Literary Criticism and Literary Terms

Question: Have you studied any tragedies during B.A/ M.A. programme? Who  was/ were the Tragic protogoiest’s in those tragedies ? what was theire ‘Hamartia”?

·      Introduction

          When I was in B.A. Programme, I studied many Tragedies. Like Hamlet, Samson Agoniest, Isabella the Plot of Basil etc. I would like Compare Tragic Flaw (Hamartia) with ‘Samson Agoniest’. Which is written by John Milton. John Milton was born in London in 1608. He was the son of John milton and Sarah jeffrey. Milton’s father was a scrivener and a music composer. He studied at Paul’s School and Christ’s College, Cambridge. At Cambridge , Milton Known as a “The lady of Christ’s”. During his Cambridge years, Milton became friend with Edward King, to whome he later dedicated an elegy, ‘Lycidas’.

          At Cambridge, Milton also wrote a number of poems such as ‘On the Morning of Christ’s Nativity’, his ‘Epitaph on the admirable Dramatick Poet, William Shakespeare’. Perhaps during the Cambridge Period were also written his companion poems, ‘L’Allegro’ and ‘II Penseroso’. ‘L’Allegro’ meant ‘the happy man’ while ‘II Penseroso’ meant ‘the melancholy man’. After completing his masters, Milton retried to Hammersmith, his father’s new home. In 1638, he embarked on a tour to france and Italy. Four year later, he marred Mary Powell, Who was almost half his age. Their relationship did not succeed and gave Milton inspiration to write his divorce tracts, which argued for separation on grounds of incompatibility. Milton  later married twice again: Katherine Woodcock in 1656, who died giving birth in 1658 and Elizabeth Minshull in 1662. During this period, he wrote ‘Eikonoklastes and Defensio Pro populo Anglicano.

          After the Restoration of Charles II to the throne in 1660, Milton was arrested  as a defender of thr Commonwelth, fined and soon released. He spent the rest of his life writteng his most famous works, “Paradise Lost, Paradise Regained and Somson Agonistes. Milton Died of gout in November, 1674 and the Church of St Giles, Cripplegate.

vDifferance Between Shakespeare’s Tragedy and Aristotle’s Tragedy

             Aristotle’s poetics is the earliest survivin work of dramatic theory, and this work is a good source to examine Aristotle’s views on tragedy. A tragedy is characterized by seriousness.

Aristotle’s Tragey	Shakespeare’s Tragedy
Aristotle’s tragedy has a Single plot.	Shakespeare’s Tragedy has a several plots.
There are only few character in aristotle’s Tragedy.	There are many characters in Shakespearean Tragedy.
Aristote’s tragedy had a chorus.	Shakespearian tragedy has replaced the chorus the chorus with a comic scene.
The protagoniest learns the truth of the situation or comes to realization about himself in aristotle’s tragedy.	The protagoniest does not always gain self knowledge.

vSamson Agonistes

                      Samson Agonistes is a closet drama by John Milton. Samson Agonistes Combines Greek tragedy with Hebrew Scripture, which alters both form. Milton believed that Bible was better in classical form than those written by the Greek and Romans. In his introduction, Milton discusses Aristotle’s Definition of tragedy and sets out his own paraphrase of it to connect it to Samson Agoniest. Let’s We compare How the Samson Agonistes follow Aristotle’s describing tragedy. Samson Agonistes appeared  with the publication of Milton’s Paradise Regain’d in 1671. Samson Agonistes draws on the story of Samson from the Old Testament, judge, in fact it is a dramatisation of the story starting at Judge. The drama starts in medias res. Samson has been captured by the philistines, had his hair, the containerof his strength, cut off and his eyes cut out. Samson is “Blind among enemies, O worse than chains” and at last he gave  freedom Israel with his death.

vAristotle’s  Tragedy

Aristotle asserts that any tragedy can be divided into six component part, an that every tragedy is made up of thpse six parts with nothing else beside. Threr is ,

1.  Plot

2.  Character

3.  Diction

4.  Song

5.  Thought

6.  Spectacles

vPlot

Aristotle says that a well formed plot must have beginning, middle to end. A beginning is not necessary stars with any previous action,  but middle follows logically from the beginning. An end, which follows logically from middle and afterwards no further action takes place. There must be unity in the structure of the plot. There should be no loose ends.

 

Samson agonist is Tragedy Closet Drama. It also has beginning , middle and End. Samson Agonists started with the Israel. Philistine has ruler of the Israeline. And there people have praying god to saving them life from Philistine army. Once upon the samson got a blessing from God and they gave Super human power him. And Samson became more powerful and strangeful man. But God has led to some special Rules and warn him to that...

“ You should not Touch dead body”

“You should not Drink Wine”

“ Don’t shaving and Cut him hair”

“ Don’t tell this Secret to another”

After getting super power, Philistine army Horrified from Samson. They did not face him in font him.

