The Cure at Troy Read online

  The Cure at Troy

  A Version of Sophocles’ Philoctetes

  SEAMUS HEANEY

  Contents

  Title Page

  Dedication

  Epigraph

  Characters

  Performance note

  The Cure at Troy

  About the author

  By the same author

  Copyright

  in memory of Robert Fitzgerald

  poet and translator

  1910–1985

  ‘O look, look in the mirror,

  O look in your distress;

  Life remains a blessing

  Although you cannot bless.

  O stand, stand at the window

  As the tears scald and start;

  You shall love your crooked neighbour

  With your crooked heart.’

  W. H. Auden

  Characters

  Odysseus

  Neoptolemus

  Philoctetes

  Chorus

  Attendants to Neoptolemus, at least three:

  Chorus Leader

  Sentry

  Merchant (in disguise)

  Hercules (in person of Chorus Leader)

  The Cure at Troy was first performed at the Guildhall, Derry, on 1 October 1990. The cast included:

  Odysseus Seamus Moran/Ian McElhinney

  Neoptolemus Sean Rocks

  Philoctetes Des McAleer

  Chorus Veronica Duffy

  Siobhan Miley

  Zara Turner

  Director Stephen Rea and Bob Crowley

  Designer Bob Crowley

  Lighting designer Rory Dempster

  A sea shore. Spacious fetch of sea-light. Upstage right (from audience’s point of view) rocks piled, cliff-face, grass tufts, stunted bushes. A cave mouth/archway visible up there, with small acting area at that level. A sort of strewn pathway, coming downstage, forking towards acting area. Access to cave mouth possible from this point. Access to second entrance of cave is offstage, right. If a volcano can be suggested in background, all the better but it should not be overemphasised.

  Chorus discovered, boulder-still, wrapped in shawls. All three in series stir and move, as it were seabirds stretching and unstiffening. The prologue can be divided between the three voices. By the end of the prologue, Chorus Leader has positioned herself where she will speak as Hercules at the end of the play.

  Chorus

  Philoctetes.

  Hercules.

  Odysseus.

  Heroes. Victims. Gods and human beings.

  All throwing shapes, every one of them

  Convinced he’s in the right, all of them glad

  To repeat themselves and their every last mistake,

  No matter what.

  People so deep into

  Their own self-pity self-pity buoys them up.

  People so staunch and true, they’re fixated,

  Shining with self-regard like polished stones.

  And their whole life spent admiring themselves

  For their own long-suffering.

  Licking their wounds

  And flashing them around like decorations.

  I hate it, I always hated it, and I am

  A part of it myself.

  And a part of you,

  For my part is the chorus, and the chorus

  Is more or less a borderline between

  The you and the me and the it of it.

  Between

  The gods’ and human beings’ sense of things.

  And that’s the borderline that poetry

  Operates on too, always in between

  What you would like to happen and what will –

  Whether you like it or not.

  Poetry

  Allowed the god to speak. It was the voice

  Of reality and justice. The voice of Hercules

  That Philoctetes is going to have to hear

  When the stone cracks open and the lava flows.

  But we’ll come to that.

  For now, remember this:

  Every time the crater on Lemnos Island

  Starts to erupt, what Philoctetes sees

  Is a blaze he started years and years ago

  Under Hercules’s funeral pyre.

  The god’s mind lights up his mind every time.

  Volcanic effects. Lurid flame-trembles, commotions and eruptions.

  Then, a gradual, brightened stillness. The Chorus are now positioned as lookouts attending the entry of Odysseus and Neoptolemus.

  Enter Neoptolemus and Odysseus.

  Odysseus

  Yes.

  This is the place.

  This strand.

  This is Lemnos all right.

  Not a creature!

  And here we are then, Neoptolemus,

  You and me.

  Greeks with a job to do –

  But neither of us nearly half the man

  Your father was.

  Achilles had nobility.

  Achilles stood

  Head and shoulders above everybody.

  Yes. I left Philoctetes here.

  Marooned him – but

  Only because I had been ordered to.

  I did it, all the same. I am the one

  That dumped him, him and his cankered foot –

  Or what had been a foot before it rotted

  And ate itself with ulcers.

  It was awful.

  We couldn’t even get peace at the altar

  Without him breaking out in these howling fits,

  And slabbering and cursing.

  He was putting us on edge.

