400 BC

PHILOCTETES
by Sophocles

translated by Thomas Francklin
CHARACTERS IN THE PLAY

ULYSSES, King of Ithaca
NEOPTOLEMUS, son of Achilles

PHILOCTETES, son of Poeas and Companion of HERCULES
A SPY

HERCULES
CHORUS, composed of the companions of ULYSSES and NEOPTOLEMUS

PHILOCTETES
PHILOCTETES

(SCENE:- A lonely region on the shore of Lemnos,
before a steep cliff in which is the entrance to PHILOCTETES' cave.

ULYSSES, NEOPTOLEMUS and an attendant enter.)
ULYSSES

At length, my noble friend, thou bravest son
Of a brave father- father of us all,

The great Achilles- we have reached the shore
Of sea-girt Lemnos, desert and forlorn,

Where never tread of human step is seen,
Or voice of mortal heard, save his alone,

Poor Philoctetes, Poeas' wretched son,
Whom here I left; for such were my commands

From Grecia's chiefs, when by his fatal wound
Oppressed, his groans and execrations dreadful

Alarmed our hosts, our sacred rites profaned,
And interrupted holy sacrifice.

But why should I repeat the tale? The time
Admits not of delay. We must not linger,

Lest he discover our arrival here,
And all our purposed fraud to draw him hence

Be ineffectual. Lend me then thy aid.
Surveying round thee, canst thou see a rock

With double entrance- to the sun's warm rays
In winter open, and in summer's heat

Giving free passage to the welcome breeze?
A little to the left there is a fountain

Of living water, where, if yet he breathes,
He slakes his thirst. If aught thou seest of this

Inform me; so shall each to each impart
Counsel most fit, and serve our common cause.

NEOPTOLEMUS (leaving ULYSSES a little behind him)
If I mistake not, I behold a cave,

E'en such as thou describst.
ULYSSES

Dost thou? which way?
NEOPTOLEMUS

Yonder it is; but no path leading thither,
Or trace of human footstep.

ULYSSES
In his cell

A chance but he hath lain down to rest:
Look if he hath not.

NEOPTOLEMUS (advancing to the cave)
Not a creature there.

ULYSSES
Nor food, nor mark of household preparation?

NEOPTOLEMUS
A rustic bed of scattered leaves.

ULYSSES
What more?

NEOPTOLEMUS
A wooden bowl, the work of some rude hand,

With a few sticks for fuel.
ULYSSES

This is all
His little treasure here.

NEOPTOLEMUS
Unhappy man!

Some linen for his wounds.
ULYSSES

This must be then
His place of habitation; far from hence

He cannot roam; distempered as he is,
It were impossible. He is but gone

A little way for needful food, or herb
Of power to 'suage and mitigate his pain,

Wherefore despatch this servant to some place
Of observation, whence he may espy

His every motion, lest he rush upon us.
There's not a Grecian whom his soul so much

Could wish to crush beneath him as Ulysses.
(He makes a signal to the Attendant. who retires.)

NEOPTOLEMUS
He's gone to guard each avenue; and now,

If thou hast aught of moment to impart
Touching our purpose, say it; I attend.

ULYSSES
Son of Achilles, mark me well! Remember,

What we are doing not on strength alone,
Or courage, but oil conduct will depend;

Therefore if aught uncommon be proposed,
Strange to thy ears and adverse to thy nature,

Reflect that 'tis thy duty to comply,
And act conjunctive with me.

NEOPTOLEMUS
Well, what is it?

ULYSSES
We must deceive this Philoctetes; that

Will be thy task. When he shall ask thee who
And what thou art, Achilles'son reply-

Thus far within the verge of truth, no more.
Add that resentment fired thee to forsake

The Grecian fleet, and seek thy native soil,
Unkindly used by those who long with vows

Had sought thy aid to humblehaughty Troy,
And when thou cam'st, ungrateful as they were.

The arms of great Achilles, thy just right,
Gave to Ulysses. Here thy bitter taunts

And sharp invectives liberally bestow
On me. Say what thou wilt, I shall forgive,

And Greece will not forgive thee if thou dost not;
For against Troy thy efforts are all vain

Without his arrows. Safely thou mayst hold
Friendship and converse with him, but I cannot.

Thou wert not with us when the war began,
Nor bound by solemn oath to join our host,

As I was; me he knows, and if he find
That I am with thee, we are both undone.

They must be ours then, these all-conquering arms;
Remember that. I know thy noble nature

Abhors the thought of treachery or fraud.
But what a glorious prize is victory!

Therefore be bold; we will be just hereafter.
Give to deceit and me a little portion

Of one short day, and for thy future life
Be called the holiest, worthiest, best of men.

NEOPTOLEMUS
What but to hear alarms my conscious soul,

Son of Laertes, I shall never practise.
I was not born to flatter or betray;

Nor I, nor he- the voice of fame reports-
Who gave me birth. What open arms can do

Behold me prompt to act, but ne'er to fraud
Will I descend. Sure we can more than match

In strength a foe thus lame and impotent.
I came to be a helpmate to thee, not

A base betrayer; and, O king! believe me,
Rather, much rather would I fall by virtue

Than rise by guilt to certain victory.
ULYSSES

O noble youth! and worthy of thy sire!
When I like thee was young, like thee of strength

And courage boastful, little did I deem
Of human policy; but long experience

Hath taught me, son, 'tis not the powerful arm,
But soft enchanting tongue that governs all.

