Samson Agonistes Religion Quotes

How we cite our quotes: (Line number)

Quote #4

MANOA: So Dagon shall be magnifi'd, and God, besides whom is no God, compar'd with idols, disglorifi'd, blasphem'd.... (440-442)

In the political conflict between Hebrews vs. Philistines, there seems to be an even bigger religious conflict between God vs. Dagon.

Quote #5

SAMSON: Father, I do acknowledge and confess that I this honor, I this pomp have brought to Dagon (449-450)

Not only is Samson responsible for the oppression of his people, but he also feels responsible for bringing honor to this false god, Dagon. This is totally like feeding the trolls.

Quote #6

SAMSON: [God], be sure, will not connive or linger thus provok'd, but will arise and his great name assert: Dagon must stoop (465-468)

Can't all these Gods just get along? (Nope). What's a little funny here is that Samson never denies that Dagon exists, exactly, but that his God is stronger. (This is actually a big point of debate—whether the early Israelites believed that there was only one God, or whether they thought that other gods existed. And it was probably the latter.)