Free Will in John Miltons Samson Agonistes Essay -- Samson Agonistes

Free Will in John Miltons dogshit Agonistes John Miltons Samson Agonistes is based on the story of Samson, an Israelite torpedo in the Old Testament who falls from grace. In this work Milton shapes his version around the issue of accountability, whether Samson or God is responsible for his actions. Milton displays Samsons accountability by contrasting his God-given strength with his self-effected weakness. When Samson was born, God gave him extraordinary physical strength. The very fact that God puts prohibitions on Samson implies that there is an component part of free choice. His parents told him that in order to preserve his strength he should not cut his long Nazirite hair or drink alcohol. Therefore Samson has affirm over his strength and can be held accountable for his deeds. Initially, Samson did not appreciate the gift given to him. Before losing the privilege of his power he was unconscious(predicate) of its significance. He says that God put the strength in his hair in order to show him how minor the gift is. Proudly secure, (55) he worried active things that now least afflict him. He regarded his strength as a matter of course because he had never experienced weakness and did not gain that he was liable to fall.The first time he assumes responsibility for a major ending is when he chooses his wife. He is free to choose the wife he pleases. Nevertheless, he is unaware of the responsibility with which he is confronted. He does not take into account the fatal consequences that could result from his decision. His marriage to Dalila, a Philistine woman, harms not hardly himself but also the other Israelites. Samsons decision leads him to blindness and captivity and his people to suffer under the rule of the Philisti... ...nistes. When this work was published in 1671, the author did not regard himself as a Calvinist, as he had during most of his life. Instead, he held an Arminian belief, which criticized the Calvinistic view of fate Arminianism allowed human decision a role in achieving personal salvation. The belief in predestination makes life seem hopeless for every effort would be in vain. Moreover, predestination could serve as an excuse for immoral behavior because we could refuse to bear responsibility for our shortcomings. It is a valuable gift that we are all capable of fetching responsibility for ourselves and for the people close to us. We can only hope that everyone will be brave enough to make good use of this gift.Works CitedMilton, John. Samson Agonistes. In John Milton Complete Poems and Major Prose. Ed. Merritt Y. Hughes. New York Macmillan, 1957.