"SAMSON AGONISTES" AND "OEDIPUS TYRANNUS" AS AFFIRMATIONS OF THE TRUTH OF PROPHECY

Although Milton praises the Attic tragedians in his preface to Samson Agonistes, he does not explain why he is so drawn to Aeschylus, Euripides, and, particularly, Sophocles. A study of Milton's Greek drama and Sophocles' Oedipus Tyrannus reveals a shared belief: prophecy, the expression of divine foreknowledge, is a real world phenomenon which can be demonstrated by the fulfillment of individual prophecies. Awareness of specific prophecies motivates the actions of Samson and Oedipus and, consequently, structures the plots. A crucial distinction must be made between the two plays regarding the nature of divinity and its relationship to man. In Sophocles' play, the gods express their knowledge through the Delphic oracle without concern for the welfare of a particular man. In contrast, Samson's God, a Christianized Jehovah, offers prophecy and the means to fulfill it as an expression of His love and grace toward man. Even though Milton chooses a Greek form and Judaic subject, his depiction of the fulfillment of prophecy and the God who makes it is shaped by his Christian beliefs.