NEOPTOLEMUS
And thou wouldst have me tell an odious falsehood?

ULYSSES
He must be gained by fraud.

NEOPTOLEMUS
By fraud? And why

Not by persuasion?
ULYSSES

He'll not listen to it;
And force were vainer still.

NEOPTOLEMUS
What mighty power

Hath he to boast?
ULYSSES

His arrows winged with death
Inevitable.

NEOPTOLEMUS
Then it were not safe

E'en to approach him.
ULYSSES

No; unless by fraud
He be secured.

NEOPTOLEMUS
And thinkst thou 'tis not base

To tell a lie then?
ULYSSES

Not if on that lie
Depends our safety.

NEOPTOLEMUS
Who shall dare to tell it

Without a blush?
ULYSSES

We need not blush at aught
That may promote our interest and success.

NEOPTOLEMUS
But where's the interest that should bias me?

Come he or not to Troy, imports it aught
To Neoptolemus?

ULYSSES
Troy cannot fall

Without his arrows.
NEOPTOLEMUS

Saidst thou not that I
Was destined to destroy her?

ULYSSES
Without them

Naught canst thou do, and they without thee nothing.
NEOPTOLEMUS

Then I must have them.
ULYSSES

When thou hast, remember
A double prize awaits thee.

• companion [kəm´pæniən] n.同伴；同事；伴侣 (初中英语单词)
• lonely [´ləunli] a.孤独的；无人烟的 (初中英语单词)
• attendant [ə´tendənt] n.随员 a.伴随的 (初中英语单词)
• wretched [´retʃid] a.可怜的；倒霉的 (初中英语单词)
• sacred [´seikrid] a.神圣的；庄严的 (初中英语单词)
• arrival [ə´raivəl] n.到达；到达的人(物) (初中英语单词)
• welcome [´welkəm] a.受欢迎的；可喜的 (初中英语单词)
• thirst [θə:st] n.渴，口渴；渴望 (初中英语单词)
• wooden [´wudn] a.木制的；呆板的 (初中英语单词)
• observation [,ɔbzə´veiʃən] n.观测；注意；意义 (初中英语单词)
• deceive [di´si:v] vt.欺骗，欺诈 (初中英语单词)
• humble [´hʌmbəl] a.谦卑的 vt.贬抑 (初中英语单词)
• greece [gri:s] n.希腊 (初中英语单词)
• forgive [fə´giv] vt.原谅，谅解，宽恕 (初中英语单词)
• safely [´seifli] ad.安全地；平安地 (初中英语单词)
• solemn [´sɔləm] a.严肃的；隆重的 (初中英语单词)
• glorious [´glɔ:riəs] a.光荣的；辉煌的 (初中英语单词)
• conscious [´kɔnʃəs] a.意识的；自觉的 (初中英语单词)
• flatter [´flætə] vt.阿谀，奉承；胜过 (初中英语单词)
• descend [di´send] v.下来，下降 (初中英语单词)
• worthy [´wə:ði] a.有价值的；值得的 (初中英语单词)
• winged [´wiŋd] a.有翼的 (初中英语单词)
• promote [prə´məut] vt.促进；发扬；助长 (初中英语单词)
• mortal [´mɔ:tl] a.致命的 n.凡人 (高中英语单词)
• rustic [´rʌstik] a.田野的；质朴的 (高中英语单词)
• despatch [di´spætʃ] n.&v.发送；派遣；调度 (高中英语单词)
• motion [´məuʃən] n.手势 vt.打手势 (高中英语单词)
• resentment [ri´zentmənt] n.不满；怨恨；忿恨 (高中英语单词)
• haughty [´hɔ:ti] a.傲慢的，高傲的 (高中英语单词)
• converse [´kɔnvə:s] n.交谈 a.相反的 (高中英语单词)
• treachery [´tretʃəri] n.背叛；背信弃义 (高中英语单词)
• prompt [prɔmpt] a.敏捷的 vt.促使 (高中英语单词)
• mighty [´maiti] a.强有力的 ad.很 (高中英语单词)
• composed [kəm´pəuzd] a.镇静自若的 (英语四级单词)
• habitation [,hæbi´teiʃən] n.居住；住所 (英语四级单词)
• whence [wens] ad.从何处；从那里 (英语四级单词)
• uncommon [ʌn´kɔmən] a.非常的，非凡的，罕见的 (英语四级单词)
• adverse [´ædvə:s] a.不利的；反对的 (英语四级单词)
• deceit [di´si:t] n.欺骗 (英语四级单词)
• policy [´pɔlisi] n.政策；权谋；保险单 (英语四级单词)
• odious [´əudiəs] a.可憎的；丑恶的 (英语四级单词)
• grecian [´gri:ʃən] a.古希腊的 n.希腊人 (英语六级单词)