ENGLISH LITERATURE (CBSE/UGC NET)

Detailed explanation-1: -A critic argues that in John Milton’s “Samson Agonistes, ” the shearing of Samson’s locks is symbolic of his castration at the hands of Delilah. What kind of critical approach is this critic using? This critical approach assumes that language does not refer to any external reality.

Detailed explanation-2: -Critical Analysis The poetic play, Samson Agonistes is however religious in tone. Its hero recovers and does God’s work The moral law is firm and clear. There is no disproportion between sin and punishment, no temporary dislocation of the universal order, and no sense of waste.

Detailed explanation-3: -Samson Agonistes, (Greek: “Samson the Athlete” or “Samson the Wrestler”) tragedy by John Milton, published in the same volume as his epic Paradise Regained in 1671.

Detailed explanation-4: -The central theme is redemptive suffering. Samson is disempowered, enslaved, and blinded, but ironically, his spiritual sense has never been more keen. His inner strength has increased, as he is able to resist the temptations provided by his faithless wife Dalila and his father Manoa, who both want to take care of him.

Detailed explanation-5: -Historical/Biographical critics see works as the reflection of an author’s life and times (or of the character’s). The historical/biographical approach deems it necessary to know about the author and the political, economical, and sociological context of their times in order to truly understand their works.