Samson Agonistesに於けるミルトンの立場 : その非キリスト教的なものについて(開学記念号)
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概要
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There are many religious themes, especially Christian elements, in Milton's works. The end of his epic was finally to "best justify the ways of God" and to emphasize the rebirth of man. Most of his works are composed of Christian elements in essence. And yet it may be given as a conclusion that Milton, in his Samson Agonistes, does not regard Christ as a savior or a light, but shows that Samson died as a non-christian through faults, temptations, and resignations which emerged out of the weakness of man. Samson Agonistes proves that Milton did not think that Christ's death was a necessary instrument of salvation because this play contains not a single reference to Christ or Christianity. For Milton, Christ's Atonement and Redemption did not automatically assure man of victory over evil, or weakness. He made it possible for man to become the agent of his own salvation, by Aristotelian catharisis, not by Christ's sacrifice. Though Samson was an instrument of Providence, there could be no christian sense of salvation in the end of this play. In Samson's human agony there is a heterogeneous thing different from "Christ Suffering". I can find no allusion, no prophecy on the subject of Christ in Samson. Samson's free will is waving in the heart of this play and he comes to life again by his own efforts. Both his spirit and action are non-christian. Frankly speaking, Samson gained a victory over fleshly, worldly, and evil temptations ; rejected to be called "God's champion", and recovered the power of man. And he died. Samson's death was of equal importance with his life, because his death inflamed the breasts of the valiant youth of Israel "To matchless valor, and adventures high". The verse of "God of our fathers, what is man?" is the last word on the Miltonic conception of life through much suffering. He did not admit the theory of original sin in Christianity. He believed the idea that human nature is good from its origin, and never insisted much on original sin. According to Milton's idea, man does not take the sin upon himself by nature. The important point to him was that man is not corrupt originally. From this point of view, I suppose Milton in his old age conceived at least non-christian thoughts in his mind when he wrote "Samson Agonistes".
- 1968-03-01