Show mercy, boy, for the love of the gods, and do not give men cause to reproach you for having cheated me.NeoptolemusAh, no, what shall I do? I wish I had never leftScyros, so pained am I by these doings.PhiloctetesYou are not in and of yourself wicked, but you seem to have come to me after learning the shameless lessons of wicked masters. Now leave such behavior to others, whom it suits, and sail from here—once you have given me back my weapons.NeoptolemusWhat shall we do, friends?Enter Odysseus with several armed attendants.OdysseusTraitor, what are you doing? Come back here and surrender that bow to me!PhiloctetesWho is that? Do I hear Odysseus?OdysseusYes, Odysseus, be sure of it. Here I am before your eyes.PhiloctetesAh, me, I am sold, destroyed! It was he, then, who entrapped me and robbed me of my arms.OdysseusYes, I and no other. I avow it.PhiloctetesGive back my bow, boy, give it up.OdysseusThat he shall never do, even if he wished to. And, what is more, you must come along with it, or my men will bring you by force.PhiloctetesMe, you basest and boldest of scoundrels,they will take me by force?OdysseusUnless you come of your own free will.PhiloctetesO Lemnos, and you all-conquering flame kindled by Hephaestus, will you indeed endure it that this man should take me from your domain by force?OdysseusZeus it is, I tell you, Zeus, who rules this land,and it is by Zeus that these actions are decreed. I am his servant.PhiloctetesHated creature, what clever pleading you devise! By sheltering yourself behind the gods, you make the gods liars.OdysseusNo, but true prophets. Now our march must begin.PhiloctetesNever!OdysseusNow, I say. You must obey.PhiloctetesAh, misery! Clearly, then, my father sired me to be a slave and no free man.OdysseusNot so, but to be the peer of the best and bravest, with whom you are destined to take Troy and force it to the ground.PhiloctetesNo, never—even if I must suffer every torment,so long as I have this island’s steep cliffs beneath me!OdysseusWhat do you plan to do?PhiloctetesThrow myself now from the rock and shatter my head on the rocks below!OdysseusQuick, seize him, both of you! Do not give him the chance!PhiloctetesO my arms, what shames you suffer for lack of your cherished