A Dramaturgical Review of 'The Last Days of Judas Iscariot'

Abstract

A compilation of dramaturgical documents analyzing, understanding, and contextualizing Stephen Adly Guirgis' 'The Last Days of Judas Iscariot' within the current theatre.

Full text

A DRAMATURGICAL
REVIEW OF ‘THE LAST
DAYS OF JUDAS
ISCARIOT’
Leininger, Asa C
Missouri State University Department of Theatre & Dance
Fall 2022 Production of ‘The Last Days of Judas Iscariot’

Leininger
1
Table of contents
Abstract 2
Preamble 3
Appendix A. On the Biblical, Theological, and Philosophical Matter Referenced 5
Appendix B. On the Historical, and Cultural Matter Referenced 14
Appendix C. On the Subject of Legal Conventions 26
Appendix D. On the Subject of Theatrical Aesthetics 29
Glossary 35

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Abstract
This is a dramaturgical document to be read in tandem with Stephen Adly Guirgis’ play,
The Last Days of Judas Iscariot. It offers a helpful perspective on the dramatic elements present
within Guirgis’ work, as well as providing an introduction to the play’s legal, historical, biblical,
theological, and philosophical matter. In realizing the play’s overarching relation to Catholicism,
much of the research presented in this document has been influenced by Judeo-Christian
Intellectual history. As such, it finds the play to irrevocably be a tragedy (albeit a tragedy that
uses many elements of absurdist comedy) as the resounding silence of separation is that with
which the audience is left.

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Preamble
The Last Days of Judas Iscariot is a play about mercy, forgiveness, despair, and free
will.
1
Essentially, it is a play about humanity’s relationship with God. In short, it’s quite
Catholic. Written by Stephen Adly Guirgis (known for The Motherfucker with the Hat and Jesus
Hopped on the A-Train),
2
it was first produced by the LAByrinth Theatre Company and
performed at the Public Theatre in New York in March of 2005.
3
It ran through April of the same
year.
4
Sam Rockwell starred as Judas and Philip Seymour Hoffman served as Director for the
inaugural production.
5
Raised Catholic himself, Guirgis wrote the play as a way to explore the
question of how God could be all merciful and yet seemingly forsake Judas Iscariot at the same
time.
6
Within the formation of the production, he invited Fr. James Martin, a Jesuit Catholic
Priest, to take on the role of the company’s spiritual advisor.
7
A darkly comic tragedy, the play finds an answer to the question that inspired its
inception in the form of choice. It posits that, within a Catholic conception of the universe, God
could still be all-merciful despite the reality that Judas Iscariot is ‘damned’. This is because God,
seeing His own image within us, respects our ability to choose whether or not to live in
accordance with His design. Within that respect for free will, God does not abandon those who
turn away from Him. Instead, He devotes Himself to continually creating opportunities for
reconciliation. He leaves to door open. We may choose to enter at any time.
This choice becomes the hamartia of Judas Iscariot. His inability to let go of the despair
that keeps him from accepting the grace of God results in a truly Tragic ending to this witty –
and, at times, outrageously comical – courtroom drama.
8
When asked what he hopes The Last Days of Judas Iscariot will accomplish, Guirgis
quoted Thomas Merton, who said, “to be a saint means to be yourself”.
9
Guirgis, wondering if
there are things that keep us from being ourselves, hopes that the play inspires people to ponder
that same question.
10
Is there something keeping people from recognizing the sanctity inherent
1
Stephen Adly Guirgis, The Last Days of Judas Iscariot (London: Methuen Drama, 2008).
2
“Stephen Adly Guirgis Full Biography: Broadway World,” BroadwayWorld, accessed September 11, 2022,
https://www.broadwayworld.com/people/Stephen-Adly-Guirgis/.
3
“The Last Days of Judas Iscariot,” Lortel archives--The internet off-broadway database, accessed September 11,
2022, https://web.archive.org/web/20120405080156/http://www.lortel.org/LLA_archive/index.cfm?search_by
=show&id=4080.
4
“The Last Days of Judas Iscariot,” Lortel archives--The internet off-broadway database.
5
Guirgis, The Last Days of Judas Iscariot.
6
“Learn about ‘the Last Days of Judas Iscariot,’” Sound Theatre Company, accessed September 11, 2022,
https://soundtheatrecompany.org/2016-theatre-season/last-days-of-judas-iscariot/learn-last-days-judas-iscariot
/#:~:text=The%20Last%20Days%20of%20Judas%20Iscariot%20tells%20the%20story%20of,%2C%20Sigmund%2
0Freud%2C%20and%20Satan.
7
James Martin, A Jesuit Off-Broadway: Behind the Scenes with Faith, Doubt, Forgiveness, and More (Chicago:
Loyola Press, 2010).
8
Guirgis, The Last Days of Judas Iscariot.
9
“Learn about ‘the Last Days of Judas Iscariot,’” Sound Theatre Company.
10
“Learn about ‘the Last Days of Judas Iscariot,’” Sound Theatre Company.

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within themselves? What would happen if we appreciated the sanctity inherent within others?
Regarding these questions, the play does make one thing clear: one must possess hope in order to
combat the despair that keeps us from realizing the fullness of who we are.
11
A Note on Casting
Casting in productions of The Last Days of Judas Iscariot has ranged from being an
afterthought within the process to being of foremost importance. For example, in the West End
production, diverse casting was approached very consciously, as there was a great desire to
reclaim faith from being a right-wing conservative entity as it so publicly was in the era of the
Bush administration.
12
Likewise, a 2017 production put on by the Hawaii theatre group, Theatre
Found, saw a diverse cast take on the diverse characters presented within the play.
13
A 2017
performance produced by The Champlayers Theater Troupe saw noticeably less diversity in
casting, despite the fact that the play’s characters clearly come from a wide variety of socio-
economic and ethnic backgrounds.
14
A production of the play at Forum Theatre in Washington
D.C. in 2014 saw conscious casting practices employed.
15
These are only a few of the many casts
of varying levels of diversity that have performed Last Days since 2005.
Casting is a thing that should not be taken lightly in any production of The Last Days of
Judas Iscariot. The author obviously intended to paint a picture of Heaven that was not
ethnocentric, but rather realized the capacity of any person to – by being themselves – become a
saint. It celebrates a spiritual aspect of humanity that transcends cultural differences and it
likewise jests at those who would try to assert that any single culture is a true reflection of
divinity. Indeed, adherence to American cultural norms is revealed to be a tragic characteristic of
many characters in the play (see Appendix D).
11
Guirgis, The Last Days of Judas Iscariot.
12
West End Theatre, “The Last Days Of Judas Iscariot,” https://youtu.be/Xmvui0MzV5E (Youtube, n.d.), accessed
September 11, 2022.
13
“The Last Days of Judas Iscariot - Theatre Found: Honolulu Production ...,” accessed September 12, 2022,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-_RWAnmN-I.
14
Maddie Burgee, “The Champlayers' ‘The Last Days of Judas Iscariot’ Full Production” (Youtube, April 2017),
https://youtu.be/oLm75LmQ26U.
15
“The Last Days Of Judas Iscariot,” The Last Days of judas iscariot - directed by John Vreeke - Forum Theatre,
Washington DC, accessed September 11, 2022, http://johnvreeke.com/judasiscariot/.

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Appendix A
On the Biblical, Theological, and Philosophical Matter Referenced
Translations of Latin Terminology
Within Last Days, as a subtitle of each act, there are phrases of Latin. The first of these,
“Domine adiuva incredulitatem meam,” translates to, "Lord, help my unbelief”.
16
The second,
"Sic Deus Dilexit Mundum," translates to, "For God So Loved the World".
17
While the first is a
prayer to combat doubt, the second is the beginning of John 3:16, which states, “For God so
loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not
perish, but have everlasting life.”
18
A Brief Overview of the Life and Death of Jesus Christ
For the sake of comprehension of the elements of Christianity in Last Days, I shall
recount, as briefly as possible, the life of Jesus of Nazareth as is detailed in the Holy Bible.
According to the Bible, he was born in Bethlehem circa 4-6 BCE to a woman named Mary, who
was betrothed to be married to Joseph of Nazareth.
19
Jesus was conceived immaculately – that is
to say, he was not conceived through sexual relations had by his mother and Joseph of Nazareth
but instead through divine intervention.
20
He was the son of God, given a human form.
21
Whilst
young, he lived a quiet life, likely apprenticing under his father to be a carpenter.
22
When he was older, he began to do miracles such as turning unclean water into wine at
wedding celebrations.
23
He had a few close friends, three of whom were siblings by the names of
Mary, Martha and Lazarus.
24
At one point, Lazarus died, and Jesus raised him to life again.
25
Likewise, one of Jesus’ most noted companions was a woman by the name of Mary Magdalene,
who was rumored to have been a prostitute.
26
These friends were not the only ones who made up
his following, though, as his disciples – the twelve apostles – spent more time with him in the
three years leading up to his crucifixion than almost any other person.
27
16
Google translate (Google), accessed September 9, 2022, https://translate.google.com/?hl=en&sl=la&tl=en&
text=Domine+adiuva+incredulitatem+meam&op=translate.
17
Google translate (Google), accessed September 9, 2022, https://translate.google.com/?sl=la&tl=en&
text=Sic+Deus+Dilexit+Mundum&op=translate&hl=en.
18
The Holy Bible: NKJV, New King James Version (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2016).
19
The Holy Bible: NKJV, New King James Version.
20
Ibid.
21
Ibid.
22
Ibid.
23
Ibid.
24
Ibid.
25
Ibid.
26
Ibid.
27
Ibid.

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Jesus’ disciples were taught by and assisted him as he went about Judaea performing
miracles.
28
Their names were Peter, James the greater, John, Andrew, Bartholomew, James the
lesser, Judas Iscariot, Judas Thaddeus, Matthew, Philip, Simon the Zealot, and Thomas. Some of
them, Peter, Andrew, James, and John, were fishermen before meeting Jesus.
29
Upon introducing
himself to them, Jesus commanded that they should, “Come with me and I shall make you fishers
of men.”
30
Likewise, Jesus was not concerned that some of his disciples were characters of ill-
repute, as he called Matthew to join his motley crew despite his history as a despised and
dishonest tax-collector.
31
Matthew was known to be a drunkard and could likely write Greek.
32
Jesus, with the help of his twelve disciples, performed many miracles in Judaea. In the
name of God, Jesus forgave sins, cast out demons, and healed the sick, the lepers, the blind, and
the lame.
33
At one point, Jesus, while giving a sermon to a large crowd, blessed a basket with
some fish and a couple loaves of bread. The basket was passed around to all those that were
hungry. There was enough food in that single basket to feed the 5000 people that were present.
34
Not all people were happy about Jesus’ actions, or his following. Caiaphas the Elder, the
high priest of the Sanhedrin (the rabbinical elders of the Jewish faith), worried that Jesus might
incite revolution which would be swiftly followed by a Roman massacre of Jewish peoples.
35
This worry of revolution stemmed primarily from the fact that Jesus claimed to be the messiah.
36
In the Jewish tradition, Isaiah prophesied that a messiah would come who would see the
fulfillment of the Mosaic law, which many insisted would entail the downfall of Rome.
37
Likewise, Jesus contradicted the teachings of the Mosaic law by performing miracles on the
sabbath (the day of rest), calling the teachers of the Mosaic law hypocrites, and disrupting the
goings-on at the Jewish temple by overturning some merchant’s tables and exorcising them from
the place with the aid of a whip.
38
In all, Jesus of Nazareth was an upstart crow and presented a
very tangible threat to the hegemony that kept the Sanhedrin in power.
In the week leading up to the crucifixion of Jesus, he and his disciples met in Jerusalem
and partook in a meal known as The Last Supper.
39
At this supper, Jesus told his disciples that
one of them would betray him.
40
He likewise addressed Peter directly, stating, “you shall deny
me three times.” He then broke bread and blessed wine, stating that they were his own body and
28
The Holy Bible: NKJV, New King James Version.
29
Ibid.
30
Ibid.
31
Ibid.
32
Bart D. Ehrman, A Brief Introduction to the New Testament (New York: Oxford University Press, 2021).
33
The Holy Bible: NKJV, New King James Version.
34
Ibid.
35
Ibid.
36
Ibid.
37
Ibid.
38
Ibid.
39
Ibid.
40
Ibid.

