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    Samson Agonistes
    Samson Agonistes
    Samson Agonistes
    Audiobook1 hour

    Samson Agonistes

    Written by John Milton

    Narrated by Iain Glen, David de Keyser, Samantha Bond and

    3.5/5

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    About this audiobook

    Samson Agonistes, the "dramatic poem" by John Milton, was published in 1671, three years before the poet's death. Written in the form of a Greek tragedy, with the Chorus commenting on the action, it follows the biblical story of the blind Samson as he wreaks his revenge on the Philistines who have imprisoned him.

    A powerful subject, with a personal resonance for the blind Milton, it is a perfect work for the medium of audiobook where poetry and drama can be balanced equally. This production, adapted for BBC Radio 3, broadcast in 2008 and directed by John Tydeman, features Iain Glen in the title role, with Samantha Bond as Dalila, Philip Madoc as Harapha and Michael Maloney as the Messenger.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherNaxos Audiobooks
    Release dateJan 1, 2014
    ISBN9781843798033
    Author

    John Milton

    John Milton was a seventeenth-century English poet, polemicist, and civil servant in the government of Oliver Cromwell. Among Milton’s best-known works are the classic epic Paradise Lost, Paradise Regained, considered one of the greatest accomplishments in English blank verse, and Samson Agonistes. Writing during a period of tremendous religious and political change, Milton’s theology and politics were considered radical under King Charles I, found acceptance during the Commonwealth period, and were again out of fashion after the Restoration, when his literary reputation became a subject for debate due to his unrepentant republicanism. T.S. Eliot remarked that Milton’s poetry was the hardest to reflect upon without one’s own political and theological beliefs intruding.

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    Reviews for Samson Agonistes

    3.5/5

    36 ratings2 reviews

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    • 3/5
      The passages about blindness are wonderful, but the reading is very melodramatic, spoiling the poetry with ham over acting.
    • 5/5
      An excellent unabridged dramatization of Samson Agonistes. The poem is written as a play of the last day of Samson's life.

      The play or poem is well worth the read, and this audiobook is great as an accompaniment.

      Prior to being brought into the arena, Samson has conversations with his father, Delila, the father of Goliath, and his countrymen. An hour well spent.