          According to Aristotle its also has middle ( climax). Samson Agonistes also has a climax. When Samson fall down in Dalilah’s Love, and he married with her. But in the reallity is that Dalilah has send by Philistine army to knowing his power’s Secrets. And she also succeed her mission and she knowing his secret. Once upon  when somson in sleeping in his badroom, Dalilah Cut his hair and he lost his super human power. And dalilah called philistine’s Army and sent him imprison. There were he faced many problem they torcher him. They cut his eyes etc.  The end of the story Philistine’s army Celebrate the  holy them Festival and that day the realise all thr prisoner and give to oppertuinity for shawing them power. Samson’s Father gives him full information about these celebration. Samson is granted the power to destroy the temple and kill all of the philistines along with himself. However, this event does not take a place on stage but is told through other. When the temple’s destruction is reported, there is an emphasis on the Death and not peace.

vCharacter

            There were only four character are introduced in this poem. Such as Samson Agoniests, Dailiah, Manoa, Harpha and other people like Philistine Army (Soldier, officer), The Chorus and isralite.Samson is the main Character of this poem, and he is a biblical character adapted by Milton in his poem. Some critics note that John Milton wrote this character on his person life. Because When the philistine army arrested him, They make him blinded and Milton’s actual life his also became a Blind etc there were main theme are mingled with Milton Personal Life. Dailah is a beautiful young philistine lady. She were sended by Philistine army to knowing Secret to samson power. And she also succeed her plan and after them married she sharping minded she cheat him and cut his hair and inform Philstine army but after the torcher, and making blinded her husband she apologies Samson. Manoa is the father of Samson. He is typical father, loving his son despite his faults yet loyal to god. He wants to save Samson but he refuses to let his father do it. He blames God for being too cruel in punishing his son but Samson advises hi, not to Blame God. Harpha is a Gaint who comes to insult Samson who is in prison.  Harpha refuses to fight samson  some who is weak and without real power.

vWhat is Hamartia in Samson Agoniest?
             Hamartia is the tragic flaw or error that reverses a protagonist’s Fortune from good to bad. Hamartia is derived from the greek phrase hamartane in meaning “to err” or “to miss the mark”. Hamartia includes character flaw such as excessive in tragic consequences. Hamartia is main element of the classic a complicated story to arise and develop. For basic understanding of hamartia, though,  consider these short story. Hamartia shapes the tragic plot. Without a fatal  flaw, the protagonist would continue to live a  flourishing life with little to no difficulty. Its the flaw that causes his or her good fortune, usually at the most climactic point in the plot.  Hamartia emotionally- changes the tragic narrative, instilling pity and awe in the audience. The tragic hero is imperfect and therefore relatable to the audience, as we all have flaws. The dramatic and tragedy  effects of the flaw may serve as a moral lesson, showing the negative effects of hamartia that is un harnessed and yields terrible results. Such as,

                A classical  example is from william Shakespeare’s the Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of  venice. Othello claims that he has not meant tp cause so much pain, but that he has loved too much, meaning his  love caused his jealosusy which has in turn driven him to extremes.

            Second Example is Macbeth, the only thing that leads Macbeth to action is overwhelming ambition which pushes him forward faster and faster, ultimately leading to his tragic end.

The Third Example is Achilles, the legendary hero of Greek mythology, was a nearly invulnerable warrior with one widely known fatal flaw: the heel that his mother held him by  when she dipped him into the river Styx to make him  strong. The heel ended up being his undoing. Today and “Achilles’ hee;” refers to anyone’s fatal flaw or hamartia.

Forth Example is Samson Agoniest written by John Milton. Samson is another Bible Character whose fatal flaw was related to a woman. His love for Dalilah a wicked woman who was paid by the philistines to find the source of samsons great strength. When he finally revealed that his strength was due to his long hair, Dalilah’s servant shaves his hair and his strwngth is taken away from him.

We know that Samson was a angle of god, who has super human power. Philistine hav ruler of Isaels and they torcher them. Once upon a time Manoa amd hps wife pray to God for saving them life from Philistines army. And that time God’s Angle passing there and they boon them and Manoa’s give a brith a super human power’s Son, Samson. And the angle also put some condition to his power that, Don’t Drink wine, Don’t tell his secert, Don’t shave and don’t Cut him hairs Etc. Samson became a hero of isaeral and the Philistine do not face Samson that way they send Dalilah to knowing his secret and also Samson fall in Dalilah’s Love and he married with him and Once upon she Succeed to knowing his secret his strength and she cut his Hairs and Samson became ordinary man. And Philistine put him into the Prison and they became blind him. Sometime after Daliah also feel guilty and she understood her mistake and she also came to meet him in prison, but Samson did not forget his mistake. Beacuase she is reasom of  his death. If Samson did not tell his secret his strength, now he dont in imprion, he don’t now a blind.

     Thus, Samson Agoniest is closet Dramma. It is  base on Biblical Story. It written in poem form. We can find hubris and hamartia and Tragic hero and another many elements of Tragedy.

vSource

1.      http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samson_Agonistes

2.     http://www.gradesaver.com/samson-agonistes/study-guide/character-list

3.     http://literaryterms.net/hamartia/

4.     http://examples.yourdictionary.com/examples-of -hamartia.html


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