A01=John T. Shawcross
ambiguity
Author_John T. Shawcross
authorial intentions
Category=DSBD
Category=DSC
dramatic poem
Enlightenment irreligion
eq_bestseller
eq_biography-true-stories
eq_isMigrated=1
eq_nobargain
eq_non-fiction
gender concepts
Milton
political issues
Samson Agonistes
science
society
Product details
- ISBN 9780859916097
- Weight: 422g
- Dimensions: 156 x 234mm
- Publication Date: 01 Feb 2001
- Publisher: Boydell & Brewer Ltd
- Publication City/Country: GB
- Product Form: Hardback
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Ambiguity, present in all aspects of the poem, is seen as central to Milton's authorial intentions.
Shawcross proposes that the many ambiguities surrounding Milton's dramatic poem Samson Agonistes are intentional: the actual words, the dates of composition, the genre, and the characters - particularly Samson and Dalila but including Manoa, Harapha, and the Chorus. Ambiguity also lies in Milton's presentation of political issues both philosophical and practical, his treatment of gender concepts, the constant questioning of the reader, and the poem's effect. Discussing all these elements, Shawcross follows with a detailed reading of the text which argues that it remains purposefully ambiguous, reflecting Milton's own recognition of the uncertainty of the content, and suggesting that Milton himself would question some of the nice 'solutions' that modern scholarship has offered in the last two decades.
JOHN SHAWCROSS is Professor of English, Emeritus, University of Kentucky.
John T Shawcross is Professor of English, Emeritus, University of Kentucky.
