GEH 101

Study and Discussion Questions – Philoctetes

Neoptolemus experiences many ethical conflicts in the story and has trouble deciding what the moral thing to do in regard to Philoctetes. What are his different loyalties and desires?

What makes him go along with Odysseus’s plan?

What makes him change his mind?

How does Neoptolemus gain Philoctetes’s trust?

What do Neoptolemus and Philoctetes have in common?

What is the meaning of Neoptolemus’s speech to Philoctetes in lines 1315-1336?

What explanation does this play give for Philoctetes’s wound (not just HOW he got it, but WHY he got it)?

What and who will cure Philoctetes’ wound, according to the play?

In lines 1095-1100, the chorus asserts that Philoctetes has caused his own troubles. Where in the play is the justification for this statement? What choices does Philoctetes make that make his fate harder?

How does Odysseus rationalize his actions?

What is the role of the chorus in this play?

What does Neoptolemus say about the plans of the gods—line 191-100?

To look up if you get time: 

The family of Atreus

The story of the Trojan War

To sort out:

Gods, part-gods, and humans

How Philoctetes got his bow from Heracles