num_pages: 144
description: 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.
language: English
title: Samson Agonistes
titlecomplete: Samson Agonistes
genres: Fiction, Plays, Religion, Poetry, British Literature, Drama, 17th Century, Literature, Classics, Historical Fiction
ratings_count: 2488
publisher: Oxford University Press