About the book
Sophocles' Philoctetes is one of the most widely read Greek tragedies today but is a complex and challenging play to interpret. Its representation of Philoctetes as a sufferer of physical and emotional pain gives it remarkable power and intensity. It juxtaposes Homeric and fifth-century institutions and values, explores honor, power and expediency as principles of personal and political life, and represents contrasts and conflicts between innocence and experience, ends and means, and the needs and demands of the individual and those of society. This edition with commentary makes the play accessible to students, teachers, and other readers of Greek literature at all levels. The introduction discusses the main problems of interpretation and gives an account of its reception from antiquity to the present day.
Editions of Sophocles: Philoctetes
- Hardcover
- ISBN 9780521862776
- Paperback
- ISBN 9780521681438
Read an Excerpt
Sophocles' Philoctetes is one of the most widely read Greek tragedies today but is a complex and challenging play to interpret. Its representation of Philoctetes as a sufferer of physical and emotional pain gives it remarkable power and intensity. It juxtaposes Homeric and fifth-century institutions and values, explores honor, power and expediency as principles of personal and political life, and represents contrasts and conflicts between innocence and experience, ends and means, and the needs and demands of the individual and those of society. This edition with commentary makes the play accessible to students, teachers, and other readers of Greek literature at all levels. The introduction discusses the main problems of interpretation and gives an account of its reception from antiquity to the present day.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Sophocles: Philoctetes about?
Sophocles' Philoctetes is one of the most widely read Greek tragedies today but is a complex and challenging play to interpret. Its representation of Philoctetes as a sufferer of physical and emotional pain gives it remarkable power and intensity. It juxtaposes Homeric and fifth-century institutions and values, explores honor, power and expediency as principles of personal and political life, and represents contrasts and conflicts between innocence and experience, ends and means, and the needs and demands of the individual and those of society. This edition with commentary makes the play accessible to students, teachers, and other readers of Greek literature at all levels. The introduction discusses the main problems of interpretation and gives an account of its reception from antiquity to the present day.
What core themes, tropes, or subjects are explored in Sophocles: Philoctetes?
Biography, Literature and Literary studies > Ancient, classical and medieval texts
Where can I read a sample of Sophocles: Philoctetes?
You can read an official preview of the few pages here https://www.book2look.com/book/9780521862776
Is Sophocles: Philoctetes part of a series, and can it be read as a standalone?
Yes it is a part of series Cambridge Greek and Latin Classics
Who is/are the Author/s of the book Sophocles: Philoctetes?
Seth L. Schein
What are the ISBN numbers for the physical and digital editions?
Sophocles: Philoctetes is available as hardcover(ISBN 9780521862776) and paperback(ISBN 9780521681438)