Heiner Müller's play is based on a number of ancient stories related to Philoctetes. Poisoned by a snake bite that struck him in the leg, he leads a hermit’s existence on the island of Lemnos. When it becomes clear that without him it is impossible to defeat Troy, Odysseus and Achilles’ son Neoptolemus go after him. The whole play is built around these three characters, who are in a very contradictory relationship to each other. Both Philoctetes and Neoptolemus know and openly admit that Odysseus is their enemy. Both Odysseus and Neoptolemus understand that now is not the time for personal conflicts and, in order to help the Greeks win, they must forget about the feuds and deliver Neoptolemus to the walls of Troy as soon as possible. Enmity, duty, cunning and honor fight and intertwine in this play from beginning to end.