Samson Agonistes: Free Audiobook and Listening Guide

Samson Agonistes, credited to John Milton, is available as a LibriVox volunteer audiobook. This guide identifies the recording, its source summary and its audio tracks.

About the work

The LibriVox catalogue summary, preserved with the recording, reads:

LibriVox recording of Samson Agonistes, by John Milton. Read by Martin Geeson. “The Sun to me is dark And silent as the Moon, When she deserts the night Hid in her vacant interlunar cave.” Milton composes his last extended work as a tragedy according to the classical Unities of Time, Place and Action. Nevertheless it “never was intended for the stage” and is here declaimed by a single reader. Samson the blinded captive, in company with the Chorus of friends and countrymen, receives his visitors on their varying missions and through them his violent story is vividly recalled. Then he is summoned to give a final demonstration of God-given strength to entertain the Philistines, his captors. Famously – and of course, offstage – his performance brings the house down. (Summary by Martin Geeson)

Recording facts

• Recording title: Samson Agonistes
• Author credits: John Milton
• Language: English
• Original MP3 tracks: 12
• Listed recording duration: 2:37:52

Catalogue topics

• poetry
• drama
• tragedy
• dramatic poem

Track guide

1. 00 - The Preface. The Argument. The Persons. — 10:40
2. 01 - A little onward lend thy guiding hand... — 15:23
3. 02 - Your coming, friends, revives me... — 11:32
4. 03 - Brethren and men of Dan... — 14:37
5. 04 - Be penitent and for thy fault contrite... — 18:38
6. 05 - With doubtful feet and wavering resolution... — 7:40
7. 06 - How cunningly the sorceress displays... — 15:10
8. 07 - She's gone, a manifest Serpent... — 12:24
9. 08 - I know no Spells, use no forbidden Arts... — 11:02
10. 09 - Oh how comely it is and how reviving... — 13:55
11. 10 - Peace with you brethren... — 13:24
12. 11 - Occasions drew me early to this city... — 13:32

Listen to this recording

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Source and rights

This is a record from LibriVox's official Internet Archive collection, with a public-domain licence recorded in its metadata. LibriVox's policy includes its catalogue summaries as well as its recordings. Its public-domain assessment follows United States law; copyright status can differ elsewhere. The summary and track facts are reproduced and reformatted from that record. Dates attached to the archive upload are not treated as original book publication dates.