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Sarah Jones

Professor Stephen Hinds

Honors 210B

13 December 2018

The Classical Tradition Within Philoctetes and Other Classical Works: Application to

Modern Society and Politics through Compassion

The classics are known as the greatest writing to date, earning the highest esteem in

literature. Much of this literature is of ancient Greco-Roman origin. The classical tradition relies

heavily on the ability of the work to apply to the reader and the world as time pursues, hence

why it is still being studied today‒ and why I am writing this paper. Numerous classical works,

specifically of the epic genre, share certain elements that help to denote them as epics at all.

These elements that are common in the classical tradition may be exhibited in contemporary

literature and in daily life. Philoctetes, a play about the interactions between rhetoric,

compassion, and decisions‒ especially during a time of war‒ has its message emphasized due to

the presence of elements concerning the classical tradition throughout the story. The version of

Philoctetes being discussed is the translation by Seth L. Schein. These shared elements give it a

relationality to the ancient and modern world, and can serve as an example for the application of

classics to life throughout many millenia yet also provides a unique perspective not discussed in

this class. This perspective is one that is becoming more prominent, especially over the past few

years; its presence in Philoctetes provides a connection between the epic and classical stories to

the modern as well as with politics.

Why I am choosing to analyze Philoctetes with reference to the course material is

because I consider it be philosophical in nature, different from the other texts discussed.
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However, these shared elements of the classical tradition serve a valuable purpose in this

philosophical play, relating the story to the ancient world while allowing critique from the reader

among texts and with the world around them. Philoctetes sees the classical tradition through a

different lens regarding its implied message on decisions and sympathy rather than the messages

in stories of epic nature, but the application of classical literature to modern day is possible with

all of the pieces. Philoctetes stands out to me, however, as a more relevant piece than most based

on the society and state of the world we live in now.

An element of the classical tradition in many of the epics discussed in class involves the

presence of conflict and war as the main plot moving the story forward. To be specific, the

mythical Trojan War defines the plots of The Iliad, The Odyssey, and The Aeneid. The Iliad tells

of the hero Achilles in the last stretch of the long war, while the other two epics are about the

aftermath of it, from the perspective of a successful Greek and a stranded Trojan, respectively.

Although the points of view are altered between the stories, an aspect of the plots that remains

consistent is that the conflict is largely with another region or country acting as an enemy,

whether it be Greeks, Trojans, or natives of the region later called Rome. These high stakes of

war emphasize the importance of every decision in the epics. Tensions allow for a need for

heroism. In Philoctetes, the Trojan War is raging on and the reason for the conflict presented in

the play: between Neoptolemus representing Greek interest and the cursed, exiled Greek

Philoctetes. Rather than a conflict between nations at war or foreigners that are ‘in the way’, it is

one among men who fought on the same side and are from the same place. The decisions within

the story are already of utmost importance based on the war, but are even more complex due to

the civil context of the conflict. It is subjectively more difficult to have conflict with a man with

similar background and traits than a man with great differences. A hero, as seen in Philoctetes,
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may not necessarily be the one to lead a people or solve a conflict with force. He could possibly

be one that expresses compassion and may not solve the conflict for the original purpose. In this

case, the conflict is that Philoctetes has possession of a bow necessary for winning the war, but

he has been exiled by the Greeks and remains unwilling to surrender his weapon to

Neoptolemus, Odysseus, and the crew. The general trend in classical epics is for the hero to

solve this conflict and carry on the mission in whatever method deemed fit, usually involving

violence or deceit. Rather than a single conflict be a plot point, an obstacle to overcome among a

greater story, the issue of the bow and treatment of Philoctetes is the entire plot of the play.

Relating to the conflict among epics and the play, heroism plays a great role. The idea of

heroism does not necessarily connect with complete morality or ‘doing the right thing’ that we

think of in the modern world with superheroes and their agenda. Heroes in epics tend to exhibit a

main trait that defines their actions. In Odysseus this is ‘polytropos,’ in Achilles wrath, in Aeneas

‘pietas.’ In Philoctetes, I consider the hero to be Neoptolemus, who expresses a sense of

compassion. However, it is even debated whether or not Neoptolemus is a hero considering he

betrays Odysseus and his people as well as Philoctetes’s trust throughout the play. Along with

the subjectivity regarding Neoptolemus’s heroism, problematic heroism is present in the epics

mentioned above. Aeneas is a ruthless colonizer, starting a war with native peoples to take over

their land. Odysseus is selfish and foolish, willing to risk the lives of all his men for the purpose

of his return home. Achilles is vengeful and petty with his decision to not fight in the war for

some time and to desecrate Hector’s body after killing him. The idea of a hero has been eminent

in art from the classical epics to present day, but the definition of a hero has not always been

agreed upon, especially as time persisted. Heroes are likely, however, to be represented as a

greater human, sometimes not entirely human at all, that are revered for their great adventures or
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honorable nature and can be related to in some aspect. This relationality factor may be a reason

they act in problematic ways at time, reminding the reader or viewer that the heroism is

attainable and not only for the perfect or godly. They can provide hope for, inspire, or simply

entertain the reader or viewer with their actions. With the classical epics stated, the reader is

inspired by the bravery, strength, and cleverness of the heroes, but not by sympathy.

Neoptolemus in Philoctetes stands out for his compassion among classical literature and can be

considered more of a modern hero, although the other traits are still admired today. A general

shift in society has allowed a greater emphasis on empathy to take hold in decision making,

especially in the political sphere. Within the past few years, movements such as Black Lives

Matter and Me Too have gained traction based on the idea of understanding and relationality and

often ask for people to empathize with those being ostracized or victimized for the sake of

progress. Neoptolemus follows this request, serving as a hero in ancient times, but he also

parallels the ideal response to these current societal movements.

