Of Comedy and Trickery: The Divine Trickster in the Narrative of Samson

Abstract

The literary presentation of the narrative of Samson in the book of Judges is an interesting comedy as the son of Manoah engages with the reality of life in a manner that leaves the reader guessing what the next move will be. A number of Old Testament scholars including James Crenshaw in Samson: A Secret Betrayed, a Vow Ignored, note with interest the humour in Samson's pranks (Crenshaw, 1978: 127-29 see also Alberto Soggin 1981: 249). The Character of Samson is reminiscent of that seen and reflected in folk-stories, especially in the African cultures, where culture heroes employ various antics, treachery and even deception. The literary features and styles. employed by the author in the plot of the story are not just humorous but also satirical in nature. The comic effect, in this narrative, emerges out of the comic reversal which the narrator uses, as a deliberate literary technique, to bring about a reversal of expectations. Beginning with his birth by a barren mother, his life as a Nazarite that never was (or is it ought to be?), his dealings with foe and friend, all the way through his death, Samson stands out as a trickster, the hunted hunter, who outwits his hunters and leaves the reader with the question: who actually is the real comedian?