Samson & Delilah: Star Struggles, The Anti-Hero
'I have seen a woman in Timnah of the daughters of the Philistines; now, therefore, get her for me as a wife. Then his father and mother said to him, 'Is there no woman among the daughters of your brethren, or among all my people, that you must go and get a wife from the uncircumcised Philistines?'
And Samson said to his father, 'Get her for me, for she pleases me well.'
But his father and mother did not know that it was of the Lord--that He was seeking an occasion to move against the Philistines. For at that time the Philistines had dominion over Israel.'
Judges 14:2-4 (NKJV)
Samson is the biblical prototype for a popular film and TV theme: the anti-hero.
'An anti-hero is a flawed hero, and therefore, much more interesting than the more traditional heroes. They can be working on the side of good, but with a tragic flaw, or a horrible past, or for reasons that are selfish and not entirely 'pure' ' (Urban Dictionary).
Examples include… Maui in Moana, Rocket Raccoon in Marvel, Loki in The Avengers, Wolverine in 'X-Men, Clint Eastwood in Unforgiven, and Denzel Washington in Man on Fire.
These unusual heroes did good things, in spite of obvious character flaws. Ditto with Samson.
Although he was raised with strict Jewish vows, Samson couldn’t curb his massive passions: for women, fighting, revenge, and justice. He was a presumptuous risk-taker.
Although intermarriage was forbidden, he decided to do exactly that: no matter the cost, no matter the path. He enjoyed the sport of dangerous games.
His heroic acts, incredible in their scope and drama, set the stage for today’s Marvel heroes. For instance…
Samson plowed through 1000 Philistines with a donkey’s jawbone as his weapon...
Because Samson never doubted the win. He strutted with the same bold arrogance we can see in professional fighters. But here’s the key, game-changing difference:
The Real Player wasn’t Samson, but God, and He had a big plan for the strong man: to free Israel from Philistine rule.
Samson & Delilah: Star Struggles, The Anti-Hero (Part 2)
NOTE: This is a 2023 update of a 2013 Carey Lewis Devotion. You may see notes to 'Actors, Models & Talent for Christ.' If you think you're not in show business, think again. Shakespeare said, 'All the world's a stage and all its men and women merely players. Mostly true. But you're not merely players. You are messengers and ambassadors for the King of kings.