Deception or Samson and Delilah
This allegorical scene is loosely based on the famous Biblical story of a notorious woman’s betrayal. The story of Samson and Delilah has captivated artists for many years because it is a story that speaks to every generation, especially in a form it is generally presented to a listening audience – as a story about courage, faith, love, and feminine betrayal. Little do we know, however, about the real hidden psychological motives of the participants of this drama. Generally, all Biblical stories are of a very schematic and didactic nature, providing a lot of room for scholastic and moralistic interpretation. They provide ample opportunities for both readers and believers to dive into a wonderful world of either thoughtful consideration or blind compliance with a conventional version.
The essence of the story that we are well aware of is that Delilah (which means “one who weakened” or “impoverished”) was a woman whom Samson was obsessed with, and who subsequently was his downfall. As a result, her figure has become an institution of treachery, and Delilah has personified a cunning femme fatale of all times: Samson loved Delilah, she betrayed him, and, what is worse, she did it for the money. End of story. You can read more about classic Biblical figures at Samson and Delilah betrayal story.
Nevertheless, you might be very much surprised if you dug deeper under the surface of this biblical narrative. Samson himself, being granted by God with the power of several men, had destroyed the villages of the Philistines single-handedly and atrociously. I understand that those were cruel times, but – let’s face it – we cannot just exclude contemporary outlook on ethics. We haven’t been given a proper psychological disclosure of their relationships (we don’t even know whether she loved him back, for starters). Moreover, if you read closely you will find out that he had been given several prior warnings of the upcoming “treachery”: only the fourth attempt of Delilah did the trick. So, perhaps, what I am trying to say is that maybe – just maybe – given the ferocious times and circumstances of the Hebrew Bible, selling someone who had used to destroy the entire villages indiscriminately can be well justified. I believe it explains the overall nonchalance of the image’s mood.
Software media: Adobe Photoshop ®, Adobe Illustrator ®, Autodesk 3ds Max ®, Smith Micro Poser ®, Daz Studio ®, Bryce ®, Photo Stock,
George Grie, July 2008
© Copyright | George Grie | Copying is permitted only with an active link to neosurrealismart.com
Deception or Samson and Delilah | biblical allusion