Philoctetes takes place on the Greek island of Lemnos during the final year of the Trojan War. Odysseus and Neoptolemus enter and Odysseus tells Neoptolemus, the son of famed warrior Achilles, that Odysseus had previously marooned Philoctetes on the island. He was marooned because of his “wounded foot,” which caused “horrendous wailing” that distracted Odysseus and the other soldiers (3). Odysseus reveals that he has a mission for Neoptolemus, but that he does not want Philoctetes to know that he’s there, or else “my plan/ To take him by surprise will be wasted” (4). They search the cave where Odysseus first left Philoctetes, and with signs suggesting that someone lives there, Odysseus predicts Philoctetes must not be far away: “Out of all the Greeks,/ He would love to get his hands on me” (5), Odysseus says.

Odysseus tells Neoptolemus of his plan, which is that Neoptolemus must “deceive [Philoctetes] with beguiling words” and tell Philoctetes that he has abandoned the Greek army for not giving him his father Achilles’ armor (when in fact Odysseus did give him the armor), in order to gain Philoctetes’ trust (6). The aim is for Neoptolemus to get Philoctetes’ bow, which Heracles gave to Philoctetes after he lit the demigod’s funeral pyre, and is prophesied to be the key to winning the Trojan War.