  He couldn’t be stopped.

  Everybody’s nerves were getting raw.

  Anyway.

  That was then.

  The thing is different now entirely – so

  Go canny.

  One false move

  And everything is wrecked.

  Somewhere here he has a sort of den,

  An open-ended shelter that gets sun

  In the wintertime and in the summer

  Has a breeze that cools him.

  And down a bit there, over to the left –

  Unless the spring’s dried up, you should see water.

  Go very easy now.

  Study the lie of the land

  And then we’ll plan the moves.

  I can see the whole thing in my head

  So all you’ll need to do is listen

  And do the things I tell you.

  Neoptolemus

  Odysseus. For sure, sir. This is it.

  This cave is the one that you remember

  Odysseus

  Whereabouts? I can’t see any cave.

  Neoptolemus

  Up here, above you. But there’s no sign of him.

  Odysseus

  Take care he’s not inside there, dozing.

  Neoptolemus

  There’s a pile of old leaves that somebody slept on.

  Odysseus

  And is that it? No other signs of life?

  Neoptolemus

  No: wait. There’s a mug or something, very rough,

  Hagged out of a log. And bits of kindling.

  Odysseus

  All his earthly goods.

  Neoptolemus

  Aww! Look at this.

  Aw! Rotten, rotten stuff. Bandage-rags.

  Nothing but old dry pus and dirty clouts.

  Odysseus

  That’s it. That’s him:

  So he has to be around.

  With a foot like his, he’ll not be travelling far.

  Out scavenging, likely,

  Poking for things to eat, or maybe out

  Gathering herbs to try to get relief.

  Anyway, he’s going to be
back,

  And something tells me, soon –

  So get your lookout posted. We can take no risks.

  I am the marked man here.

  Of all the Greeks,

  I am the one that Philoctetes wants.

  Neoptolemus

  This man here’s

  Exit Attendant.

  a watchman you can trust.

  But now, you’re going to have to tell me more

  About these moves you’re planning. What’s going on?

  Odysseus

  Neoptolemus. There’s a noble streak in you

  And you’re a strong man.

  Truly your father’s son.

  But the job here can’t be faced head-on.

  Force isn’t going to work.

  So, if parts of this brief seem puzzling to you,

  Just remember: you’re here to serve our cause.

  Neoptolemus

  What are the orders?

  Odysseus

  You are going to have to work out some way

  Of deceiving Philoctetes with a story.

  He’ll ask you who you are and where you’re from

  And you’ll say, Achilles’ son, which will be true.

  And that you’re on your voyage back from Troy,

  Heading home in a rage against the Greeks.

  And you can make the rage look natural if you say

  You were insulted.

  You’ll tell him

  How the Greeks begged and coaxed you to join up

  And leave your native place because you –

  you and only you –

  Were the man they absolutely needed.

  Troy could not be taken without you.

  Well then. You land at Troy. You naturally

  Expect to be presented with the arms

  Your father bore. You are Achilles’ son.

  But Odysseus is the man who bears those arms.

  Odysseus tricked you. Odysseus this and that!

  You can let loose at me for all you’re worth.

  The worse it is the better you’ll please me.

  If I am not the lowest of the low

  By the time you’re finished, the Greek cause is doomed.

  For the old story actually is true:

  Without you, Troy cannot be taken.

  We need you.

  To commandeer the bow from Philoctetes.

  And always remember this:

  you are the only one

  That can approach him. You weren’t sworn in

  On the first expedition, you didn’t sail

  Under oath to anybody. Your slate is clean.

  But if I was challenged, I could not deny

  Any of that. And if he recognised me

  And had his bow with him, I would be dead.

  And you’d be dead for associating with me.

  So the trick you’re going to have turn is this:

  Sweet talk him and relieve him

  Of a bow and arrows that are actually miraculous.

  But, of course, son, I know what you are like.

  I know all this goes against the grain

  And you hate it. You’re a very honest lad,

  But all the same: even you must enjoy

  Coming out on top.

  Do it my way, this once.

  All right, you’ll be ashamed

  but that won’t last.

  And once you’re over it, you’ll have the rest of your life

  To be good and true and incorruptible.

  Neoptolemus

  I hate hearing you say this

  and hate more

  The thought of having to do it.

  It goes against

  All I was ever brought up to believe.

  It’s really low behaviour.