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blood, to be consumed in remembrance of him.
41
Finally, Jesus washed his disciple’s feet to
show that the heart of a servant was an important thing.
42
Later, Jesus and the twelve made their way to the Garden of Gethsemane; Jesus, begging
God to spare his life, prayed so intently he sweat blood (Red is a color symbolizing the sacrifice
of Jesus while white – as in the white tear shed by Judas – has a history of being symbolically
associated with the resurrection of Christ).
43
There, Jesus begged God to spare his life.
44
In the
meantime, Judas, who according to some accounts was filled with the spirit of evil, departed
from the group, went to the Sanhedrin and betrayed Jesus’ location to them.
45
In exchange for
this evidence, the Sanhedrin demanded he take thirty pieces of silver.
46
Judas obliged.
47
With the
intent to capture Jesus and bring him before the Romans – who had the authority to execute him,
Judas and some soldiers burst upon the company in the Garden.
48
Judas greeted Jesus with a kiss
on the cheek to indicate that he was the one to be captured and the soldiers started to lead him
away.
49
Peter saw what was happening and leapt into action, cutting the ear off of one of the
soldiers with a sword.
50
Jesus admonished him for his violence and reattached the ear with the
power of God.
51
Jesus was brought before Pontius Pilate, the Roman Prefect of Judaea at the time, to be
tried for heresy and treason.
52
Pilate asked Jesus if he was God, to which Jesus replied only that
the people said he was.
53
Pilate, being unable to convict him of a crime, turned Jesus over to the
masses, stating that he “washed his hands of the whole affair”.
54
The masses decided to crucify
Jesus.
55
While this was happening, Judas, ridden with guilt, attempted to return the thirty pieces
of silver.
56
The authorities would not hear him, and he threw the silver pieces on the ground.
57
Judas then made his way to a place in a field.
58
He found a tree and hanged himself from it.
59
The
sun bloated his body, causing it to break the branch from which it hanged, and he fell, piercing
his body upon the rocks below him.
60
The place was named the Field of Blood, until it was
41
The Holy Bible: NKJV, New King James Version.
42
Ibid.
43
Ibid.
44
Ibid.
45
Ibid.
46
Ibid.
47
Ibid.
48
Ibid.
49
Ibid.
50
Ibid.
51
Ibid.
52
Ibid.
53
Ibid.
54
Ibid.
55
Ibid.
56
Ibid.
57
Ibid.
58
Ibid.
59
Ibid.
60
Ibid.

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bought with the same pieces of silver Judas had returned to the Sanhedrin.
61
It was renamed the
Potter’s Field.
62
Before his crucifixion, Jesus was whipped, beat, stripped of clothing, and crowned with
thorns.
63
As he dragged his own cross through Jerusalem to the place where he would die, three
different people recognized Peter accused him of being associated with Jesus.
64
To these people,
Peter denied Jesus, insisting that he did not know the man at all.
65
Jesus was crucified on a hill,
his cross between two thieves.
66
As he died, he begged God to forgive the people that murdered
him.
67
He was laid to rest in a stone tomb for three days before being resurrected.
68
Upon being resurrected, he visited his disciples, who were hiding in a locked house.
69
Thomas claimed that he would not believe that Jesus had returned from the grave unless he could
touch the holes where the nails that affixed his body to the cross pierced his body.
70
Jesus
obliged him.
71
He then commanded them to go and do good works in the name of Christ and
assured them that the holy spirit would descend upon them and give them power to heal people,
to forgive sins, and to cast out demons.
72
Jesus then left and ascended into heaven.
73
The
disciples appointed Matthias of Galilee as a replacement for Judas Iscariot and awaited until the
holy spirit descended upon them in what is now known as Pentecost.
74
Intellectual foundations of Judaism and Christianity
The ontological basis for Christianity and Judaism is roughly as follows: The faith is
predicated on the idea that the universe was created by a being called God.
75
It conventionally
entails that God resides in a place outside of our universe which we call Heaven.
76
In this way it
is not Pantheistic or Panentheistic but rather is plainly Deistic. Hell is conventionally understood
as a place of separation from God.
77
God created the earth and then created humanity in his
image.
78
Humanity, at first in perfect unity with God, was tempted by a devil, and disobeyed the
61
The Holy Bible: NKJV, New King James Version.
62
Ibid.
63
Ibid.
64
Ibid.
65
Ibid.
66
Ibid.
67
Ibid.
68
Ibid.
69
Ibid.
70
Ibid.
71
Ibid.
72
Ibid.
73
Ibid.
74
Ibid.
75
Ibid.
76
Ibid.
77
Ibid.
78
Ibid.

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commands set forth by God.
79
In doing so, they fell away from their creator and required
redemption in order to be reunited with Him.
80
The Torah is the Jewish religious text that conveys the traditions and teachings of the
descendants of Abraham.
81
The Bible is a combination of the five books that make up the Torah
and additional writings, such as the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, that were
approved at the First Nicene Council in 325 CE.
82
The main distinction between the two
Abrahamic faiths is that in Judaism, the messiah found within the prophecy of Isaiah has not
come to earth while in Christianity, Jesus of Nazareth is seen as the messiah.
83
This results in
two very different faiths, though their ontological beginning be similar. Within the books of the
Torah, God establishes a covenant with His fallen children that stipulates the need for sacrifice to
atone for sin (sin is essentially a wrong committed against God).
84
If one did not live in
accordance with the ten commandments given by God to Moses on Mount Sinai, they would be
subject to eternal separation from God unless divine intervention (carried out by the messiah)
occurred.
85
The ten commandments given to Moses were expanded into 613 rules that made up
the Mosaic Law, the Jewish moral-legal system.
86
Within the Bible, the messiah, Jesus Christ, is
said to have come and sacrificed himself for the sins of humanity, allowing for anyone to be
reunited with God if they so wished to be – even if they had violated the commands set forth by
God.
87
Likewise, the Christian faith, though influenced by traditions of Mosaic law, provided
only two requirements that need be met in order to live in accordance with God.
88
For Christians,
all one must do is love God with all one’s heart, soul, mind, and strength, and love people as one
loves one’s own self.
89
Additional Biblical Matter Referenced
In The Last Days of Judas Iscariot, many references are made to characters and events
found in the Bible. The play alludes to the parting of the Red Sea which was a miracle God
performed so that the Israelites, led by Moses, might escape those in Egypt who had enslaved
them.
90
The Promised Land is the area of land along the eastern coast of the Mediterranean sea
that God pledged to the descendants of Abraham.
91
In the book of Deuteronomy (the final book
79
The Holy Bible: NKJV, New King James Version.
80
Ibid.
81
“Judaism,” The Written Law - Torah, accessed September 10, 2022, https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/the-
written-law-torah.
82
“Council of Nicea,” Christian History Institute, accessed September 10, 2022, https://christianhistory
institute.org/study/module/nicea/.
83
The Holy Bible: NKJV, New King James Version.
84
Ibid.
85
“Judaism,” The Written Law – Torah.
86
Ibid.
87
The Holy Bible: NKJV, New King James Version.
88
Ibid.
89
Ibid.
90
Ibid.
91
Ibid.

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found in both the Holy Bible and the Torah), warnings are given of false messiahs yet to come.
92
The fiery furnace is a reference to a biblical event wherein three God-fearing Israelites refused to
bow down to the graven image of a Babylonian King and were thrown into a massive furnace as
punishment.
93
According to Biblical tradition, the three Israelites were protected by God and
emerged from the furnace unharmed.
94
Bathsheeba’s (sic) Bar and Grill references the Biblical
character of Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah and later of David, King of Israel.
95
She was lusted
after by David who had Uriah killed.
96
David then took her as his own wife and she later gave
birth to Solomon, who succeeded his father on the throne of Israel.
97
The play also references
Job, a God-fearing man who was tested time and time again by the devil but remained righteous
despite his misfortunes.
98
Last Days also references Olive branches, which often signify peace in
biblical literature.
99
The beatitudes are eight sayings, taught by Jesus, found in the Gospels of
Matthew and Luke ("Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed
are they who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the
earth. Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure of heart, for they shall
see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God. Blessed are they
who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.").
100
Paul
of Tarsus falling off his horse is a reference to the person of Paul, a father of the early church
who wrote many of the books found in the second half of the Holy Bible after converting to
Christianity. His road Christianity was instigated when God spoke to him (he fell over in shock)
and temporarily blinded him.
101
John the Baptist was the cousin of Jesus of Nazareth and was a
preacher in the area of the Jordan River.
102
Some of the violations of the Mosaic Law
additionally mentioned in Last Days include blasphemy, consorting with unclean people, and
consorting with prostitutes.
103
Stoning was a form of punishment popular with those who strictly
adhered to the Mosaic Law in the time of Jesus.
104
The play does mention that Caiaphas is the
guardian of the Temple, which is true, as he was the High Priest of the Sanhedrin.
105
Caiaphas
and Pilate likely did have a close working relationship, and Rome did have a hand in who was
92
The Holy Bible: NKJV, New King James Version.
93
Ibid.
94
Ibid.
95
Ibid.
96
Ibid.
97
Ibid.
98
Ibid.
99
Ibid.
100
Ibid.
101
Ibid.
102
Ibid.
103
Ibid.
104
Ibid.
105
Doug Linder, “Profiles of Caiaphas and Pilate,” Profiles of Joseph Caiaphas and Pontius Pilate, key figures in the
arrest, trial and crucifixion of jesus., accessed September 11, 2022, http://law2.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/
jesus/jesuskeyfigures.html.

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appointed as High Priest of the Sanhedrin.
106
It is true that there was a standardized Temple
Tax
107
and that one had to enter the pool of Siloam before entering the Temple mount.
108
Church History Referenced
In The Last Days of Judas Iscariot, the playwright includes the historical characters of
Saint Monica and Saint Augustine – a foundational father of the Catholic church.
109
The Catholic
Church differs from the Orthodox church and Protestant churches in that the Catholic Church
asserts the primacy of papal authority – that is, within Catholicism, the centralized authority of
the Pope in religious matters is to be respected.
110
Saint Monica was the mother of Saint
Augustine.
111
The play also makes reference to the stipulation within the Catholic doctrine that
abstinence is a requirement for parish priests, which is true save for a few exceptions.
112
Canonization is the practice within Catholicism wherein a person, believed to have performed
miracles and dedicated their life to service of Christ, is venerated and officially declared to be a
Saint (a person believed to have reached heaven after death).
113
The play also alludes to the
Gospel of Judas. This Gospel was a non-canonical book detailing the last days of the life of
Jesus.
114
The Gospel of Judas essentially posits that Judas Iscariot was Jesus’ favorite disciple
and that Jesus chose Judas to betray him because none of the other disciples were as loyal or
resilient.
115
Philosophical/Theological Matter Referenced
To dissect the mouthful that is Butch Honeywell’s line on page 19, “The absolute vs.
relative as the essential paradox of humanity” refers to the fact that humans are beings that
experience life on a subjective level, though they take the form of something bound to the
objective natural processes of the universe.
116
“Paradox as an ontological definition that
describes the relation between an existing cognitive spirit and eternal truth” is simply another
106
Doug Linder, “Profiles of Caiaphas and Pilate”.
107
Chilton, Bruce. “Jesus’ Dispute in the Temple and the Origin of the Eucharist.” Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon
Thought 29, no. 4 (1996): 17–28. http://www.jstor.org/stable/45228287.
108
“Pool of Siloam, Jerusalem. Seven Purposes for Sickness,” holylandsite, accessed September 11, 2022,
https://www.holylandsite.com/pool-of-siloam.
109
“St. Augustine,” Encyclopædia Britannica (Encyclopædia Britannica, inc.), accessed September 11, 2022,
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Saint-Augustine.
110
Deutsche Welle (www.dw.com), “What Is the Orthodox Church?: DW: 21.10.2018,” DW.COM, accessed
September 11, 2022, https://www.dw.com/en/what-is-the-orthodox-church/a-
45973747#:~:text=The%20Catholic%20Church%20believes%20the,any%20notion%20of%20papal%20primacy.
111
Catholic Online, “St. Monica - Saints & Angels,” Catholic Online, accessed September 11, 2022,
https://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=1.
112
Sdunn, “Why Are Priests Celibate?,” U.S. Catholic, April 9, 2021, https://uscatholic.org/articles/200908/why-
are-priests-celibate/.
113
“Beatification and Canonization,” CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: Beatification and Canonization, accessed
September 11, 2022, https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/02364b.htm.
114
“The Lost Gospel of Judas Iscariot?,” NPR (NPR, April 6, 2006), https://www.npr.org/2006/04/06/5327692/the-
lost-gospel-of-judas-iscariot.
115
“The Lost Gospel of Judas Iscariot?”.
116
Guirgis, The Last Days of Judas Iscariot, 19.

