On the Resemblance Between Samson and Milton
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ISSN 1712-8056[Print] Canadian Social Science ISSN 1923-6697[Online] Vol. 13, No. 3, 2017, pp. 66-70 www.cscanada.net DOI:10.3968/9378 www.cscanada.org A True Reflection of the Poet: On the Resemblance Between Samson and Milton ZHANG Chuanqiang[a],* [a]Lecturer, School of Foreign Languages, Shandong Normal University, religious thought “like Teneriff or Atlas unremoved”. For Jinan, China. some readers “Samson Agonistes” (jointly published in *Corresponding author. the same volume with “Paradise Regained” in 1671), a Received 20 January 2017; accepted 14 March 2017 magnificent “closet tragedy”—drama more suitable for Published online 26 March 2017 reading rather than for popular performance—moulded on the Greek tragedy, is the most powerful and satisfying of Abstract Milton’s major works. There is much in common between John Milton made great use of his youth experience in the Samson and Milton, both of them were divinely appointed writing of Samson Agonistes. The image and description to glorious cause, persecuted by their enemies, suffered of the hero reflected the poet himself almost in all from blindness, embittered by an unwise marriage, aspects. Both Samson and Milton were divinely appointed grappling humbly with the problem of God’s justice and to glorious cause and recorded great achievements, eventually revenged on their enemies, Samson with an act persecuted severely by their enemies and suffered a lot of Physical prowess and Milton with a pen. The following from blindness. The unwise marriage and the grappling endeavors an introductory discussion of these things and with God’s justice of Samson truly reflected that of the minnow was thrown in the hope of gaining a whale. Milton. The revolutionary spirit of Samson is truly that of Milton’s and his last vengeance reflected Milton’s 1. GLORIOUS CAUSE AND GREAT completion of the three great poems. In a sense, Samson is Milton. DEEDS Key words: John Milton; Samson Agonistes; “Samson Agonistes”, in its original Greek, means “Samson Resemblance the Contestant or Champion”, that is to say, Samson was divinely appointed to free the Israelites from Philistine Zhang, C. Q. (2017). A True Reflection of the Poet: yoke. As he declared to Harapha: On the Resemblance Between Samson and Milton. Canadian Social Science, 13(3), 66-70. Available from: http:// I was no private, but a person raised, www.cscanada.net/index.php/css/article/view/9378 With strength sufficient, and command from Heaven, DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3968/9378 To free my country. Like the hero, Milton was also a dedicated soul, he would speak with satisfaction of his entry into political INTRODUCTION conflict: John Milton (1608-1674), the great poet of the 17th I saw that a way was opening for the establishment century English bourgeois revolutionary period “next to of real liberty; that the foundation was laying for Shakespeare”, also a great politician and main practician the deliverance of man from the yoke of slavery and of the time, produced abundant literary works, “Paradise superstition. Lost”, “Paradise Regained”, “Samson Agonistes”, some Milton thought it his ordained mission to free the pamphlets and sonnets included, and well secured his English people from secular and religious tyranny. As place in the history of English literature, culture and early as his Cambridge days and retirement at Horton, Copyright © Canadian Academy of Oriental and Occidental Culture 66 ZHANG Chuanqiang (2017). Canadian Social Science, 13(3), 66-70 his father’s country house, he insisted his lifelong showed his talent of letters in Cambridge as a public emphasis on freedom and prepared studiously for the orator and wrote “On the morning of Christ’s Nativity”, calling of a poet. A “Latin Epsitle in Verse”, expresses his “l’Allegro” and “II Penseroso”. In 1614, Prompted appreciation for his father’s forbearance in not urging him by the restoration of both licensing and the powers of to enter the ministry against his conscience, or to attempt the Stationer’s Company, he wrote “Areopagitica”, or such alternative progression as law that his brother had “Speech for the Liberty of Unlicensed Printing”, attacked taken. Later he tactfully reminded his father that no one boldly on the censorship and plead nobly and powerfully so devoted to the art of music could condemn his son’s for the freedom of the press. When the execution of devotion to the sister art of poetry. the king aroused hostility not only in England but also Milton held an even more elevated view of the poet’s throughout Europe, since regicide was then considered role than Johnson’s. He wished to “contribute to the the worst of all crimes, Milton justified the execution progress of real and substantial liberty; which is to be with the pamphlet “Eikonoklastes” (1649). On