Many think that Oedipus Rex is Sophocles' finest play--perhaps the finest tragedy ever written. Others think the lesser-known Philoctetes an even greater play. Did you like Philoctetes better than Oedipus Rex? Not as much? Why? What do you think Sophocles does particularly well in Philoctetes--or, perhaps, not so well?
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Philoctetes
Many think that Oedipus Rex is Sophocles' finest play--perhaps the finest tragedy ever written. Others think the lesser-known Philoctetes an even greater play. Did you like Philoctetes better than Oedipus Rex? Not as much? Why? What do you think Sophocles does particularly well in Philoctetes--or, perhaps, not so well?
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I think Oedipus Rex is a better play than Philoctetes. Oedipus Rex has much faster pacing, and the subject matter draws you in...it is hard to look away when a man kills his dad and marries his mother without looking away.
ReplyDeleteAt the same time, I really enjoyed Philoctetes. The dialogue is very interesting, and seeing Odysseus in a negative light is something new. I was wondering how Neoptolemus was going to sidestep Philoctetes' pleas to get a ride home. Along with that, Neoptolemus' character development was certainly interesting. One can see his youth, his eagerness for glory, and the honor he inherited from his father, Achilles.
Like James, I also think Oedipus Rex is a better play. Philoctetes is a wonderful play, but as far as tragic plays go, what is more tragic and interesting than a man who marries his mother and kills his father. That is about as tragic as a play could be.
ReplyDeletePhiloctetes was a really good play, and it supports the view that Sophocles was one of the finest Greek tragic playwrights. The plot development was exceptional, seeing Neoptolemus first try to deceive Philoctetes, but then, because of the honor he inherited from his father, he tries to convince him by telling him the truth. The fact that what he said was corroborated by the gods only goes to show that Neoptolemus was an honest, great man who was trying to help Greece and help Philoctetes.
I did not particularly enjoy Philoctetes as much as Oedipus. The story was just not as entertaining, the dramatic irony in Oedipus seems more exciting to me. Although I did enjoy the message about honor within the story also, it just did not entertain me as much as Oedipus did.
ReplyDeleteThere is also very little "tragedy" in Philoctetes, it's almost a story of right overcoming wrong rather than a tragedy because in the end everything works out well for all the characters involved
Wyatt Loftesness
There are aspects of both plays I enjoy, although similar to the previous bloggers I preferred Oedipus Rex over Philoctetes. Philocetes was enjoyable, in my opinion, mainly for the familiar characters and timeframe. With the son of Achilles, Philocetes, Ulysses as some major characters and as the play takes place during the Trojan War there are easily some intriguing aspects. Also, I don’t think Sophocles’’ writing should be underminded. One quote I that stuck out to me, for example was Phiocetes response to Neoptolemus: “Every wind is fair when we are flying from misfortune.”
ReplyDeleteYet, I thought overall that Oedipus Rex seemed to have a stronger sense of keeping the reader’s attention. This play was easily like watching a train wreck; it’s hard to put down a story of a man who killed his father and married his mother. Reading Philocetes, on the other hand, there wasn’t as much of a surprise when Neoptolemus takes Philocetes back to Greece.
I enjoyed Oedipus Rex more than Philoctetes. I didn't get as much of a sense of a rising tension within Neoptolemus. Until line 896, it seemed Neoptolemus was pretty sold on the plan of Odysseus. Although he initially objected to the deception, it seemed that once he agreed on that course, he executed cleanly and without looking back. His change of heart at 896 seemed sudden and with very little prompt. From that point, he simply reverts to his initial objections and executes his original plan - to try to convince Philoctetes to come willingly to Troy. There was only a minor detour to return the bow he stole. His attempts to convince Philoctetes go nowhere until Heracles shows up to "fix" the plot that had mired in deadlock. I thought that made the ending somewhat anticlimactic.
ReplyDeleteI felt the increasing energy of Oedipus (against all advice he was receiving) to pursue his investigation much more intensely than I felt Neoptolemus struggle against the plan for deception. Overall, Neoptolemus seemed very settled in the plan to deceive. There was the speedbump at the beginning by objecting to Odysseus, then a procession down deception lane, a 180 turn and back up the street to give back the bow, some saber rattling, some breeze shooting, then Heracles shows up and they sail into the sunset happily ever after.
I did actually read the chorus in Philoctetes. It was much more enjoyable to have the chorus more integrated into the characters of the play. It also helped that our translator attempted to give us some meter in the chorus parts. Oddly, the melody in my head tended to be "Stranger than you dreamt it" from Phantom of the Opera. I think that Sophocles used the chorus much more effectively in this play than in previous works we've read. They ask important questions the audience might want to ask such as "What next, Neoptolemus?" in line 832, they give some background information like in line 678, and most importantly, they are more fully integrated in the play. They are less of an interrupt in the action as they share their insights.