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way of saying the same thing.
117
To put it simply, Last Days posits that there is an objective,
eternal truth with which we, as humans who experience life subjectively, come into conflict.
Understanding free will is important if one is to understand the author’s conception of a
God that is not evil. Within the play, argument is made that free will was a cruel gift partly
because it allows for the separation from God, and partly because it seems to be coupled with a
weak biological sense of the need for self-correction.
118
Thus, the argument against the goodness
of free will is that it is too easy for humans to fall away from God and it is incredibly difficult for
them for step back in line with Him. An opposing argument would posit that it is because we are
made in the image of God that we are able to exercise free will. Indeed, one might argue further
that it is precisely because God sees Himself within humanity that he respects their ability to
choose whether or not to live in harmony with Him.
God’s perfect love essentially means that God, recognizing and respecting humanity’s
ability to choose, but still desiring to live in harmony with them, has established a new order so
that so can always go back to Him, if they so choose. Within the heart of God, there lies an
abundance of forgiveness and a dedication to love through mercy. Of course, this means that one
must choose, of their own volition, to be reunited with God. One must participate in one’s own
salvation.
Satan, it should be noted, has no real power over humanity in this reality. While Satan is
conventionally understood to be an angel, created by God to serve in the protection of humanity,
who, upon realizing his own capacity to choose, left the service of God and was cast out of
heaven, determined either to assist in teaching humanity that they were not beholden to God’s
will or to prove that man was not worthy of Earth.
119
He is understood to rule over other fallen
angels has been known to be the guardian of hell, claiming those souls that are separated from
God.
120
Purgatory, within Roman Catholic Doctrine, is a place in between Heaven and Hell. It is
a place that one who has been in hell must pass through as they are cleansed of their sins.
121
This
cleansing is necessary for obtaining entrance into Heaven.
122
Imagine one has a thorn stuck in
their foot. If the state of pain that person experiences while the thorn is present in their flesh is
Hell, and the state of painlessness that they experience when the thorn is absent is like Heaven,
then Purgatory is like the moment that the thorn is removed. It is slightly painful, but is
nonetheless cathartic, and signifies and end to the experienced pain.
While one can understand this as happening during life, it is traditionally understood that
these states of Heaven, Hell, and Purgatory are only experienced after the death of one’s mortal
body.
123
Thus, within Christianity, there is a notion that humans go on being after they die.
117
Guirgis, The Last Days of Judas Iscariot, 19.
118
Ibid, 68-69.
119
Henry Ansgar Kelly, Satan: A Biography (Cambridge: Cambridge Univ. Press, 2007).
120
Kelly, Satan: A Biography.
121
“Purgatory Definition & Meaning,” Merriam-Webster (Merriam-Webster), accessed September 11, 2022,
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/purgatory.
122
“Purgatory Definition & Meaning”.
123
Ibid.

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Within the play, characters ponder whether God can actually be wholly good, citing a
passage of biblical scripture that states that a good tree cannot bear bad fruit.
124
Because some
God’s creations can be seen as bad fruit, there is an argument that perhaps God is not absolutely
good. This argument fails to take into account the distinction between trees and beings created in
the image of God which is free will to choose. An apple falling from a tree has no say in where it
lands; the same cannot be said for beings possessing free will.
The play also posits that despair is the thing that keeps Judas Iscariot from entering the
kingdom of Heaven.
125
If one exercised logic, they would not stay in hell. The author argues, in a
very Greek way, that perhaps the only reason that a human would choose to remain separated
from God is if they suffered from an excess of emotion. Last Days even goes so far as to
paraphrase a quote from the 20th century Priest and author, Thomas Merton, on despair.
126
Merton states that, “Despair is the absolute extreme of self-love. It is reached when a person
deliberately turns his back on all help from anyone else in order to taste the rotten luxury of
knowing himself to be lost”.
127
Such a statement infers that in despair there is an ignoration of
the reality that we are not alone, and in the case of Judas, a refusal to accept the grace of God.
To briefly go over some additional Theological/Philosophical matter referenced in the
play, God’s rightful justice cannot be separated from His intrinsic merciful nature.
128
Justice is
the reconciliation between God and humanity. Therefore, if one is to live in accordance with
God’s plan, one must show mercy to everyone. This point is strengthened by the author’s
argument that Jesus is present everywhere.
129
That is to say, the image of God is present in every
person, whether they be a sinner or not. Therefore, to hate another is to fall away from God. The
play also references Hegel’s theory of dialectical reasoning so as to defend the argument that the
synthesis of the mosaic law and the sacrifice of Jesus Christ is a system of divine justice where
mercy is the principal mode by which moral good is attained.
130
124
Guirgis, The Last Days of Judas Iscariot, 67.
125
Ibid, 27.
126
Ibid.
127
Martin Svoboda, “Despair Is the Absolute Extreme of Self-Love. It Is Reached...,” Quotepark.com, accessed
September 11, 2022, https://quotepark.com/quotes/892332-thomas-merton-despair-is-the-absolute-extreme-of-self-
love-it-i/.
128
Guirgis, The Last Days of Judas Iscariot, 73-74.
129
Ibid, 70-71.
130
Ibid, 12.

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Appendix B
On the Historical, and Cultural Matter Referenced
On Rome
To begin, the play is set in 2004, as when referencing the date of the presiding Judge’s
death, Cunningham states that it occurred 140 years prior to the current day, in 1864 (p. 18).
131
Because it is set in 2004, allusions are made to various people, places, and events throughout
much of recorded history. For example, when El-Fayoumy references recent events as being
influential in the ‘Americanization of the afterlife’, it is likely a reference to the 9/11 terrorist
attacks and the subsequent War on Terror waged by the United States.
132
The earliest era referenced in the play is that of Classical Antiquity – specifically, the
period around 30 CE shortly after the fall of the Roman Republic and the establishment of the
rapidly expanding Roman Empire. Indeed, the Roman Empire plays an important role in this
story because of its historical ties to the birth of the Christian Religion.
133
However, since much
of Judaism and Christianity itself has already been addressed (see Appendix A), I will, for the
moment, focus more on Imperial Rome as it is referenced in the play and less on the religious
groups that were present in Roman provinces at the time.
Rome, like so many other empires, expanded beyond the borders of modern-day Italy
using the means of military might. Because social mobility, for those not of noble birth, was only
possible through the obtention of lands and the graduation of military rank, Imperialization, and
the conquering of other people’s lands, was societally incentivized. Thus, many men joined the
military. The Roman forces were comprised mainly groups of about 80 Legionaries (the
equivalent to modern-day, low-ranking infantry soldiers), commanded by Centurions (the
equivalent to a company commander in the American military).
134
The centurion is the type of
soldier referred to in The Last Days of Judas Iscariot while Legionaries would likely be the rank
attributed to the Roman soldiers harassing Judas.
135
At the time of the Roman Empire with which the play concerns itself – a period from
about 27 BCE to 180 CE known as the Pax Romana wherein the Empire was characterized by its
widespread economic affluency and lack of bloody conflicts, Tiberius was Emperor of Rome and
had expanded the borders of his nation as far as Judea in what is now Israel and Palestine on the
eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea.
136
In the territories Rome conquered and subsequently
131
Guirgis, The Last Days of Judas Iscariot, 18.
132
Ibid, 11.
133
C. I. Scofield, “The Gospel of Matthew,” in The Holy Bible: Containing the Old and New Testaments (Lake
Wylie, SC: Christian Heritage, 1995).
134
Rich, John, and Graham Shipley. “War and Society in the Roman World,” 1988. https://doi.org/10.4324/97802
03314456.
135
Guirgis, The Last Days of Judas Iscariot, 56-57.
136
Ali Parchami, Hegemonic Peace and Empire: The Pax Romana, Britannica and Americana (London: Routledge,
2014).

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15
occupied, it established its own Governors, sometimes referred to as Prefects. Pontius Pilate was
one of these Prefects from around 26 CE to around 37 CE and he was tasked with ruling
Judea.
137
Indeed, the fifth Prefect of that province, he was responsible for maintaining the peace
between Romans and domestic peoples, discouraging uprisings, levying taxes, and seeing that
Roman law was generally upheld. As such, matters of public trial often did come before him in
order to be resolved. He had boundless authority over the Roman citizens and subjects within his
province and was obligated to exercise said authority whenever necessary to keep the peace.
138
Maintaining peace and order in Judea was, truly, his foremost responsibility, or, as he calls it in
The Last Days of Judas Iscariot, his prime directive.
In the play, there is mention of Pilate being confronted by Caiaphas the Elder about
Roman symbols which had been brought to Jerusalem. This is generally corroborated by Philo of
Alexandria’s account, which does state that people from the local communities petitioned that
the non-native Roman effigies be removed, though no specific mention of Caiaphas the Elder is
present. Likewise, Philo’s account does speak of Pilate’s cruelty and frequent executions.
139
Additionally, The Last Days of Judas Iscariot posits that Caiaphas the Elder achieved his
position as High Priest because he was appointed by Pilate and this is held to be factually
sound.
140
Though in the play Pilate states that he was responsible for the reduction of the rate of
executions in Palestine by seventy percent, no evidence could readily be found to support this
claim. Pontius Pilate was venerated as a Saint by the Ethiopian church, was also venerated by the
Coptic church, and has been depicted as a Christian convert and a martyr, much as the play
describes.
141
The play’s theorizing about whether the veneration of Pilate was merely a tool to
make the Christian narrative more accessible to Romans, though interesting, is not overly
reputable as it relies on an inference of motive where none is immediately evident.
142
On Pre-Modern and Early-Modern History
In addition to its focus on historical characters from the Roman Empire, The Last Days of
Judas Iscariot also references Atilla the Hun – the leader of a nomadic empire in eastern Europe
in the fifth century
143
– and early modern characters such as Benedict Arnold (an officer in the
137
Helen K. Bond, Pontius Pilate in History and Interpretation (Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press,
2004).
138
Josef Schreiner, “David Noel Freedman (Ed. in-Chief) - Gary A. Herion i David F. Graf I John David Pleins
(Associate Ed.s) - Astrid B. Beck (Managing Ed.), The Anchor Bible Dictionary, Vol.s 1-6, New York A. O.
(Doubleday), 1992. Vol 1 ISBN 0-385-19351-3.,” Biblische Zeitschrift 38, no. 1 (1994): pp. 102-103,
https://doi.org/10.1163/25890468-03801008.
139
Flavius Josephus et al., The Works of Josephus: With Great Diligence Revised and Amended According to the
Excellent French Translation of Monsieur Arnauld D'Andilly: Also the Embassy of Philo Judæus to the Emperor
Caius Caligula: Never Translated before: With the References of the Scripture, a New Map of the Holy Land, and
Divers Copper-Plates Serving to Illustrate the History (London: Printed for Abel Roper ..., 1966).
140
Lémonon Jean-Pierre, Ponce Pilate (Paris: Éditions de l'Atelier, 2007).
141
Colum Hourihane, Pontius Pilate, Anti-Semitism, and the Passion in Medieval Art (Princeton, NJ: Princeton
University Press, 2009).
142
Guirgis, The Last Days of Judas Iscariot, 48-63.
143
Patrick Howarth, Attila, King of the Huns: The Man and the Myth (London: Constable, 2001).

