魏思博臺灣大學：外國語文學研究所楊健威Yang, Chien-WeiChien-WeiYang2007-11-262018-05-292007-11-262018-05-292004http://ntur.lib.ntu.edu.tw//handle/246246/52665Hope and Despair in Milton’s Samson Agonistes and Paradise Regained Abstract This thesis aims to explore the notions of hope and despair in Milton’s companion poems, Paradise Regained and Samson Agonistes. In the first chapter, I will define and establish the notions of hope and despair in the Christian context by examining the configurations of these two ideas in the Bible, fathers of the church, and representative reformation theologians. A broader contextual study will include renaissance poets and prose writers and one emblem author. The second chapter presents an outline and discussion of the critical history of these two poems, and I will focus upon critics’ reading of hope and despair in these two poems. The third and fourth chapters are devoted to Samson Agonistes and Paradise Regained respectively. Samson and Christ exemplify true hope. A false hope is then embraced by Samson’s visitors, the Chorus, Manoa, Dalila, and Harapha, and the Philistines, and Jesus’ tempter, Satan. In these two chapters, a revelation of the causal relationship between other virtues, faith, patience, and confidence, and hope will enhance our understanding of Christian hope. Milton’s treatments of hope as an act and a tangible being can be evidenced in the protagonists of his two major poems. Samson conquers his near-despair, withstands temptations of false hope and despair, and eventually regains hope as God’s chosen. Jesus passes the trials of faith and patience, maturing in self-knowledge, defeating the despairing Devil, and proving himself as Hope of mankind. The epilogue of the thesis is intended to compare Milton’s representations of hope in Samson and Christ.Table of Contents Page Acknowledgement iii Abstract iv Chapter 1 Introduction: Hope and Despair in the Renaissance and Reformation: a Context...................................1 I. Definitions and Biblical Tradition II. The Patristic Tradition: St. Augustine and St. Thomas III. The Renaissance and the Reformation Tradition Chapter 2 The Critical History of Samson Agonistes and Paradise Regained ............................................... 43 Chapter 3 Reading Samson Agonistes............................ 65 I. Linguistic Distinction: Hope as a Verb II. Samson Agonistes and the Book of Judges III. Hope and Faith IV. Manoa’s False Hope V. Regaining Hope: Samson Conquering Despair Chapter 4 Reading Paradise Regained ..........................104 I. Linguistic Definition: Hope as a Noun II. Mary and the Apostles’ Concepts of Christian Hope III. Satan’s False Hope and Despair IV. Hope Confirmed: Christ’s Growth Epilogue ...............................................140 Works Cited ............................................144 Appendixen-US希望絕望信念誘惑救贖HopeDespairFaithTemptationSalvationthesis