“TRAGEDY, as it was anciently composed, hath been ever held the gravest, moralest, and most profitable of all other Poems: therefore said by Aristotle to be of power by raising pity and fear, or terror, to purge the mind of those and such like passions, that is, to temper and reduce them to just measure with a kind of delight, stirr'd up by reading or seeing those passions well imitated.”
Samson Agonistes is a dramatic poem written by John Milton, first published in 1671. The poem tells the story of Samson, the biblical hero who was granted superhuman strength by God to fight the Philistines. After being betrayed by his wife Delilah, who had discovered the secret of his strength, Samson is captured by the Philistines and brought to their temple as a spectacle. In the temple, Samson prays to God for strength one last time, and with his renewed power, he brings down the temple, killing himself and his captors. The poem is written in blank verse and consists of dialogue between Samson and various characters, including his father, Manoa, and his former wife, Dalila. The themes of the poem include the struggle between good and evil, the power of faith, and the consequences of pride and temptation. Milton also explores the idea of redemption and the role of suffering in the Christian faith. Samson Agonistes is considered one of Milton's greatest works and is often studied for its exploration of biblical themes and its use of dramatic form. It is also notable for its complex characterization of Samson, who is depicted as a flawed hero struggling to come to terms with his own weaknesses and failures. 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.