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Continental army who defected to the British during the American Revolutionary War),
144
Georg
Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel (a 19th Century German idealist philosopher who inspired much of
modern teleological philosophy),
145
and Søren Aabye Kierkegaard (a 19th century Danish
theologian known as the founder of Existentialism).
146
Likewise, the play references the battle of
Allatoona, Georgia,
147
and the defeat of Robert E. Lee, which were notable events in the
American Civil War.
148
The play also makes reference to Helen Keller, a notable American
author and a champion of those with disabilities – she herself lacking sight and hearing.
149
On Freud
The Last Days of Judas Iscariot also explores the character of Sigmund Freud, a late 19th
Century Austrian Neurologist. He is indeed noted as the founder of psychoanalysis, was
extremely influential in the development of modern psychiatry,
150
and 1999, he did in fact appear
on the March 29 Cover of TIME Magazine dedicated to the greatest minds of the 20th Century.
151
His volumes of books, The Standard Edition of the Complete Psychological Works of Sigmund
Freud, were published in London by the Hogarth Press.
152
Freud, ethnically Jewish though atheistic in his beliefs, did escape from the encroaching
Nazi regime in 1938 when he left Vienna and traveled to Hampstead, London, where he lived the
remainder of his life.
153
Though Freud mentions Winston Churchill as being a friend in the play,
there is little evidence to support that they engaged in correspondence, let alone met, at all. His
mentioning him is likely a conflation of Churchill and the UK itself, which provided Freud with
sanctuary from the Nazis.
Last Days suggests that Sigmund Freud struggled with an addiction to cocaine, and, by
all accounts this is true.
154
Likewise, Last Days also contrasts Freud’s atheism with the religious
views of Albert Einstein, another prominent scientific mind during the early 20th century, who
144
Audrey Wallace, Benedict Arnold: Misunderstood Hero? (Shippensburg, PA: Burd Street Press, 2003).
145
Paul Redding, “Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel,” Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Stanford University,
January 9, 2020), https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/hegel/.
146
William McDonald, “Søren Kierkegaard,” Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Stanford University, November
10, 2017), https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/kierkegaard/.
147
Frances H. Kennedy, The Civil War Battlefield Guide (Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin, 1999).
148
John Keegan, The American Civil War: A Military History (London: Vintage Digital, 2011).
149
Helen Keller, The Story of My Life (Portland: Mint Editions, 2022).
150
Richard Stevens, Freud and Psychoanalysis: An Exposition and Appraisal (Milton Keynes: Open University
Press, 1983).
151
“Time Magazine Cover: Time 100: Scientists & Thinkers - Mar. 29, 1999,” Time (Time Inc.), accessed July 31,
2022, http://content.time.com/time/covers/0,16641,19990329,00.html.
152
Carrie Lee. Rothgeb and Sigmund Freud, “Abstracts of the Standard Edition of the Complete Psychological
Works of Sigmund Freud,” Amazon (International Universities Press, 1973), https://www.amazon.com/Standard-
Complete-Psychological-Sigmund-Volumes/dp/0701200677.
153
“The Life of Sigmund Freud,” Sigmund Freud, 2003, pp. 1-32, https://doi.org/10.4135/9781446215128.n1
154
“Cocaine: How 'Miracle Drug' Nearly Destroyed Sigmund Freud, William Halsted,” PBS (Public Broadcasting
Service, October 17, 2011), https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/cocaine-how-miracle-drug-nearly-destroyed-
sigmund-freud-william-halsted.

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17
did, in fact, famously ascribed to the frame of Pantheistic philosophy posited by Baruch
Spinoza.
155
As explored in the play, Freud’s ideas did hinge largely on the concept that there were
two competing energies in the mind: the drive for life and the drive for death. Thus, someone
who was suicidal would be suffering from a deficiency of libido, or the drive for life.
156
Many
issues that interfered with what Freud thought was the natural state of the mind were explained
by prenatal, natal, or postnatal events such as infant abuse.
157
Such an event would be out of the
control of the victim. Thus, one could theoretically absolve a suicidal person of responsibility on
the basis that they were suffering from a deficiency of something inherently needed for the
proper functioning of the mind, likely not because of their own actions, but rather because of
events that they were subjected to without consent.
On Mother Teresa
The Last Days of Judas Iscariot also places a great deal of focus on the character of
Mother Teresa. Mother Teresa was an Albanian-Indian nun in the Roman Catholic Church in the
20th century.
158
Belonging to the Sisters of Loreto, she was venerated by the church in 2003 and
was Canonized in 2016.
159
Additionally, she did win the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979.
160
After
studying in Ireland at Loreto Abbey, she eventually based herself in Calcutta, where she
managed many missionaries dedicated to community outreach such as soup kitchens, housing for
sick people, and orphanages.
161
As opposed to a traditional habit, Mother Teresa adopted a
traditional blue-striped sari, which became her trademark.
162
Mother Teresa has been criticized extensively for her stance on abortion, indeed stating
that it was “the greatest destroyer of peace”.
163
Likewise, Teresa has been heavily criticized for
her association with Michele Duvalier,
164
wife of Haitian President Jean Claude Duvalier, who
was responsible for the deaths of thousands of Haitians during his tenure in office – his
presidency ended abruptly when his administration was overthrown.
165
Additionally, Teresa was
155
Max Jammer, Einstein and Religion: Physics and Theology (Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 2011).
156
Ernest Jones, The Life and Work of Sigmund Freud (New York: Basic Books, 1953).
157
Frank L. Cioffi, Freud and the Question of Pseudoscience (Chicago, IL: Open Court, 1998).
158
Vanora Leigh, Mother Teresa (New York: Bookwright Press, 1986).
159
ABC News, “Vatican Declares Mother Teresa a Patron Saint of Calcutta,” ABC News, September 6, 2017,
http://web.archive.org/web/20170906160015/http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/vatican-declares-
mother-teresa-patron-saint-calcutta-49651357.
160
“The Nobel Peace Prize 1979,” NobelPrize.org, accessed August 3, 2022, https://www.nobelprize
.org/prizes/peace/1979/press-release/.
161
Kathryn Spink, Mother Teresa: A Complete Authorized Biography (New York: Harper Collins, 1997).
162
“Mother Teresa,” Biography.com (A&E Networks Television, February 24, 2020), https://www.biography.com
/religious-figure/mother-teresa.
163
“The Nobel Peace Prize 1979,” NobelPrize.org, accessed August 3, 2022, https://www.nobelprize.org
/prizes/peace/1979/teresa/lecture/.
164
Christopher Hitchens, “The Company She Keeps,” The Washington Post (WP Company, October 29, 1995),
https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/opinions/1995/10/29/the-company-she-keeps/247eced4-f77b-413a-8615-
b887b0127429/.
165
Lonzo Cook et al., “Charges Filed against 'Baby Doc' Duvalier in Haiti,” CNN (Cable News Network, January
19, 2011), http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/americas/01/18/haiti.duvalier/.

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criticized for accepting donations from Charles Keating, who was infamous for defrauding many
Americans of millions of dollars.
166
Likewise, she did oppose the Vatican II reforms, which
essentially sought to remove anti-Semitic language from official Catholic doctrine,
167
stating a
need for ‘more work and more faith, not doctrinal revision”.
168
On Colloquialisms/Slurs
There are many instances of cultural slang in The Last Days of Judas Iscariot. This next
section will address such instances and give historical context as best as can be given.
Among other types of slang used, derogatory names are thrown about on more than one
occasion in Last Days. “Irish Gypsy”, for example, can be perceived as a derogatory form of
reference to someone belonging to an ethnically Irish (not Romani) community – called Irish
Travellers – of nomadic peoples that do not typically engage in the normal social contracts of
society.
169
“Mick”, can be perceived as a derogatory term that has historically been applied to
people of Irish decent (a slur of the Irish “Mc” nominal antecedent).
170
“Romanian Gypsy” can
be perceived as a derogatory term that has been applied to Romani people – people belonging to
an Indo-Aryan ethnic group primarily in Europe.
171
“Hayseed” can be perceived as a derogatory
term applied to someone who is perceived to be unintelligent and comes from a rural
background.
172
“Jew” can be used as a slur, especially when used in a hateful, alienating,
isolating, and anti-Semitic fashion.
173
“Semite”, while originally referring to any person
belonging to an ethnic group that speaks a Semitic language such as Hebrew or Arabic, in the
context of Last Days, likely carries the same connotations as does “Jew” when it is associated
with negative connotations.
174
“Retarded” is a term that has been used to demean people with
learning/intellectual disabilities/differing levels of ability than are typically regarded as the
norm.
175
“Helen Keller”, in the context of the play, is used as a derogatory reference against
166
Hitchens, “The Company She Keeps”.
167
F.E. Cartus et al., “Vatican II & the Jews,” Commentary Magazine, July 27, 2021,
https://www.commentary.org/articles/fe-cartus/vatican-ii-the-jews/.
168
Ganesh Radha-Udayakumar, “Meet the Man Who Called Mother Teresa a Fraud and a Fanatic,” India Today,
July 12, 2018, https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/meet-the-man-who-called-mother-teresa-a-fraud-and-a-fanatic-
1283848-2018-07-12.
169
“Travelling through Shades of Whiteness: Irish Travellers as Inferior Whites,” Shades of Whiteness, January
2016, pp. 119-131, https://doi.org/10.1163/9781848883833_011.
170
“Mick,” Urban Dictionary, accessed August 3, 2022, https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Mick.
171
“The Plight of the Romani People,” JFCS Holocaust Center of SF, February 23, 2021,
https://holocaustcenter.jfcs.org/plight-romani-people/.
172
“Hayseed - Definition, Meaning & Synonyms,” Vocabulary.com, accessed August 3, 2022,
https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/hayseed.
173
Michael Kaplan, “'The Word Jew Was Not a Common Insult When I Went to School...it Is Now.',” CNN (Cable
News Network, November 28, 2018), https://www.cnn.com/2018/11/28/europe/germany-anti-semitism-education-
intl.
174
Bernard Lewis, Semites and Anti-Semites: An Inquiry into Conflict and Prejudice (Alicante: Universidad de
Alicante, Departamento de Filología Inglesa, 2007).
175
“The Use of the R-Word and Why It’s a Problem,” Wheelock College of Education Human
Development,accessed September 14, 2022, https://www.bu.edu/wheelock/the-use-of-the-r-word-and-why-its-a-
problem/.

