Philoctetes, the bowman, is a most haunting and ambiguous character of Sophocles. He represents the pain which the world subjects all creative people to. Keeping his simplicity and innocence in a world of confusion and lies ends up being his greatest challenge. Through intense character portrayal, Sophocles presents the story of Philoctetes in a way so that the reader can empathizes and truly understand the pain of Philoctetes. The story begins when Odysseus and Neoptolemus are on a beach on the island of Lemnos. They are looking for Philoctetes. Odysseus tells Neoptolemus to find Philoctetes, and tell him that he is the son o