The conflict between civilisation and savagery is portrayed throughout the play by its setting, language and imagery. ... Sophocles expresses this savagery with the opening image of "sea girt Lemnos1". Island of Lemnos which the sea cuts of Philoctetes off from the rest world forces him into savagery. ... The rocks, the savage sea, storms and rough winds encircle Philoctetes in his solitude struggling for survival. ... Philoctetes metaphorical death to his old heroic past and his literal death by him surviving on this harsh island are brought together through the idea of the cave....

• Word Count: 2877
• Approx Pages: 12
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: Undergraduate