Skip to main content

Samson Agonistes


Image result for samson agonistes milton images


Samson Agonistes (Tragedy)
By John Milton
Samson Agonistes has been written by John Milton. Samson is the name of the Biblical hero whose tragic death has been narrated in this play. The birth of Samson was prophesied by an angel. The angel also predicted not to allow a razor to the coming child’s head, and the child’s hair should begin to set free Israel from its foreign rulers, namely the Philistines. The child was born and grew up. He was blessed by God. As a young man, he was attracted by a woman named Timna and he married her. On his way to Timna, Samson encountered an angry lion, and he showed his supernatural strength by tearing the lion into pieces. He quarreled with his wife’s kinship and killed thirty of the Philistines to escape his anger. This woman had not proved faithfulness to Samson.

The Philistines wanted to capture Samson when he was going to Gaza; but he plucked away the gate of the city and also the two door-posts, and went away, carrying them, bar and all, to a hill near Hebron. Samson now fell in love with a Palestine woman by the name of Daliala. The Philistines offered to give her sufficient gold in case she would obtain from Samson the secret of his strength and if she would then reveal that secret to them. Dalila, tempted by the offer of a bribe, managed to extract from Samson the secret of his strength. Dalila then sent a barber for cutting the hair of Samson when he was sleeping soundly. When he woke up, he found that all his strength had gone. Dalila then handed him over to Palestine who blinded both his eyes and made him a prisoner in the city of Gaza. Samson had to perform very hard labor everyday like the other prisoners. Now the miseries of Samson cannot be described in a single word. To him, he has made a great mistake by disclosing the secret of his strength to a woman. The world has now become totally dark to him. He tells the chorus that he himself is responsible for his misfortune. His first wife had deceived him; and his second wife had proved false to him. He wanted to liberate Israel from the burden of slavery. To him, when a nation becomes accustomed to slavery, they cannot enjoy the advantages of freedom. Samson’s father Manoa feels deeply grieved for his son’s misery. Samson expresses his firm belief that the living God of Israel will achieve a victory over Dragon.

Manoa has been trying for a long time for the release of his son paying handsome money. But Samson doesn’t want release from prison as a coward. It would bring no comfort for him. He has lost his power. His eyesight can never return to him. Dalila now comes to see Samson and confesses her fault. But Samson bitterly scolds her as a hypocritical monster and infernal serpent. Now Harapha the giant of Gath visits Samson and teases him. Samson threatens him saying that he is willing to fight with Harapha in order to prove his strength by breaking Harapha’s bones and shattering his brain. Soon afterwards a public officer comes to meet with Samson. He informs Samson that he (Samson) will have to show his physical strength on the stage before the spectators and the Philistines lords. Samson finds an opportunity to take revenge upon the Philistines. Already Samson’s hair has grown on his head. A messenger quickly comes to inform Manoa and the Chorus about the victory of Samson. According to the messenger’s account, after displaying a few feats of strength, Samson requested his guide to allow him to lean against the two pillars, which supported the roof of the building. Samson, using all his strength, shook the pillars, thus bringing down the roof of the building upon the heads of all the people who sat under the roof. A large number of Philistines including lords were killed by the falling of the roof, and Samson himself was also killed. The play ends with a few important speeches by the chorus and Manoa. Manoa says that he would build a memorial to his son and the memorial would be visited regularly by the brave youth and by virgins. Samson is the central figure in the play, and he may justly be described as its tragic hero. Once he was a great man, and now he has fallen from his high position only for making mistakes. Basically he was powerful hero. He had a divine power. Yet he was not wise. His unwise activities have led him in dangerous situations. Samson’s interview with Dalila shows his firmness of character and the hardness of his decision. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Clear Light of Day by Anita Desai

Clear Light of Day (Novel) Clear Light of Day is one of Anita Desai’s most outstanding novels and may be regarded as one of the masterpiece in the field of Indo-Anglican fiction. The novel indicates the realistic pictures of family life. Ani ta Desai was born in 1937 of a German mother and a Bengali father. Clear Light of Day tells the story of a Hindu family living in a rented house in old Delhi. The house belongs to a rich Muslim landlord, whose name is Hyder Ali , Mr. and Mrs. Das live in this house with their four children --- Raja, Bim, Tara and Baba. Raja, Bim, Tara and Baba in this novel are the victims of an unpleasant, meaningless, hopeless, melancholy atmosphere of childhood. They spend their childhood in a home, which smells of disease and decay. The parents are busy with their own affairs, and do not make an effort themselves about the needs of their children. The kind of unhappy situation creates fear, insecurity, distrust and anxiety as the children grow up. Mr...
Post a Comment
Read more

Mother by Maxim Gorky

                                                                   Mother                                                                              By Maxim Gorky Maxim Gorky's Mother is the landmark in the history of English literature. Although this book was written ten years before the establishment of Soviet power in Russia, we count it the first stone laid in the foundations of Soviet Literature. Mother was first published in Russia in 1907. When Gorky wrote it, he was a mature craftsman, fully aware of his historical mission. During the Russian revolution of 1905 that is, two years before, Mother came out in Russi...
Post a Comment
Read more

Paradise Lost (Book I & II) Epic

Paradise Lost (Book I & II) Epic Paradise Lost is an outstanding epic in the history of English literature. John Milton has composed it in 1665. The main characters of this epic are God, Adam, Eve and Satan. The fall of the Satan and his followers from the heaven to hell because of disobedience to God is the main theme of this epic. The Satan declares war against the God. So, The God threw him and his followers into the burning hell. Adam had to face untold misery because of the activities of Satan. The Satan misleads Adam and Eve to eat the forbidden fruit. They eat food misguided by Satan and disobeying the order of God. So they commit sin. They are sent to the earth. The Satan comes to the earth and further starts misleading the human beings against the God. Satan appears as the embodiment of deceit, jealousy, revenge and pride.  Milton introduces Satan –the infernal serpent. Satan raises “an impious war” against God. As a result Satan was thrown from heaven by Go...
Post a Comment
Read more