However, the enjoyable chorus didn't overcome the lack of a rising tension within Neoptolemus throughout the play.
I enjoyed reading Oedipus Rex way more than I liked reading Philoctetes. Oedipus Rex was just way more entertaing for me. For me there just seemed to be more going on with in Oedipus Rex that kept me interested in the entire play and I think that is why I enjoyed it more than Philoctetes.
ReplyDeleteI found both plays to be enjoyable, but Oedipus Rex was by far more interesting. Philoctetes was a good play about morality and its influence on the choices you make and Oedipus Rex has to do more with justice for ones crimes. I think it's this quest for justice that makes it a better play, especially considering the crimes committed. Overall tradegy levels in Philocetes are low. The fact that it is also the lesser known of the two plays makes it obvious that Oepidus Rex is the greater of the two.
ReplyDeleteI think that Oedipus Rex was a more enjoyable play. Once I started reading Oedipus, I didn't want to stop. I had to figure out how the entire thing was going to end. I also really enjoyed the irony in Oedipus Rex and the fact that justice must always prevail no matter what. I just didn't get as interested in Philoctites.
ReplyDelete-Brianna Hamil
The consensus here seems to be that Oedipus Rex is better than Philoctetes and I would have to agree with that. However, Philoctetes is still really good it just was not as tragic as Oedipus. Oedipus Rex is able to keep the readers attention so well because of the suspense that is created. The reader know that Oedipus is really trying to catch himself.
ReplyDeleteThat being said, Philoctetes is a good play. I liked how it painted some of the characters we have heard about this year such as Odysseus in a negative light. We are able to see another side of him. The development of Neoptolemus throughout the story was very interesting as well. He starts off agreeing with Odysseus that they had to lie to Philoctetes, but in the end realizes this was not the right coarse of action. Also, there was far less tragety in Philocetes because in the end everyone seemed to get what they want except Odysseus who's the bad guy.
The thing i like about the play is that it tells a story about what happened to Achilles lineage. A hero like Achilles is still kept living because of how Sophocles writes. the same thing can also be said for Oedipus the king because it adds to the story of the Illiad.
ReplyDeleteJoseph Adam
I enjoyed both plays, but I would slightly lean towards Oedipus Rex as being more tragic. Aspects I liked more in Philoctetes: Implementing the chorus into it as sailors, and when those sailors spoke, I enjoyed the musical language that they spoke in. I also find the play Philoctetes more interesting when it comes to the mythological aspect. I've always been a fan of mythology, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading about Heracles' bow and his very appearance at the end. It definitely wasn't as tragic.
ReplyDeleteI enjoy Oedipus Rex more because of the mystery-type way everything is revealed over the course of the play. While Philoctetes went by smoother and quicker, Oedipus Rex went more in depth. A lot more was spent on developing character, I think.
~Aaron Johnston
After reading both stories, I prefer Oedipus Rex. In this story, I found myself wanting to know more and more about how everything was going to fall into place with Oedipus actually being the killer of his father, Laius. Oedipus Rex is also a mystery type of story where as Philoctetes is a 'just go with it' story because you have a pretty good idea about what is going to happen. Plus in Philoctetes three is the idea of lying, which is not right.
ReplyDeleteI personally enjoyed reading Philoctetes more than I enjoyed reading Oedipus Rex. I felt this way mainly because Philoctetes seems more of a real story to relate to than Oedipus. More often you can be put in the situation of Neoptolemus and want to gain something. The way you gain it however is the key part, you can steal something or earn it. Philoctetes decides to do the more honorable thing and take Philoctetes with him to Troy instead of just taking his bow with. Very few people would be in the position of Oedipus Rex so it only seems more realistic when you are in the position of Neoptolemus.
ReplyDeleteBaker Haar
I would agree that Philoctetes is the better of the two plays. Oedipus Rex contains many forms of ethical guidance such as the importance of a supportive wife, making sure you don't know too much, the still highly controversial philosophical debate of fate vs. free will, etc., and is very entertaining with its dramatic irony, but Philoctetes is a better tragedy over all. There is much more suffering, better developed characters, and is a longer drama. Oedipus Rex has a linear plot of one character replacing the next, but in Philoctetes, Odysseus comes back to thicken the plot in the midst of a change of heart - keeping constant suspense on the audience. Neoptolemus ends up not deceiving Philoctetes, which was very satisfying in the thought of good deeds and honesty prevailing even over nine years of Trojan/Achaean bloodshed. Philoctetes also, although being as a man torchered in some of the worst ways imaginable, contributes to a great ending with his return to Troy and his terrible conditions being healed (Helenus' prophecy), which would not have came about without neoptolemus being a compassionate person. These strong messages, which Oedipus Rex has less of, really develops the play in the sense of emotional value and cherished moral lessons. The play Philoctetes is definately the more complete, well rounded, and dynamic of the two.
ReplyDelete- Jefferson Gunderson