At the end of the play, Heracles appears in human form and finally convinces Philoctetes that he is destined to be in Troy and win all his honours there.
What's interesting about Sophocles' play is that the tragic moment occurs before the beginning of the play. The moment in which Philoctetes was abandoned by his crew is the time when he realizes his own imperfection and helplessness (against the gods, especially, whom he only accidentally offended) as a human being. Throughout the course of the play, Philoctetes gradually reveals his immense suffering during his nine years of solitude. His bitterness is a very powerful manifestation of the pains he suffered. It is certainly an emotionally extremely powerful drama. But if we want to analyse it, we find that many theories of tragedy break down.
My theory of the tragic situation breaks down: Philoctetes' accident is not an error - it is not even an action; unlike Oedipus, who actually undeliberately acts and kills his father, Philoctetes just walks into the santuary (Greek santuaries actually have no indicative boundaries at all). Philoctetes might as well stand still and mistakenly breath in air that is especially reserved for the gods. Philoctetes is not hubristic, nor is he torned by any psychomachic struggles. Aristotles' theory falls apart with this play: if the protagonist is Philoctetes, then there is no reversal, no recognition, and many too much suffering. Wikipedia's theory also fails: Philoctetes ends happily. Philoctetes is better off at the end of the play. The fact that the tragic moment occurs before the beginning of the play is Sophocle's stroke of absolute brilliance; it is also that which makes the play so problematic to analyse.
One thing is certain though: Sophocles most definitely is saying something fundamental about the human condition. The fact that both divinities and human beings hurt and abandoned him for nine years suggests some kind of irrationality of this universe. The drama is set up such that the cunning Odysseus is played by the same actor as Heracles, the god who restores Philoctetes. Being compelled by both the human and the divine force to return to Troy, Sophocles, through the story of Philoctetes, seems to suggest that the condition of human existence is suffering. Suffering is something we cannot escape; at the same time it is only through suffering that the joys of human existence come to mean anything. This is why Philoctetes is such a powerful play.
(Who are we kidding? Which of Sophocles' surviving play is not powerful?)
posted by Tristan at 7:07 p.m.
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