The Conditionality of Helenus’ Oracle and Tragic Choice in Sophocles’ Philoctetes

What is it about?

Helenus’ oracle in Sophocles’ Philoctetes is commonly misunderstood as though it predicted that Philoctetes will inevitably return to Troy to rejoin the Greek army. This mischaracterization has led to further misinterpretations of the play, especially as regards the “false ending,” in which Neoptolemus and Philoctetes would appear to disregard the divine will in an act of conscious impiety by choosing to sail for Malis instead. This paper argues that the oracle is in fact framed as conditional, allowing Philoctetes either to assent or refuse to rejoin the Greek army in good conscience. In the absence of compulsion from the gods, Neoptolemus and Philoctetes feel free to make tragic choices of real gravity about their futures, and these choices reveal the duo’s characters before Heracles appears and reverses their course.

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