I am, admittedly, a little unsure how to rate this. On the one hand, the premise and plot of Philoctetes are well-crafted and well-executed, as are the characters of Neoptolemus and Philoctetes. On the other hand, the ending is a little rushed, even for a Greek tragedy. And, depending on the day on which you ask me, I would not really call this a tragedy so much as a drama (in the modern sense).

But, on the whole, this is a good play. It explores curious themes of ostracisation, whether justified or not, and the meaning of duty. That second one makes sense since this does have to do with the Trojan War. But I think what really makes this interesting is that it is a sort of proto-utilitarianism, asking whether the ends justify the means, but from the Greek perspective of justice and virtue. Another theme that is echoed in a play like Hekabe is how trauma defines us, and wrongdoings as well (keeping to the same field as the Iliad).

All in all, a good play complicated by truly one of the most rushed and convenient endings I have ever read in Greek drama. Feeling a strong 7 on this one.