defending sought for not from without, but within.” When he was the English revolution, Milton, in the two Defensiones, touring on the continent and in 1639, planning to extend as a true “acrimonious and surly republican” (Johnson), his journey, the news of revolution reached him, as he attacked his controversy fiercely. During the long later said: argumentation, Salmasius, hired scholar of Charles II, …for I thought it base to be travelling for amusement died in the effort of writing a reply to Milton. Our poet, abroad, while my fellow citizens were fighting for their so devoted to his work, also lost his sight, which suffered liberty at home… him a lot as will be discussed in the following chapter. He felt the divine prompting and responsibility and All these victories are just as glorious and shining as returned to Britain, ready to plunge himself into the those of Samson. struggle for which he had long been preparing. During the interregnum, between the execution of Charles I and the restoration of Charles II, Milton saw 2. PERSECUTION AND SUFFER OF his role as the intellectual serving the state in glorious cause; he devoted his energies to pamphleting and he BLINDNESS became Olive Cromwell’s Latin secretary, “Tenure of After fall, Samson was delivered into the hands of his Kings and Magistrates” (1649) and the two “Defensiones” godless enemies, made captive, “Eyeless in Gaza at the (1651,1654) are among the famous ones. Even when mill with slaver,” There, in prison, he laments mainly of his request for the appointment of Andrew Marwell as the torment of captivity, degradation, blind servitude and his assistant secretary was denied and get distrusted, he the hurt of dignity. There contains much complains of his continued at his self-appointed task of helping to keep blindness, particular in Samson’s first speech: Cromwell and his Council aware of the support and demands from the left. …O loss of sight, of thee I most complain! Blind among enemies! O worse than chains, With the “high gift of strength committed to him”, Dungeon, or beggary, or decrepit age!... Samson unarmed, O dark, dark, dark, amid the blaze of noon, …tore the lion as the lion tears the kid Irrecoverably dark, total eclipse Ran on embattled armies clad in iron, Without all hope of day!... And, weaponless himself, Made arms ridiculous,… Read this verse and imagine what grief he was in. Meanwhile, we may picture to ourselves how the blind And the description of his fight is really magnificent, poet sitting in his darkness dictating these lines. …then with what trivial weapon came to hand, Samson lived in Philistine bondage, so lived Milton The jaw of a dead ass, his sword of bone, in disgrace after the Restoration; Samson became blind, A thousand foreskins fell, the flower of Palestine, so did Milton in London among a nation of slaves. When In Ramath-lechi, famous to this day: Charles II was put on the throne, severe persecution Then by main force pulled up, and on his shoulders immediately fell on the Puritans and the regicides, some of bore, them were tried and executed. Milton, after three months’ The gates of Azza, post and massy bar, of hide, was arrested and put to prison. His property Up to the hill by Hebron,… was seized, his books were burned by the hangman. Secluded in poverty, Milton spoke out his own grief with An irresistible giant warrior pictured before us. the mouth of Samson: “Myself my sepulcher, a moving Samson accomplished great victories with his physical grave”. Light and dark are the warp and woof of which strength, while Milton achieved no less glorious victories Samson Agonistes is woven. References to darkness are with his talent and the high emotional power. He early innumerable and always depressing. 67 Copyright © Canadian Academy of Oriental and Occidental Culture A True Reflection of the Poet: On the Resemblance Between Samson and Milton 3. UNWISE MARRIAGE AND RELIGIOUS Or might I say contrarious?... He should not so o’erwhelm, and as a thrall THOUGHT Subject him to so foul indignities, Samson’s fall is due to the irremediable transgress of Be it but for honour’s sake of former deeds. his wife Dalilah, who “assayed, with flattering prayers and sighs, and amorous reproaches” to win Samson’s And at the of end the chorus’ praise and Manoa’s “capital secret” and shore him “like a tame wether”, all eulogy turned into an assertion of God’s oft-hidden but his “precious fleece”, and delivered him to his enemies. unwavering support of his faithful champion, though Just as his first wife of Tinna, who divulged his secret, neither of them understand Samson’s real victory. Samson, Samson chose his wife from heathen groups, instead of although experiences a sense of God’s desertion, warns those of his own tribe “fairer, or as fair at least of thy (his) himself and his father of God’s justice from time to time: own nation, and as noble”.