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Neoptolemus
No, by the sacred majesty of God!

Philoctetes
How sweet your words are if your words are true!

Neoptolemus
1290 My deed will show how true they are: reach out
your hand and take your weapon once again.
Odysseus steps forward.

Odysseus
But I forbid it, calling God to witness,
in the name of Atreus' sons and all the army!

Philoctetes
1295 My child, whose voice is that? did I not hear Odysseus?

Odysseus
Yes, you did: and now you see him,
him who will take you back to Troy by force
whether Achilles' son approves or not.

Philoctetes
Not without paying, if my aim is true!
Odysseus turns and leaves.

Neoptolemus
1300 Wait! for the sake of God put down your arrow.

Philoctetes
For God's sake take your hand off mine, dear child.

Neoptolemus
No, I will not.

Philoctetes
Oh, why have you not let me
kill my hated enemy with my bow?

Neoptolemus
1305That would be right for neither you nor me.

Philoctetes
Well, this much is certain: the false-hearted
commanders of the army of the Greeks
are cowards in fight, however bold in words!

Neoptolemus
So be it: now you have your bow, and you
1310have no cause to be angry, or to blame me.

Philoctetes
Yes, you are right, my child; and you have shown
what nature you were born with. Sisyphus
was not your father, but Achilles, who

load focus Notes (Sir Richard C. Jebb, 1932)
load focus English (Sir Richard Jebb, 1898)
load focus Greek (Francis Storr, 1913)
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