Foundational story behind: The story of Samson and Delilah from the Bible:
Samson, a hero from the kingdom of Israel had supernatural strength
He felt for a girl called Delilah who was sent from the Philistines ( Israel’s enemies)
Delilha’s job was to seduce him, to find out his secrest (when his power lies?)
When S fells in love with her, he tells her his secret( his power is in his hair) -> she cut his hair when he falls asleep
Delilah in the Biblical story:
Cold heartened
Misleads Samson (the relationship means nothing to her)
Really attractive -> sexual female power
Uses him, and still feels nothing
Samson allows himself to fall for her, even though there is a huge chance for the love to actually be a trap
Delilah in the poem:
Caring
Does what she thinks is the best for Samson
Actually feels something for Samson
Samson has never been thought to the softer, human side
All he learned was how to be powerful
She loves her, that why she does
Q1: he has been seen as THE strong man, nothing more -> ironic: his feelings make him loose
Modern parallel to Samson: conventional notion: man has to be strong – girls are ok to cry
The poem is more about Samson who has been trapped by those social concepts of what it is to be a man
The poems were written 2o years ago: still modern, but a lot has changed
Men (18-20 yrs old) has an increasing rate of suicide -> increasing demand for public movements advocationg for men talking about mental health + feelings (conventional understanding of what it is to be a man/ woman)
Polarisation between man and woman
Samson is the personification of alpha male
If you does not feels, you cannot empathise (Samson)
Bible: Judas – Delilah
When he is awake, he is more aware of who he is as a man -> she cuts his hair while he is sleeping
Intimate, personal, and about their relationship of the characters
Also has a wider social significance due questioning what does it mean to be a man and a woman