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19
people within the deaf or hard-of-hearing community.
176
“El-Fajita” is a demeaning way of
referencing the character of El-Fayoumy simply because he is not a person of Anglo-Saxon
descent (Not only is it demeaning of a character that likely has ethnically Arabic heritage, it is
also demeaning of people of Latin American heritage).
177
“Faggot” is a slur against people with
non-heterosexual identity.
178
“Nigger” is a slur against people of ethnically African heritage.
179
“Red”, is a shortened version of redhead and can, in the context of the play, be perceived as a
racist reference to the heritage of the character of Cunningham.
180
“Hobo” is a term referring to a
person with no home that would travel the countryside in search of work (and is, in the play,
used in a derogatory fashion).
181
“Cunt” is derogatory slang referring to female genitalia.
182
“Bitch” is a derogatory term often used to refer to women (its historical basis is found in its
reference to a female canine).
183
“Dick” is derogatory slang referring to male genitalia.
184
“Shit”
is slang for excrement.
185
“Ass” is slang for buttocks.
186
“Fuck” is slang for… a lot of things. It
widely has negative connotations.
187
“Damn” is slang for the severe and unmerciful
condemnation of something (can also be used to express irritation or disappointment).
188
Additional colloquialisms mentioned in the play include, “Roll of quarters,” which is
similar to brass knuckles when held in the hand;
189
“Caboose,” (which is the last car on a train
190
)
176
Guirgis. The Last Days of Judas Iscariot.
177
Ibid.
178
“Faggot, N. and Adj.,” faggot, n. and adj. : Oxford English Dictionary, accessed September 14, 2022,
https://www.oed.com/viewdictionaryentry/Entry/67623.
179
Randall Kennedy. Nigger: The Strange Career of a Troublesome Word. (New York: Knopf Doubleday
Publishing Group, 2002).
180
“Red,” Name Meaning, Popularity and Info on BabyNames.com, accessed September 13, 2022,
https://babynames.com/name/red#:~:text=What%20is%20the%20meaning%20of,for%20people%20with%20reddis
h%20hair.
181
www.facebook.com/NationalCoalitionfortheHomeless, “#TBT - Hoboes, Bums, Tramps: How Our Terminology
of Homelessness Has Changed,” National Coalition for the Homeless, June 14, 2018, https://nationalhomeless.org/
hoboes-bums-tramps/#:~:text=While%20%E2%80%9Cbum%E2%80%9D%20is%20a%20derogatory,difficulty
%20in%20their%20wandering%20lifestyles.&text=%E2%80%9CHoboes%E2%80%9D%20emerged%20in%20the
%20U.S.,work%20and%20their%20families%20displaced.
182
“Cunt Definition & Meaning,” Merriam-Webster (Merriam-Webster), accessed September 14, 2022,
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cunt.
183
“Bitch Definition & Meaning,” Merriam-Webster (Merriam-Webster), accessed September 14, 2022,
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bitch.
184
“Dick Definition & Meaning,” Merriam-Webster (Merriam-Webster), accessed September 14, 2022,
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dick.
185
“Shit Definition & Meaning,” Merriam-Webster (Merriam-Webster), accessed September 14, 2022,
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shit.
186
“Ass Definition & Meaning,” Merriam-Webster (Merriam-Webster), accessed September 14, 2022,
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ass.
187
“Fuck Definition & Meaning,” Merriam-Webster (Merriam-Webster), accessed September 14, 2022,
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fuck.
188
“Damn Definition & Meaning,” Merriam-Webster (Merriam-Webster), accessed September 14, 2022,
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/damn.
189
“Roll of Quarters,” Urban Dictionary, accessed August 3, 2022,
https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=roll+of+quarters.
190
John H. White and William F. Knapke, “The Railroad Caboose: Its 100 Year History, Legend and Lore,”
Technology and Culture 9, no. 4 (1968): p. 614, https://doi.org/10.2307/3101913.

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in reference to someone’s ‘rear end’;
191
“Egghead,” which refers to someone with a high level of
intellect who may be ignorant of reality;
192
“to murder an 8-ball,”as El-Fayoumy commands
Sigmund Freud to do, likely refers to consuming an 8th of an ounce of cocaine, which has been
historically referred to as an 8-ball in the vernacular;
193
“Drilling for oil,” is a sexual
colloquialism referring to penetrative sex;
194
“Buddha floating on a lily-pad,” which conjures the
image of someone in peaceful meditation, striving for enlightenment;
195
“PR opportunity,” which
refers to a public relations opportunity, an opportunity to increase public visibility;
196
referring to
someone as “cat,” which is a nickname typically given to a man and may indicate whether or not
the person is socially savvy;
197
“tee-time,” which refers to the time when a golf game begins;
198
and Jimmy Woods, which is a combination of Jimmy and Woody, both slang words for penis,
199
with woody indicating a penis that is erect.
200
On Geography
The Last Days of Judas Iscariot also makes reference to various geographical locations
and monuments. Among these are Cappadocia, a district in ancient Anatolia, now Turkey;
201
Egypt, the most north-eastern of countries on the main African continent;
202
Sphinx, likely
referring to the great Sphinx of Giza, located in Egypt and carved, partially, in the likeness of the
pharaoh Khafre;
203
Nubia, an ancient kingdom in what is now Egypt/Sudan, located in the Nile
191
“Caboose,” Urban Dictionary, accessed August 3, 2022, https://www.urbandictionary.com/define
.php?term=caboose.
192
Aaron Lecklider, Inventing the Egghead the Battle over Brainpower in American Culture (Philadelphia:
University of Pennsylvania Press, 2013).
193
“8 Ball Meaning & Origin,” Dictionary.com (Dictionary.com, January 19, 2021),
https://www.dictionary.com/e/slang/8-ball/#:~:text=An%208%20ball%20is%20one,term%20for%20a%20
black%20person.
194
“Definition of Drill for Oil,” What does drill for oil mean? drill for oil Definition. Meaning of drill for oil.
OnlineSlangDictionary.com, accessed August 3, 2022, http://onlineslangdictionary.com/meaning-definition-of/drill-
for-oil#:~:text=rough%20sex%20with%20deep%20penetration,down%20and%20drill%20for%20oil.
195
Andrew Gaumond, “Water Lily Flower Meaning & Symbolism (Essential Guide),” Petal Republic, May 30,
2022, https://www.petalrepublic.com/water-lily-flower-meaning/.
196
asuasu69, “Say What? Pr Slang - Defined,” Mindfull Marketing & PR (asuasu69
https://mindfullmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/logo-300dpitm-300x153.gif, August 22, 2019),
https://mindfullmarketing.com/2012/05/29/say-what-pr-slang-defined/.
197
“Cat Slang,” Cat slang | Learn English, accessed August 3, 2022, https://preply.com/en/question/cat-slang.
198
“Tee Time Definition & Meaning,” Merriam-Webster (Merriam-Webster), accessed August 3, 2022,
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tee%20time.
199
“Jimmy,” Urban Dictionary, accessed August 3, 2022, https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?
term=Jimmy.
200
“Woody Definition & Meaning,” Dictionary.com (Dictionary.com), accessed August 3, 2022,
https://www.dictionary.com/browse/woody#:~:text=Slang%3A%20Vulgar.,an%20erection%20of%20the%20penis.
201
“Cappadocia,” Encyclopædia Britannica (Encyclopædia Britannica, inc.), accessed August 3, 2022,
https://www.britannica.com/place/Cappadocia.
202
“Egypt,” Encyclopædia Britannica (Encyclopædia Britannica, inc.), accessed August 3, 2022,
https://www.britannica.com/place/Egypt.
203
Lesley Sims, A Visitor's Guide to Ancient Egypt (Tulsa, OK: EDC Pub., 2001).

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21
Valley;
204
Mesopotamia, which refers to the ancient land between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers
in what is now Iraq;
205
St. Peter’s Basilica, which is the main papal basilica located in the
Vatican City (which is surrounded by Rome);
206
Vinegar Hill, Harlem, which was a
predominantly Irish neighborhood in West Harlem on the island of Manhattan in the mid-
nineteen-hundreds;
207
St Patrick’s Cathedral, which is located in midtown Manhattan and is one
of the most prominent Catholic parishes in New York City;
208
63rd and Park, which is an
intersection in the Upper-East Side of Manhattan, near Lenox Hill;
209
Lafayette and Astor, which
is an intersection by NoHo just North of Lower Manhattan;
210
Santa Monica Pier, which is a pier
extending into the pacific ocean in Santa Monica, California;
211
Santa Monica Boulevard, which
is a major road running through Los Angeles County, California;
212
and the Rose Garden, which
is a garden on the White House Grounds in Washington, D.C.
213
On People in Popular Culture
Likewise, Last Days references many people from current historical events or from
current popular culture. Shaquille O’Neal is a celebrity who rose to fame as a result of his
prodigious basketball talent.
214
The Incredible Hulk is a super-human comic book character
created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby for Marvel comics.
215
Ethel Merman was a renowned
American actress who did most of her work in musical theatre.
216
Mary Chapin Carpenter is a
204
“The History of Ancient Nubia,” The History of Ancient Nubia | The Oriental Institute of the University of
Chicago, accessed August 3, 2022, https://oi.uchicago.edu/museum-exhibits/history-ancient-nubiaOLD.
205
“Mesopotamia: Civilization Begins,” Getty Museum, accessed August 3, 2022, https://www.getty.
edu/art/exhibitions/mesopotamia/.
206
“St. Peter's Basilica,” Encyclopædia Britannica (Encyclopædia Britannica, inc.), accessed August 3, 2022,
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Saint-Peters-Basilica.
207
Ulysses, “Remember: When West Harlem Was Irish,” H A R L E M + B E S P O K E, January 1, 1970,
https://harlembespoke.blogspot.com/2014/03/remember-when-west-harlem-was-irish.html.
208
“St. Patrick's Cathedral,” St. Patrick's Cathedral, accessed August 3, 2022, https://saintpatrickscathedral.org/.
209
“63rd & Park,” Google maps (Google), accessed August 3, 2022, https://www.google.com/maps/place/
Park+Ave+%26+E+63rd+St,+New+York,+NY+10065/@40.7653736,-73.9678737,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!
1s0x89c258eefe0c03ab:0x1b9aa8828ccb8fb4!8m2!3d40.7653736!4d-73.9678737.
210
“Lafayette and Astor,” Google maps (Google), accessed August 3, 2022, https://www.google.com/maps
/place/Astor+Pl+%26+Lafayette+St,+New+York,+NY+10003/@40.7313052,-73.9920055,1
5.21z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x89c2599bb22748c3:0x4ef165226bc1e65d!8m2!3d40.7298544!4d-73.9913978.
211
“Santa Monica Pier,” Google maps (Google), accessed August 3, 2022, https://www.google.com/maps
/place/Santa+Monica+Pier/@34.0087641,-118.5000063,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x80c2a4d74d5ea79b:0
xcd9a111aced18f4d!8m2!3d34.0099215!4d-118.4960063.
212
“Santa Monica Boulevard,” Google maps (Google), accessed August 3, 2022, https://www.google.com
/maps/place/Santa+Monica+Blvd,+California/@34.09071,-118.3378059,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0
x80c2bebb074ab833:0x3003ecc0a07f08fe!8m2!3d34.09071!4d-118.3378059.
213
“The Rose Garden,” Rose Garden - White House Museum, accessed August 3, 2022, http://www.whiteh
ousemuseum.org/grounds/rose-garden.htm.
214
“Shaquille O'Neal,” Encyclopædia Britannica (Encyclopædia Britannica, inc.), accessed August 3, 2022,
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Shaquille-ONeal.
215
Tom DeFalco, Hulk: The Incredible Guide (London: Dorling Kindersley, 2008).
216
Brian Kellow, Ethel Merman: A Life (New York: Penguin Books, 2008).

