SOPHOCLES' Philoctetes - On Pity and Conscience

This episode on Sophocles’ Philoctetes will be focused on the ways in which Neoptolemus, the son of Achilles, evolves a conscience on encountering the extreme pain and anguish of Philoctetes. Philoctetes has been abandoned by the Greek army on the uninhabited island of Lemnos for nine years, and in the tenth year Neoptolemus is brought by Odysseus to try and retrieve through trickery Herakles’ magic bow and arrows that are in possession of Philoctetes for use in the Trojan War. Things start well for Neoptolemus but quickly unravel once he gets to know the full extent of Philoctetes’ condition.

[musicunderstress]

Wow, what a great (and easily digestible!) dissection Of an ancient greek text. Thank you very much for sharing your incredible insight and wonderful lesson!

[philipleeke]

Just came across you channel. Great teaching Professor. Will watch your other videos

[sormazi]

Thank you for the breakdown professor! I'm a first semester undergrad student at New York University and your analysis has really helped me write my first essay on this text.

[TheDallasDwayne]

Excellent breakdown, sir. You have my subscription. As I make my slow way through the Great Books, I shall eagerly check back to Your videos for Your analysis and perspective.

[gladysagyeiwaadenkyi-manie]

this is very deep Prof. Thank you. I have been thinking about relating this tale to for instance African political leadership. Like Neoptolemus, our political leaders campaign with excellent strategies of taking their people out of suffering and injustice, but when given the mandate they do something else. I wonder what young Neoptolemus would have done if Herakles had not intervened.

[ayiine-etigodavid]

Prof. so much I’ve learnt today. However, except the greed of Agamemnon[robbing Achilles of Briseis, the virgin servant of the Trojan goddess], a sign post of this brut, and King who took on his brother to war, kindly reconcile the fact, for instance, utilitarianism, national policy, and Odysseus? Can’t the crafty strategic Odysseus be the contemporary, Kissinger? Or Kant, JS Mills? Was it not his ways that the horse came to be, and the subsequent victory of the impenetrable Troy walls?
And when it comes to foreign policy, which war is? How are sacrifices made be pitiful.
Most times, as COVID-19, should a nation feed its poor and lockdown?