  Why could we not

  Go at him, man to man? If he’s so badly lamed

  He’d never be a match for two of us.

  We’re Greeks, so, all right, we do our duty.

  I don’t think I could bear being called a traitor.

  But in all honesty I have to say

  I’d rather fail and keep my self-respect

  Than win by cheating.

  Odysseus

  Neoptolemus,

  As long as you’re alive

  your father’s never going to be dead.

  And in my day, I was the same as you.

  I’d lift my hand before I’d use my brains.

  But experience has taught me: the very people

  That go mad at the slightest show of force

  Will be eating from your hand if you take them right

  And tell the story so as to just suit them.

  Neoptolemus

  Which boils down to a policy of lies.

  Odysseus

  Arguments wouldn’t work, no more than force.

  Neoptolemus

  So just how dangerous is this famous bow?

  Odysseus

  The arrows never miss and always kill.

  Neoptolemus

  But if you go at him close in, hand to hand?

  Odysseus

  Combat is out. We have to use the head here. I’ve told you.

  Neoptolemus

  You don’t think lying undermines your life?

  Odysseus

  Not if it will save life, and save the day.

  Neoptolemus

  You can look me in the eye and still say that?

  Odysseus

  Scruples are self-indulgence at this stage.

  Neoptolemus

  So what stage is it? Why must he go to Troy?

  Odysseus

  We need his weapons if we’re to take the town.

  Neoptolemus

  You said without me Troy would not be taken.

  Odysseus

  But not without his weapons.

  Nor the weapons without you.

  Neoptolemus

  Well then.

  So be it.

  The weapons are our target.

  Odysseus

  And once you have them, you’ll have triumphed twice.

  Neoptolemus

  In what way twice?

  Is this more double-talk?

  Odysseus

  You’ll be praised for courage first.

  Then for farsightedness.

  Neoptolemus

  Duplicity! Complicity!

  All right.

  I’ll do it.

  Odysseus

  Do you remember everything I told you?

  Neoptolemus

  I have said I am going to do it.

  Trust me.

  Odysseus

  So. Well. What you do now is wait for him.

  I’m going to have to leave in case he sees me.

  And I’ll take that watchman with me.

  But one last thing.

  If I think you are being held up for what seems

  A dangerously long time, I’ll send the man back.

  He’ll be dressed up like a ship’s captain, you know,

  All innocence and full of sailor-talk,

  But you’ll be fit to read between the lines

  For the message, whatever the message is.

  Well, if there’s nothing else,

  I’m away to the ship. It’s in your hands now.

  Hermes that guides the go-betweens and dealers

  Be your protector, and Athene too,

  My own best patron.

  Exit Odysseus.

  Chorus

  What are the likes of us to do?

  We’re here and we’re supposed to help you,

  But we’re in a maze.

  We’re strangers and this place is strange.

  We’re on shifting sand. It is all sea-change.

  Clear one minute. Next minute, haze.

  But you are blessed with special insight,

  So tell us, son.

  Give us our instructions.

  Neoptolemus

  Be very careful as you go.

  Keep on t
he lookout for the creature,

  But watch me too

  In case I signal.

  Chorus

  We’ll do that. Don’t you worry, sir.

  That’s what we are here for.

  But what about this wild man on the loose?

  Is his head away? Is he dangerous?

  Does he live in a den or a house?

  Neoptolemus

  His shake-down is up there

  In a sort of roofed-in place under the rocks.

  Chorus

  And where is he?

  Neoptolemus

  Out scavenging, somewhere near.

  His old gifts as an archer

  Stand him in good stead.

  But all the same, it’s sad.

  Him, the master bowman, the great name,

  Dragging himself through bushes after game.

  Festering inside and out.

  Contrary, hard and proud.

  Chorus

  It’s a pity of him too

  Afflicted like that,

  Him and that terrible foot.

  And not a one to talk to.

  Like the last man left alive.

  How does the being survive?

  Human beings suffer

  But not to this extent

  You would wonder if it’s meant.

  Why him more than another?

  What is the sense of it?

  Out in the open always,

  Behaving like a savage.

  Nothing but squeals and laments.

  Nothing left but his instincts.

  Howling wild like a wolf.

  Neoptolemus

  In one way, it does make sense.

  It all had to happen – the snake-bite at the shrine.

  And everything that happened since.

  Fate works in its own time.

  If he had sailed then