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22
Country/Rock musician in the United States.
217
Tupaq (sic) Shakur was an American rapper that
greatly influenced modern hip-hop and rap music.
218
Don Ho was a popular Hawaiian
musician.
219
Ellen Barkin is an American actress known for her work in such films as Diner.
220
Ron Perelman is an American investor, banker, and businessman noted for his position as CEO
of MacAndrews & Forbes Incorporated.
221
George Bush is an American legacy politician who
was elected the 43rd President of the United States in 2000, serving until 2008.
222
Donald
Rumsfeld served as the American Secretary of defense for George W. Bush from 2001 – 2006.
223
Osama Bin-Laden was the founder of the militant group al-Qaeda and was responsible for the
September, 2001 terrorist attacks.
224
Mohamed Atta was an Egyptian who was responsible for
seeing that the al-Qaeda organized terrorist operations on September 11, 2001 were effectively
carried out.
225
On Historical Events of the Early 2000s
The Last Days of Judas Iscariot makes multiple references to historical events of the
early 2000s. Indeed, set in 2004, the War on Terror (a predominantly American military
offensive following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001) was in full effect.
226
Fallujah, a
city in central Iraq, was one of the cities that received staggering amounts of bombardment
following the U.S. invasion in 2003.
227
There were multiple incidents of human rights atrocities
during the U.S. occupation including numerous incidents when the American military was said
to have fired upon demonstrators protesting the military presence without provocation.
228
The
217
Eliza Wing, “Mary-Chapin Carpenter: Country's Unlikely Star,” Rolling Stone (Rolling Stone, August 17, 2020),
https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/mary-chapin-carpenter-countrys-unlikely-star-184498/.
218
Mosi Reeves, “8 Ways Tupac Shakur Changed the World,” Rolling Stone (Rolling Stone, June 16, 2021),
https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/8-ways-tupac-shakur-changed-the-world-128421/.
219
Nate Chinen, “Don Ho, Hawaiian Musician, Dies at 76,” The New York Times (The New York Times, April 15,
2007), https://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/15/arts/music/15ho.html.
220
“The Big Time of Ellen Barkin; Acclaimed as an Actress, She's Now Shooting toward Stardom,” The
Washington Post | HighBeam Research (The Washington Post), accessed August 3, 2022,
https://web.archive.org/web/20121020105209/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-1340209.html.
221
Robin Pogrebin, “Ronald Perelman, a Mogul with Muscle, Takes over Carnegie Hall,” The New York Times
(The New York Times, February 19, 2015), https://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/20/arts/music/ronald-perelman-a-
mogul-with-muscle-takes-over-carnegie-hall.html?_r=0.
222
“Biography of George W. Bush,” National Archives and Records Administration (National Archives and Records
Administration), accessed August 3, 2022, https://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/president/biography.html.
223
“Donald H. Rumsfeld,” U.S. Department of Defense (U.S. Department of Defense), accessed August 3, 2022,
https://www.defense.gov/About/Biographies/Biography/Article/602800/.
224
“Osama Bin Laden,” FBI (FBI, May 13, 2022), https://www.fbi.gov/history/famous-cases/osama-bin-laden.
225
“Personal Stories - Who Were They? | inside the Terror Network | Frontline,” PBS (Public Broadcasting Service),
accessed August 3, 2022, https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/network/personal/whowere.html.
226
Eric Schmitt and Thom Shanker, “U.S. Officials Retool Slogan for Terror War,” The New York Times (The New
York Times, July 26, 2005), https://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/26/politics/us-officials-retool-slogan-for-terror-
war.html.
227
Robert Raffaele, “Fallujah Four Months Later,” VOA News - fallujah four months later, accessed August 4,
2022, https://web.archive.org/web/20050418094059/http://www.voanews.com/english/2005-03-31-voa6.cfm.
228
“Violent Response:” Violent Response: accessed August 4, 2022, https://www.hrw.org/reports/2003/iraqfalluja/.

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23
majority of Fallujah was all but ruined by 2004.
229
Darfur, a region in Sudan, entered into a
large-scale civil-war when groups such as the Sudan Liberation Movement and the Justice and
Liberation Movement took up arms against the Sudanese government which was accused for the
continued oppression of Sudan’s non-Arab population.
230
The Sudanese government responded
by carrying out a genocide of non-Arabs, resulting in hundreds of thousands of civilian deaths.
231
On Additional Information
Finally, there additional ‘miscellaneous’ items mentioned in throughout The Last Days of
Judas Iscariot; this section shall define them. A foxhole in a military context is a defensive
position dug into the ground.
232
A pack of Kools refers to pack of Kools-brand cigarettes.
233
NASCAR lighter refers to a standard lighter, made in collaboration with NASCAR, that has had
decals applied to it celebrating such things as the Winston Cup (a racing trophy).
234
Newports
refer to a pack of Newport-brand cigarettes.
235
Clutch is a small, usually strapless, handbag.
236
A
spinning top is a children’s toy, popular before the 21st century, that does, in fact, spin.
237
Bifocals are glasses with two different prescriptions on each lens – one usually set lower than the
other in the glass for the purpose of reading.
238
Opium is a narcotic substance derived from
poppy plants.
239
A Darvon is an opioid painkiller popular in the 1950s also known as
dextropropoxyphene.
240
A bourbon neat, is simply a way of serving bourbon – it means straight,
non-chilled bourbon, served in a clear, non-chilled glass so as to expose the natural amber color
of the alcohol.
241
Olive Garden is, of course, an American chain restaurant serving faux-Italian
food and all-you-can-eat-breadsticks.
242
Krispy Kreme is Krispy Kreme – hot and fresh glazed
229
Pepe Escobar, “From Guernica to Fallujah,” Atimes.com, accessed August 4, 2022,
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/FL02Ak02.html.
230
“Q&A: Sudan's Darfur Conflict,” BBC News (BBC, February 23, 2010),
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/3496731.stm.
231
“The Prosecutor v. Omar Hassan Ahmad Al Bashir,” The prosecutor v. Omar Hassan Ahmad Al Bashir, accessed
August 4, 2022, https://web.archive.org/web/20160508041245/https://www.icc-
cpi.int/en_menus/icc/situations%20and%20cases/situations/situation%20icc%200205/related%20cases/icc02050109
/Pages/icc02050109.aspx.
232
Militärisches Studienglossar Englisch. A - K (Hürth: Bundesprachenamt, 1996).
233
Home - Online Grocery Delivery, accessed August 4, 2022, https://www.vons.com/shop/product-
details.960162592.html.
234
“NASCAR, Winston Cup Series Lighters, 4 Pack New.,” eBay, accessed August 5, 2022,
https://www.ebay.com/itm/113895380383.
235
“Newport Pleasure,” Newport, accessed August 5, 2022, https://www.newport-pleasure.com/.
236
“Clutches,” Nordstrom.com, accessed August 5, 2022,
https://www.nordstrom.com/browse/women/handbags/clutches.
237
“ForeverSpin™ World Famous Metal Spinning Tops,” accessed August 5, 2022, https://foreverspin.com/.
238
“What Are Bifocals and How Do They Work?,” SkyVision Centers, May 15, 2019,
https://skyvisioncenters.com/blog/what-are-bifocals-and-how-do-they-work/.
239
“Opium,” Opium - Alcohol and Drug Foundation, accessed August 5, 2022, https://adf.org.au/drug-facts/opium/.
240
Daniel J. DeNoon, “Darvon, Darvocet Banned,” WebMD (WebMD, November 19, 2010),
https://www.webmd.com/pain-management/news/20101119/darvon-darvocet-banned.
241
Lux Row Distillers, “3 Simple Ways to Drink Bourbon,” Lux Row Distillers, June 3, 2020,
https://luxrowdistillers.com/3-simple-ways-to-drink-bourbon/.
242
“Olive Garden Italian Restaurant | Family Style Dining | Italian Food,” accessed August 5, 2022,
https://www.olivegarden.com/home.

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24
doughnuts.
243
Miller Time is a saying heavily associated with Miller Beer, made popular in a
television commercial from the 1970s.
244
Armani is an Italian luxury fashion company.
245
Gucci,
likewise, is an Italian luxury fashion company.
246
Puppet shows are a form of theatre wherein
anthropomorphic props, handled by operators, are utilized to tell stories.
247
Burning puppets is
likely a reference to the tradition of burning puppets fashioned in the likeness of politicians
during the Egyptian festival of Sham Ennessim to warn politicians of what may befall them
should they become corrupt.
248
This practice has also been associated with the practice of
publicly burning effigies of Judas Iscariot as part of Easter celebrations in Christian communities
in Latin America, Eastern Europe, and parts of North Africa.
249
A WIC check is a check given by
the government to women and children of low-income homes who are in a state of nutritional
deprivation. It is part of the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and
Children.
250
Last Days does mention a film wherein Caiaphas is the first to approach Judas about
Jesus. This is perhaps alluding to Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Jesus Christ Superstar wherein
Caiaphas and the Sanhedrin confront Jesus and the 12 as they enter Jerusalem.
251
Quincy medical
examiner is an American Television Show that aired in the 1970s and followed the exploits of a
Medical Examiner who often found clues indicating foul play on the corpses of those he
autopsied.
252
Sherlock Holmes is a brilliant, though fictional, Private Investigator based in
London and created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in the late 19th century.
253
Nancy Drew is a
fictional, teenage, amateur sleuth, prevalent in literature since the 1930s.
254
Tom is a character in
Tennessee Williams’ seminal work, The Glass Menagerie, who is the only son of a household of
three and is the person responsible for financially supporting his mother and sister, though he
constantly escapes from reality by delving into poetry.
255
“God may reduce you on Judgment
day…” is indeed a quote from the 20th century British-American poet, W. H. Auden, who is,
among other things, noted for his socio-political works.
256
EL-Fayoumy’s line on the bottom of
243
“Krispy Kreme,” Krispy Kreme - Doughnuts, Coffee & Drinks, accessed August 5, 2022,
https://www.krispykreme.com/.
244
Jane Asher, “Miller Time,” Amazon (Harper, 2014), https://alexaanswers.amazon.com/question/0D9I
UPD2rhIop9F5cgfb3F/ref=cbqa_pqd_sim_q#:~:text=%22It's%20Miller%20Time%22%20means%20that,that%20ai
red%20in%20the%201970s.
245
“Emporio Armani - Official Site | Emporio Armani,” accessed August 5, 2022, https://www.armani.com/en-
us/emporio-armani.
246
“Gucci® US Official Site: Redefining Luxury Fashion,” GUCCI® US Official Site | Redefining Luxury Fashion,
accessed August 5, 2022, https://www.gucci.com/us/en/.
247
Eileen Blumenthal, Puppetry and Puppets: An Illustrated World Survey (London: Thames & Hudson, 2005).
248
“Burning Puppets and Dolls, Ritual in Sham Ennessim,” EgyptToday, April 29, 2019,
https://www.egypttoday.com/Article/6/68918/Burning-puppets-and-dolls-ritual-in-Sham-Ennessim.
249
“Judas, Burning Of,” The Free Dictionary (Farlex), accessed August 5, 2022,
https://encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com/Judas%2C+Burning+of.
250
“Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC),” Food and Nutrition Service
U.S. Department of Agriculture, accessed August 5, 2022, https://www.fns.usda.gov/wic.
251
Lloyd Webber, Andrew, 1948- composer. Jesus Christ Superstar: a Rock Opera. New York :Decca, 1970.
252
“Quincy M.E.,” IMDb (IMDb.com, October 3, 1976), https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0074042/.
253
Arthur Conan Doyle, Sherlock Holmes: A Study in Scarlet (New York: Starry Night Publishing.Com, 2015).
254
Carolyn Keene, The Secret of the Old Clock (New York: Grosset & Dunlap, 1930).
255
Tennessee Williams, The Glass Menagerie (New York: Dell Pub. Co., 1950).
256
Humphrey Carpenter, W.H. Auden, a Biography (London ; Boston: Allen & Unwin, 1981).

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25
page 44, “Cocaine, Doctor! “Blow,” “flake,” “rock” – “she don’t lie” – does she Doc?!” is a
reference to the Eric Clapton song Cocaine.
257
257
Cocaine, YouTube (Eric Clapton, 2018), https://youtu.be/8QYdIswhbY4.

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26
Appendix C
On the Subject of Legal Conventions
I have provided definitions of the legal positions and terminology used in the play in the
Glossary. This section shall address the basic structure of the American legal system so as to
provide context for the positions and practices mentioned.
258
The American legal system was instituted so as to keep order by maintaining a number of
rules called laws by which all citizens must abide. Unlike authoritarian states – in which laws are
set by a single entity at the center of the governing body – the laws that constitute the basic
American legal dictionary were decided upon by legislators (policy-makers) who were elected by
the general public. This is important, as the decentralization of legislative power in the modern
world, as well as the practice of democratically electing law-makers is predicated on the idea that
one must consent to being governed.
259
The idea that one must consent to being governed is precisely why the American penal
system exists at all. Consenting to the rules that have been agreed upon by democratically elected
officials is seen, in America, as entering into a kind of social contract.
260
If one were to break the
extant rules by violating the rights of someone else, they are seen as violating the social contract,
and in their newfound state of alienation from the law-abiding masses, are penalized. This is
done to maintain order: a contract that, once broken, entails no consequences, is likely an
ineffective thing. Likewise, a typical punishment for legal violations of a decent severity is
incarceration, which is done, in part, to protect the law-abiding citizens from the potential danger
that an offending individual presents to the community.
261
In trial law (law that happens in a courtroom), there are typically two parties, a plaintiff
and a defendant.
262
In order to make sure that no one is wrongly convicted, and since enforced
penalties are overseen by the state, the two parties bring forth evidence of the event of a legal
violation before a jury of citizens and an elected judge who are tasked with deciding the true
extent to which the law has been broken and what the fitting punishment is, respectively.
263
The
plaintiff seeks to prove that the defendant is guilty while the defendant attempts to prove that
they are either innocent or remorseful.
264
258
Robin Wellford Slocum and Gina Nerger, “Introduction to the American Legal System,” in Legal Reasoning,
Writing, and Other Lawyering Skills (Durham, NC: Carolina Academic Press, LLC, 2022), pp. 15-33.
259
Justice: What's The Right Thing To Do? Episode 04: "THIS LAND IS MY LAND", YouTube (Harvard University,
2009), https://youtu.be/MGyygiXMzRk.
260
Justice: What's The Right Thing To Do? Episode 04: "THIS LAND IS MY LAND".
261
Michele Pifferi, “Individualization of Punishment and the Rule of Law: Reshaping Legality in the United States
and Europe between the 19th and the 20th Century,” American Journal of Legal History 52, no. 3 (2012): pp. 325-
376, https://doi.org/10.1093/ajlh/52.3.325.
262
Toni M. Fine, American Legal Systems: A Resource and Reference Guide (Cincinnati: Anderson, 1997).
263
Fine, American Legal Systems: A Resource and Reference Guide.
264
Ibid.

