Literature and Politics in Sophocles’ Philoctetes
Grintser Nikolay P.
The article contains a new interpretation of the Sophoclean tragedy based on the analysis of its literary sources, on the one hand, and the political context of its production, on the other. Along with emphasizing parallels with Iliad and the earlier Philoctetes of Euripides, the author reveals hidden allusions to current political events, mainly to the unsuccessful peace negotiations between Athens and Sparta that took place in 410 BC (a year before the performance of the play). The combined literary and historical approach casts new light on various aspects of the play, most of all on its problematic, if not forced and far-fetched, ending when its main characters unexpectedly change their apparently firm decision to reject war and return home.
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