Samson Agonistes

by John Milton

Overview

Samson Agonistes is a tragic drama by John Milton. It originally appeared with the publication of Milton's Paradise Regained, A Poem In IV Books To Which Is Added Samson Agonistes. Samson Agonistes draws on the story of Samson from Judges 13-16 in the Old Testament. The drama starts in medias as Samson has been captured by the Philistines, had his hair, the container of his strength, cut off and his eyes cut out. Samson Agonistes combines Greek Tragedy with Hebrew Scripture. Milton believed that Bible was better in classical forms than those written by the Greeks and Romans.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781442941830
Publisher:	ReadHowYouWant
Publication date:	07/13/2009
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	212 KB

About the Author

John Milton

Editorial Reviews

The work allows for teaching feminist teaching as well as Puritan background to English literature. The notes are excellent, very helpful to me as well as to the students."—Pau Sheneman, Miami University

From the Publisher

While Milton’s closet drama was not intended to be performed onstage, it could have been written for audio. Iain Glen and his supporting cast give listeners everything we need to follow this seventeenth-century disquisition on faith, duty, and blindness, both physical and moral. Glen’s Samson is agonized by guilt and faith but is energized out of his despair by the taunting visit of Delilah, wonderfully portrayed by Samantha Bond. The rest of the cast is nearly as good, making Milton’s iambic pentameter as understandable as ordinary speech, but more thrilling. Some of Milton’s attitudes (particularly toward women) may not be palatable to contemporary listeners, but this is a first-rate performance of a classic work. D.M.H. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2014, Portland, Maine

MAY 2014 - AudioFile