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27
Historically, the more gross an offense has been, the more severe the punishment was to
meet it. In some cases, even today, individuals convicted of very severe violations of the law are
punished by the federal government by being put to death.
265
Within the frame of law, for someone to be sentenced to death, they need to commit a
heinous crime that likely results in the destruction of other people’s lives.
266
They need to do so
knowingly and without outside forces acting upon them, pressuring them commit a crime – lest
their person be subject to pain, suffering, torture, and death.
267
In Last Days, Judas is found guilty by the jury and it is inferred that he is sentenced to
eternal damnation by the judge.
268
This is the divine equivalent of the death sentence. Thus, the
tension within the action of the play comes from the fact that while the prosecution (El-
Fayoumy) is trying to convince the jury that Judas acted knowingly and of his own free will
when he took action that directly resulted in the capture, torture, and crucifixion of Jesus Christ,
the defendant (Cunningham) is trying to convince the jury of just the opposite.
269
Peter’s denial of Jesus – a kind of betrayal – was mentioned because it highlighted the
fact that Peter’s action did not result in or contribute to Jesus’ death. In the case of Judas, it is
found that he was complicit in the murder of Jesus because his actions directly contributed to it –
that is to say, if Judas had not gone to the Sanhedrin, Jesus would not have been found in
Gethsemane, would not have been brought before Pilate, would not have been turned over to the
masses, and would not have been crucified.
270
Sigmund Freud is brought in as an expert witness that will help define the circumstances
of when an individual can act knowingly. If Judas is proved to be psychotic, insane, or suffers
from delusions, he can not necessarily agree to the social contract that makes up society or really
understand the extent to which his actions violate that contract.
271
In this way, he would not be
able to be found guilty in the same way that a person of sound mental faculties would. Because
El-Fayoumy casts doubt on the authority of Freud’s witness (can a person intoxicated through
the use of cocaine really bear expert witness?), it is found that Judas was not necessarily
psychotic or deluded and so may still be found guilty.
There are also instances when character witness occurs. Character witness essentially
tries to posit a certain ethos (usual behavior) as being associated with an individual. If the action
taken by the individual was found to be so out of character that it seemed odd, one could
speculate that they were pressured to take such action due to outside influence.
272
This is why
Satan is brought in during the proceeding: if Judas had been acted on by any outside influence, it
265
Cliff Roberson, Constitutional Law and Criminal Justice, Second Edition (Taylor & Francis, 2015).
266
Roberson, Constitutional Law and Criminal Justice, Second Edition.
267
Ibid.
268
Guirgis, The Last Days of Judas Iscariot, 74.
269
Ibid.
270
The Holy Bible: NKJV, New King James Version.
271
James Mumford, “3: Context Neglected,” in Ethics at the Beginning of Life: A Phenomenological Critique
(Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2015).
272
“Character Witness,” Legal Information Institute (Legal Information Institute), accessed August 21, 2022,
https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/character_witness.

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28
is commonly held that that influence would have been Satan. Since it is found that Satan did not
act upon him, forcing him to betray Jesus, it is assumed that Judas acted of his own volition.
Thus, Judas is found guilty by the jury.

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Appendix D
On the Subject of Theatrical Aesthetics
Epic Theatre vs. Dramatic Theatre
The Last Days of Judas Iscariot is a blend of both Epic and Dramatic aesthetics. Epic
aesthetics refer to the type of aesthetics prevalent in the earliest iterations of theatrical
performance in Ancient Greece. In this theatre, there was little action (as action is understood in
the theatre today). Instead, there was a group of people called the chorus who would narrate past
events, often while being accompanied by music. The chorus often represented the majority of
the people who inhabited the location where the events in the story took place. They were
witnesses, bearing testimony. Indeed, Epic aesthetics were largely testimonial in nature as, in the
Epic theatre, the medium of language became the stage for action that was often not tangibly
present. It was a recounting of things that had already happened. This being the case, it
essentially inferred a specific fate upon the characters presented in the narrative. It should be
noted that Epic theatre does not mean that the image of the events presented in a given narrative
are not present at all… rather, it requires that the spectators utilize their imaginations to conjure
up those images within their minds.
273
By saying Dramatic aesthetics, I am referring to the type of theatre that became
popularized after the creation of individual characters by Thespis, in Ancient Greece. With the
creation of individual characters on stage there came the possibility for theatre to move beyond
simply being a musical narration of past events, and to instead show those events to spectators in
the present moment. This is because it takes characters whose existence in Epic theatre would be
limited to the fatalistic metaphysical plane of semiotic verbal communication known as language
and provides a form which they may inhabit in the here and now. Thus, as the characters
illustrate a narrative through action, it becomes something that is happening presently and is not
necessarily subject to a certain, pre-ordained fate like epic narratives. It should be noted,
likewise, that in dramatic theatre, it is less necessary for spectators to picture, in their minds, the
events linguistically illustrated in Epic narration, since the image of that thing past is given a
tangible body.
274
In the play, both Dramatic and Epic aesthetics become immediately evident upon
inspection. While the majority of the play does take place in the present moment and we see
characters interacting with one another, progressing the narrative through the action of a legal
proceeding, there are also significant portions of the play solely dedicated to narration. Take, for
example, the testimony given by St. Monica: though the stage directions do stipulate that she
interacts with other characters (“looks into Judas’ eyes”)
275
, the context of that action is in the
273
Augusto Boal, The Theatre of the Oppressed (London: Pluto Press, 1979).
274
Boal, The Theatre of the Oppressed.
275
Guirgis, The Last Days of Judas Iscariot, 13-15.

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30
retelling of events that has already past and possess a certain ending. Likewise, the testimony
given by St. Peter is not something that progress the main legal action of the play forward.
276
Rather, it is a narration of events past that, while it may recontextualize spectators’ perceptions
of the characters, does not change the action in any way. It adheres to epic aesthetics.
Naturalism vs. Expressionism vs. Post-expressionism
The Last Days of Judas Iscariot does ascribe to aesthetics of naturalism in multiple ways.
Naturalism, the artistic convention that rose in popularity around the end of the 19th century, can
be defined as an artistic movement towards reality and away from the overtly lyrical style of
earlier forms of theatre like that which was practiced in Shakespearean England. Instead of a
blank stage that became whatever location the characters, through words, designated it as,
naturalism saw the realization of locations in great detail. If a scene was set in a barbershop, the
naturalistic set-designer’s job would be to create a life-size replica of a barbershop onstage.
Popularized by the likes of Anton Chekhov, this new form of theatre sought to ground the lofty
ideals that were typically the focal points of Shakespearean and Romantic art in semiotics that
were widely understandable, in something tangible, something easily understood by
spectators.
277
Within this new frame of theatre, the setting took on a character of its own, as it was then
something with which the characters must interact. The naturalistic stage, vital as it was in its
relationship with the characters, asserted its own ability to be a force within the action of a play,
affecting narratives. Since the stage was then a character in and of itself, and since the character
it was playing had to obey the tenets of reality, the setting more or less took on the characteristics
of an unchanging natural order. Indeed, if one looks at Chekhov, one can see that many of his
stories are set in one place that remains largely the same throughout the course of the story,
though his human characters are often not static at all. Thus, Chekhovian naturalism’s dramatic
trajectory often followed the tumultuous changes of the changeable human soul as it raged
against – and was juxtaposed against – an unchanging natural order.
278
Last Days does possess some of these characteristics, though it does not possess all of
them. It obeys the naturalism in the sense that it is mainly set in one place with an unchanging
nature (the courtroom). However, the courtroom setting fails to be fully naturalistic because the
place does little to act upon the characters. The setting of the courtroom does stand for a sort of
lasting edifice of justice, but its naturalistic power is sabotaged by the play itself, which props up
divine mercy as being of a higher, more eternal order than man-made judicial systems. Thus, the
setting itself, which by the end of the play finds itself in opposition to a kind of divine order that
allows for mercy, becomes arbitrary. The setting, then, is faux-naturalistic in nature. The
dialogue does acknowledge things that exist within the space, but because the space itself is
276
Guirgis, The Last Days of Judas Iscariot, 24-25.
277
Bert O. States, Great Reckonings in Little Rooms: On the Phenomenology of Theater (Berkeley: University of
California Press, 2001).
278
States, Great Reckonings in Little Rooms: On the Phenomenology of Theater.

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arbitrary, the items do little to act upon the characters, instead merely revealing aspects of the
characters to the spectators, much like is common within Shakespearean theatre.
279
Expressionism: Expressionism can be defined as the movement of art that followed
naturalism. The basic premise was that art itself could go further in-depth than the surface of
reality as was depicted in naturalism. Thus, expressionism in the theatre sought to engage with
governing orders like the natural order in a more focused way. Expressionist artists held up a
microscope to a single idea and translated it into something understandable by the masses using
lyrical (or, subjective)
280
aesthetics.
281
The Last Days of Judas Iscariot does indeed possess characteristics of expressionism.
Indeed, one could argue that because the courtroom itself is faux-naturalistic it is better
characterized as an expressionistic aspect of the play. In an expressionistic sense, the courtroom
reveals the aspect of human nature wherein we ascribe physical traits to divine entities, like
purgatory, though we have no way of empirically discovering whether or not that divine entity is
at all like our interpretations of it (if, indeed, it does exist).
282
The play also has moments when expressionism is employed in the examination of
human justice in its most idealistic form. For example, when the courtroom action breaks, and
the scene cuts to a place above where St. Peter and St. Matthew are giving testimony to the
character of Judas, the idea of what is, at base, needed for justice to be carried out is explored
expressionistically. In this moment, Guirgis reveals that only unadulterated truth, not location
and proceeding, matters in the ideal conception of justice.
283
Likewise, the play itself can be argued to be an expressionistic argument that despair is
one of the primary reasons people would not enter heaven, given that the reality of the Christian
doctrine is accepted.
Post-expressionism: Post-expressionism, a rejection of expressionism, saw the advent of
the idea that the world, as it was created in art, could function as a reality in itself. Instead of
expressing something which had meaning attributed to it firstly in the social world – that is, the
world of reality, the world outside the theatre and outside of dreams – post-expressionistic art
sought to stand in its place.
284
Following from this movement, the practice of breaking the fourth
wall took on a new meaning. It was now an invitation to let go of the real world, which would
only inhibit one’s ability to fully engage themselves in this new world, and to step fully into the
reality presented in the piece.
285
279
States, Great Reckonings in Little Rooms: On the Phenomenology of Theater.
280
Boal, The Theatre of the Oppressed.
281
States, Great Reckonings in Little Rooms: On the Phenomenology of Theater.
282
Guirgis, The Last Days of Judas Iscariot.
283
Guirgis, The Last Days of Judas Iscariot, 24-26.
284
States, Great Reckonings in Little Rooms: On the Phenomenology of Theater.
285
Nathaniel Davis, “‘Not a Soul in Sight!’: Beckett's Fourth Wall,” Journal of Modern Literature 38, no. 2 (2015):
p. 86, https://doi.org/10.2979/jmodelite.38.2.86.