Also present in multiple classical works, and something that can be considered an

element of the classical tradition, is the intricacies of power dynamics and divine intervention

within a story. This is seen in Philoctetes as well as other classical works‒ specifically Ovid’s

Metamorphoses, Homer’s The Odyssey, and Alfred Tennyson’s “Lotos Eaters.” Every

interaction within a story or with real beings involves power dynamics that must be taken into

account. The rhetoric applied to a conversation varies between talking to a friend, a boss, an

interviewer, a child, etc. Two things tend to be necessary to sway the more powerful to agree to

the cause of the less powerful: compassion or divine intervention. In Philoctetes especially,

rhetoric is altered for the purpose of persuasion and request for compassion. The original goal is

for Neoptolemus to use rhetoric for the sake of tricking Philoctetes, but it ends up serving to
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change Neoptolemus to agree to Philoctetes’s requests in the end. The power dynamics change

all throughout the story. Neoptolemus has hierarchical power over Odysseus and the crew and

may give orders at ease. Odysseus has physical power but also must utilize rhetoric in order to

persuade Neoptolemus, as Neoptolemus has power over Odysseus. All able bodied men have

power over Philoctetes physically, so Philoctetes must resort to using speech to save himself.

Lastly, the gods who cursed Philoctetes as well as Heracles have divine power. These power

dynamics are also heavily prevalent in Alfred Tennyson’s “Lotos Eaters” in response to those

present in The Odyssey. In The Odyssey, Book 9, the men afflicted by the power of the Lotus

flowers are given no voice and deemed a threat to the goal to return home. Tennyson shines a

different light on these men, giving them a voice through a ‘chorus’ that tells of their feelings of

despair. A chorus typically does this, giving a voice to those deemed less important and

powerful. In Philoctetes, a chorus serves as a voice for compassion, driving Neoptolemus to alter

his actions and abandon the goal to steal the bow due to the immorality of it. The idea of a voice

for the powerless and compassion applies to the reader in ancient and modern society. It can

inspire those who feel powerless to try and instill a feeling of compassion in others for the sake

of their causes. All they need is a platform, like an inclusion of a chorus in the works.

The greatest power struggle in classical literature is the interactions between gods and

men. These power dynamics can completely alter the outcome of a story. Within Philoctetes,

Heracles takes the form of a god to serve as a deus ex machina to save the plot, entirely changing

the course of the war; the gods cursed Philoctetes in the first place to spur the conflict in the play.

It can be interpreted that the deus ex machina was positive, allowing the war to be still won

despite Neoptolemus’s decision to sympathize with Philoctetes. It was put in place to allow this

compassion to maintain its role as the moral and heroic right. Heracles’s intervention lacked
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compassion but simultaneously preserved it. Ovid’s Metamorphoses is also full of divine

intervention, like between Daphne, Apollo, and Cupid as well as between Actaeon and Diana.

Cupid indirectly causes the attempted rape and loss of corporal form of Daphne, and Diana

causes the death of Actaeon by his own dogs. The gods are considerably lacking in compassion

and are ruthless and careless with their unchecked power. Multiple interpretations of these Greek

and Roman gods consider them to be indifferent towards humans altogether, intervening on their

own terms to use humans like puppets for their own goal or as victims to their emotions. While

these power dynamics, sometimes through divine intervention, may serve as plot points and

lighthearted stories about eroticism, like in the case of Ovid, they remain pertinent in modern

society as they did in ancient society. While the ancient world may have been focused on the

literal intervention of the pagan gods discussed, much of the world today is focused on the

intervention of the Christian and Judaic God, the Islamic Allah, and the Hindu Gods among

others. The intervention of gods in the classics, whether they be for the good or bad, could help

serve timeless lessons on the idea of absolute power as well as compassion, especially in politics.

In modern America, conflict still exists as it did in the ancient worlds. The solution to

these conflicts, however, are largely debated. The conflicts themselves are even debated. Former

President Barack Obama said during the commencement of Northwestern University in 2006,

“Cultivating empathy, challenging yourself, persevering in the face of adversity – these are the

qualities that I’ve found to be important in my own life. But what’s true for individuals can also

be true for nations.” He then goes on to imply that a major issue in the world is a deficit of

empathy and compassion guiding the actions of the individual as well as the country. In today’s

politics, although a generalization, the platform for the Democratic party tends to surround the

idea of compassion for others, whether it be in LGBTQ+ or immigrant rights or the economy.
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Philoctetes, although a classic, addresses the idea of sympathy in a larger context as a virtue or

vice of man. Although the play can be interpreted in a variety of ways, I read it as one promoting

compassion as a heroic trait and one to be admired and strived for. To the ancient and modern

reader, the heroism applies. Epic poetry and Philoctetes alike address the complexity of these

conflicts and decisions surrounding them, with Philoctetes seeing them from a perspective of

compassion and its value in terms of morality. These epics and the play, from ancient times, are

timeless in a sense. They are similar yet different in their perceived purposes but can apply to

both the ancient and modern reader for varying reasons. Even these variations can be applied to

the same reason as well. Today they can serve as lessons and examples for the blurred lines

between morality, heroism, and politics.

Works Cited

Homer. The Iliad.

Homer. The Odyssey.

Obama, Barack. 2006 Northwestern University Commencement. Evanston, Illinois.

16 June 2006.

Ovid. Metamorphoses.

Sophocles. Philoctetes. Translated by Seth L. Schein, Focus Publishing, 2003.

Tennyson, Alfred Lord. “The Lotos-Eaters.” Classical Literature and Its Reception: an

Anthology, edited by Robert DeMaria, Jr. and Robert D. Brown, Blackwell Publishing,

2007, 202-207.
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Virgil. The Aeneid.