One of the central symbols of Philoctetes is Philoctetes’ powerful bow, which was given to him by the demigod Heracles after Philoctetes lit his funeral pyre. Its demigod origins and extraordinary properties help the bow to represent power and strength. As the prophesied key to the Greek army winning at Troy, Neoptolemus and Odysseus also view the bow as representing their eventual victory and glory.

To Philoctetes, however, the bow represents survival, as the power his bow gives him has been the thing keeping him alive as he’s been stranded on the island of Lemnos: “By stealing my bow,/ You take away my means to survive” (46), Philoctetes tells Neoptolemus. Philoctetes’ initial decision to hand Neoptolemus the bow while he sleeps, expecting him to return it, is also a symbolic act, as it illustrates Philoctetes’ trust in Neoptolemus and their friendship. Neoptolemus’ subsequent withholding of the bow signifies his betrayal and deception of Philoctetes, while his later decision to bring the bow back and return it to Philoctetes represents the warrior’s ultimate sense of honor and morality, despite his initial trickery.