Philoctetes: A New Translation

The Trojan War has been raging for nine long years.

Desperate for victory and a return home, the Greeks have been told by a seer that there is only one way to defeat Troy: the great archer Philoctetes and his magical bow must be returned from exile.

The Greek army had abandoned Philoctetes years earlier on the remote island of Lemnos after he was bitten by a snake and afflicted by a mysterious illness on the way to Troy. Now, it falls to Odysseus and the young officer Neoptolemus to travel back to Lemnos and trick Philoctetes into joining the battle against the Trojans. But when Neoptolemus confronts his quarry, he finds his task more difficult than anticipated.

Sophocles’ play is a timeless story of deception, loyalty and betrayal. This vital and accessible new translation by Brian Doeries brings it powerfully to life.


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