Sophocles' PHILOCTETES Complete

Translated by Th. Francklin.

Sophocles Bilingual Anthology  Studies  Sophocles in Print

82 Pages

Page 65

Chorus: What is it? Speak.

Philoctetes: A sword, a dart, some instrument of death.

Chorus: What wouldst thou do?

Philoctetes: I'd hack off every limb.
Death, my soul longs for death.

Chorus: But wherefore is it?

Philoctetes: I'll seek my father.

Chorus: Whither?

Philoctetes: In the tomb;
There he must be. O Scyros! O my country!
How could I bear to see thee as I am-
I who had left thy sacred shores to aid
The hateful sons of Greece? O misery! (He goes into the cave.)

Leader of the Chorus: (speaking) Ere now we should have taken thee
to our ships,
But that advancing this way I behold
Ulysses, and with him Achilles' son. (Neoptolemus enters still carrying
the bow; he is followed closely by Ulysses.)

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