Samson as a Tragic Figure

The fact that Samson is intended as a character of heroic proportions is established in the first part of Judges (13:5), when the angel explains to Manoah's wife that she will bear a son who "is to be a Nazarite, set apart to God from birth, and he will begin the deliverance of Israel from the hands of the Philistines." Two equally important features of Samson's life are established in this passage: first, that he will be an agent of rescue for Israel, and second, that he will not complete but only begin the rescue. In other words, he is to be a hero, but his heroic mission may be incomplete. The implication is, first, that Israel may still face some unresolved problems with release from the Philistines, and second, that Samson's heroic actions, while good for Israel in the long run, might not be good for him individually.

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a figure of fun among the Philistines). Rather, Samson asks that God will, just this once, allow him to reclaim just enough strength to avenge his being blinded by the Philistines. This shows a growth of character, obviously anticipating his own death, as if he must destroy his own organism in order to save its integrity. The same pattern of transformation from an individual who has defects of character to obviously better-than-average stature and significance, and the deliberate enactment of proof of stature, can be seen in classical secular literature. One example can be found in the secular drama of the biblical character of Samson himself. Milton's Samson Agonistes, which portrays Samson's suicide as undertaken "Not willingly, but tangled in the fold/Of dire necessity," is an evocation of tragic heroism that, according to Potter (99) "is as disturbing and inconclusive as the tragedies of Euripides" because Milton leaves open the question of whether "the Israelites will be able to rouse themselves to take advantage of the sacrifice." Well, the bible leaves the question open as well, at least within the context of Samson's action. We are back again to the decisive verse of Judges 13:5, which speaks of the beginning of Israelite
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Approximate Word count = 3978
Approximate Pages = 16 (250 words per page)