Samson Agonistes


Lu par Martin Geeson

(4.4 stars; 17 reviews)

“The Sun to me is dark
And silent as the Moon,
When she deserts the night
Hid in her vacant interlunar cave.”

Milton composes his last extended work as a tragedy according to the classical Unities of Time, Place and Action. Nevertheless it “never was intended for the stage” and is here declaimed by a single reader.

Samson the blinded captive, in company with the Chorus of friends and countrymen, receives his visitors on their varying missions and through them his violent story is vividly recalled. Then he is summoned to give a final demonstration of God-given strength to entertain the Philistines, his captors. Famously – and of course, offstage – his performance brings the house down. (Summary by Martin Geeson) (2 hr 37 min)

Critiques

AN UNEXPECTED GEM


(4.5 stars)

A thoughtful and unique re-telling of the story of Samson. The imaginative conversational mode immerses the listener in Samson's grief and agony, yet we glory with him in his final triumph. The continued referrals to his blindness are, no doubt, somewhat autobiographical in nature. The only shortcomingof the reading is that occasionally, we lose track of who is speaking, but this is minor. Initially I thought that the reader was overly dramatic, but I quickly discerned that the Shakespearean reading was perfect.