Samson Agonistes

Samson Agonistes is a tragic play written by John Milton, which was first published in 1671. The play is based on the biblical story of Samson, who was a powerful judge of Israel and a Nazirite. The play begins with Samson, who is now blind and imprisoned by the Philistines, lamenting his loss of strength and freedom. He is visited by his father, Manoa, who tries to comfort him, but Samson is resigned to his fate.Samson's wife, Dalila, also visits him, hoping to convince him to reveal the secret of his strength, which she plans to use to betray him to the Philistines. Samson is initially resistant, but ultimately gives in to her pleas, revealing that his strength comes from his hair, which has never been cut.The play then moves to the final scene, in which Samson is brought before the Philistines to be mocked and humiliated. However, Samson prays to God for strength one last time and is able to bring down the temple, killing himself and all of the Philistines inside.Throughout the play, Milton explores themes of faith, temptation, and redemption. Samson's struggle to maintain his faith in God despite his suffering and temptation serves as a powerful metaphor for the human condition. The play also features Milton's characteristic use of blank verse and classical allusions, making it a notable work of English literature.1912. A tragedy by John Milton, it is considered the greatest English drama based on the Greek model and is known as one more suited for reading than performance. The work deals with the final phase of Samson's life and recounts the story as told in the Old Testament Book of Judges. Himself blind when he wrote Samson Agonistes, Milton depicts Samson, the once mighty warrior, as blinded and a prisoner of the Philistines. Samson conquers self-pity and despair, however, and is granted a return of his old strength. He pulls down the pillars that support the temple of the Philistine god Dagon, crushing himself along with his captors.This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.