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32
The Last Days of Judas Iscariot engages in post-expressionistic practice of fourth wall
breaking much in the same way that Martin Scorsese’s Cape Fear does. In the end of Cape Fear,
Robert DeNiro’s character, a former criminal eager to exact what he believes to be God’s justice,
holds court to determine what punishment to deal out to the defense attorney who represented
him and betrayed him by presenting evidence to the jury which resulted in his being sentenced
for a longer period of time. In this court session, DeNiro’s character constantly looks up at the
sky like he is referring to God as a judge. Likewise, whenever he is addressing God, he is also
addressing the camera and by extension the audience, breaking the fourth wall and inviting them
more fully into the world of the story.
286
In Last Days, though the stage directions do not explicitly state it, one can easily discern
from the writing that St. Monica, St. Peter, and St. Matthew all directly address the audience
when delivering their testimonies.
287
Through this, the characters place the spectator in the seats
belonging to the jury – seats wherein the authority to pass judgement is vested – much like
Robert DeNiro’s character does at the end of Cape Fear. As such, it contributes elements of
post-expressionism to the play and draws the audience into the theatrical reality by asking them
to judge Judas Iscariot.
Comedy / Tragedy
Humor: As far as humor is concerned, The Last Days of Judas Iscariot predominantly
possesses two separate comedic conventions. First among these is the comedy of manners.
Comedy of manners can be defined as the form of comedy that that satirizes certain manners
held to be conventional (rather, appropriate) within certain eras.
288
However, in Last Days,
instead of satirizing certain manners from a certain era, the author satirizes certain manners
associated with certain professions. The most obvious instance of this is to be found in the
character of El-Fayoumy, who, in his attempt to appear as a professional attorney, adopts a
vocabularic decorum easily deemed as being hoity-toity. This essentially mocks the perception of
prestige that is associated with the position of attorneys in American culture. Likewise, as in
most instances of the comedy of manners, many ‘bits of action’ and moments of tension within
the play can be attributed to the manners that have been adopted by the characters. Indeed, it is
characteristic of comedy of manners that the adherence to decorum becomes the inciting incident
of what is typically an arbitrary conflict in a story (think Shakespeare’s Much Ado About
Nothing).
289
The second convention of humor prevalent in Last Days is surreal humor. Also known as
absurdist comedy, surreal humor functions primarily by being illogical – its unpredictability
gives us opportunity to laugh.
290
When we look at Last Days, we see that there is absurdity
286
The Duality of Martin Scorsese, YouTube (Thomas Flight, 2021), https://youtu.be/0kB3HxHXF-0?t=641.
287
Guirgis, The Last Days of Judas Iscariot, 13-15 & 24-26.
288
“Comedy of Manners,” Encyclopædia Britannica (Encyclopædia Britannica, inc.), accessed August 14, 2022,
https://www.britannica.com/art/comedy-of-manners.
289
William Shakespeare and R. A. Foakes, Much Ado about Nothing (Harmondsworth: Penguin, 1968).
290
Peter Stockwell, The Language of Surrealism (Macmillan Education UK, 2017).

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33
present in the very setting of the play. The setting of an American courtroom in purgatory is
immediately surreal for a number of reasons: firstly, if purgatory was designed like a courtroom,
it would be ridiculous to assume that it would be modeled in the same fashion as the courtrooms
that are used in a country that is less than 250 years old; and secondly, the idea of humans
continuing to pass judgement on other humans after death is ridiculous within the frame of
Christian theology as such an action would be blatantly disregarding the supremacy of the
Divine, the possibility of redemption through divine mercy, and the entirety of the Christian
doctrine which stipulates both of the former points.
291
Tragedy: Though the The Last Days of Judas Iscariot does possess many comedic
elements, it would be absurd to label it as a comedy. For a play to be a comedy, it must almost
always necessarily possess a comedic resolution. A comedic resolution is a return to the societal
stasis that was evident before order was upset by dramatic/narrative action. For example, in A
Midsummer Night’s Dream, the characters rage against the decrees set forth by their parents only
to, in the end, give up their fight against ‘the system’ and marry whom their parents wish they
would.
292
This return to established societal convention, in its act of rendering the dramatic
narrative absurd, is vital to classical comedy.
293
Last Days is categorically, then, not a comedy. Over the course of the play, there are
many opportunities for a comedic ending to the story, but the play refutes such an ending.
Indeed, it is precisely because characters like Judas hold onto their despair in the face of divine
mercy that the play is so easily classified as a tragedy. Because the established stasis in Last
Days is the same as in Christian theology, one wherein there was originally a communal unity
between God and humanity, humanity would have to repent, surrender their despair, and enter
back into community with God for a comedic resolution to occur. This does not happen. Instead,
the separation of God and humanity remains evident even at the conclusion of the play. In this,
Last Days follows the common trope of tragedy wherein the characters’ act of standing by some
principle – their tragic flaw (hamartia, as Aristotle called it) – keeps them from reaching a
peaceable resolution.
294
Judas’ refusal of mercy becomes his hamartia, keeping him from entering into the
kingdom of heaven.
295
Cunningham’s desire for a merciful sentence for Judas is hindered
because of the principles held by the Jury that lead them to believe that he is deserving of eternal
separation from God.
296
The adherence to certain types of decorum – which is the basis for much
of the play’s humor, can likewise be perceived as hamartia. Indeed, if one looks at the decorum
held by the Saints mentioned in the play, they will find that conventional politeness and manners
291
Guirgis, The Last Days of Judas Iscariot, 19.
292
William Shakespeare and David Garrick, A Midsummer Night's Dream (London: Cornmarket Press, 1969).
293
A Midsummer Night's Dream (Lecture 2 of 3), YouTube (University of Virginia, 2017),
https://youtu.be/4FqdTpGBL6E.
294
Boal, The Theatre of the Oppressed.
295
Guirgis, The Last Days of Judas Iscariot, 74.
296
Guirgis, The Last Days of Judas Iscariot.

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34
popular in western – and more specifically, American – culture are largely absent.
297
Participating in the proceedings of the manufactured courtroom can, likewise, be seen as an
adherence to conventions of justice, not in line with divinity, that becomes a tragic flaw.
298
Thus,
the elements of the play that find their inception within the realm of surreal humor end in
tragedy.
To sum up, both tragedy and comedy begin in a state of conflict due to differing values
held by differing parties. In comedy, compromise is reached, tempers are appeased, and the
action spurred on by the initial conflict becomes largely arbitrary. In tragedy, no compromise is
reached, tempers cause destruction, and a new stasis – one that exists only because of the
narrative conflict – is established. When Butch Honeywell speaks about the paradox of man as
being found in their refusal to juxtapose the absolute to the relative, he is exposing the basis for
all of the comedic and tragic elements in the play.
299
Such a juxtaposition would entail an
acceptance of the divine reality and an objective moral truth. Since many of the characters hold
on to principles found within humanity but not necessarily within divinity, principles that keep
them from acting in accordance with an eternal truth (the first universal stasis within the
Christian frame), the conclusion of The Last Days of Judas Iscariot cements its place within the
canon of tragic literature.
297
Ibid, 13-15.
298
Ibid.
299
Ibid, 19.

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Glossary
Abdicate – to renounce one’s responsibility or duty.
300
Acrid – having an irritatingly strong and unpleasant taste or smell.
301
Adjourned – break off (a meeting, legal case, or game) with the intention of resuming it later.
302
Adjudicate – make a formal judgment or decision about a problem or disputed matter.
303
Antithesis – (in Hegelian philosophy) the negation of the thesis as the second stage in the
process of dialectical reasoning.
304
Asphyxiation – the state or process of being deprived of oxygen, which can result in
unconsciousness or death; suffocation.
305
Astute – having or showing an ability to accurately assess situations or people and turn this to
one's advantage.
306
Availed – help or benefit.
307
Badgering – repeatedly ask (someone) to do something; pester.
308
Bailiff – an official in a court of law who keeps order, looks after prisoners, etc.
309
Basilica – a large oblong hall or building with double colonnades and a semicircular apse, used
in ancient Rome as a court of law or for public assemblies and later used as Christian
churches.
310
300
“Abdicate Definition & Meaning,” Merriam-Webster (Merriam-Webster), accessed September 22, 2022,
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/abdicate.
301
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https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/acrid.
302
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303
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304
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305
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306
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307
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308
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309
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j4&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8.
310
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pOZ9ECv_rftSQXzBUUDf78w%3A1667946902393&ei=ltlqY8_GF4alptQPw6eKyAo&oq=basilica%2Bdefin&gs
_lcp=Cgxnd3Mtd2l6LXNlcnAQARgBMgUIABCRAjIICAAQsQMQkQIyBQgAEJECMgUIABCRAjIFCAAQgA
QyBQgAEIAEMgUIABCABDIFCAAQgAQyBggAEBYQHjIGCAAQFhAeOgcIIxCwAxAnOg0IABBHENYEEM
kDELADOgoIABBHENYEELADOggIABCSAxCwAzoHCAAQsAMQQzoNCAAQ5AIQ1gQQsAMYAToVCC4
QxwEQrwEQ1AIQyAMQsAMQQxgCOhIILhCvARDHARDIAxCwAxBDGAI6EgguEMcBEK8BEMgDELADEE
MYAjoECCMQJzoECAAQQzoLCC4QgAQQxwEQrwE6EQguEIAEELEDEIMBEMcBEK8BOg4ILhCvARDHA

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36
Beatified – blessed.
311
Begrudge – to resent, hold ill feelings for (something).
312
Beguiling – charming or enchanting, often in a deceptive way.
313
Bemoan – express discontent or sorrow over (something).
314
Berated – scold or criticize (someone) angrily.
315
Blaspheming – speak irreverently about God or sacred things.
316
Bodega – a small grocery store.
317
Bourgeois - of or characteristic of the middle class, typically with reference to its perceived
materialistic values or conventional attitudes.
318
Brontosaurus – An herbivore dinosaur with an extremely long neck akin to that of a giraffe.
319
Buxom – (of a woman) plump, especially with large breasts.
320
Canonization – (in the Roman Catholic Church) the official admission of a dead person into
sainthood.
321
Cantankerous – bad-tempered, argumentative, and uncooperative.
322
Catatonic – of or in an immobile or unresponsive stupor.
323
Censure – express severe disapproval of (someone or something), especially in a formal
statement.
324
RCxAxCABDoRCC4QgwEQrwEQxwEQsQMQgAQ6BQgAEIYDSgQITRgBSgQIQRgASgQIRhgBUK0CWOAY
YIkiaAFwAXgAgAHrAYgBnQeSAQUxLjQuMZgBAKABAcgBE8ABAdoBBggBEAEYCdoBBggCEAEYCA&s
client=gws-wiz-serp.
311
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312
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313
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314
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315
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316
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317
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318
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319
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320
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321
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322
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323
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324
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37
Chassy (sic) – the supporting frame of a structure.
325
Cosmic – relating to the universe or cosmos, especially as distinct from the earth.
326
Conundrum – a confusing and difficult problem or question.
327
Convulsions – a sudden, violent, irregular movement of a limb or of the body, caused by
involuntary contraction of muscles and associated especially with brain disorders such as
epilepsy, the presence of certain toxins or other agents in the blood, or fever in children.
328
Debauched – indulging in or characterized by sensual pleasures to a degree perceived to be
morally harmful; dissolute.
329
Defense Counsel - a barrister (lawyer) or group of barristers responsible for defending someone
on trial.
330
Defrocked – deprive (a person in holy orders) of ecclesiastical status; to strip a religious official
of their office.
331
Deportment – a person's behavior or manners.
332
Derelict – in a very poor condition as a result of disuse and neglect.
333
Desecration – the action of desecrating or violating something.
334
Despair – to lose or be without hope.
335
325
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326
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327
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328
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329
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330
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865&sxsrf=AM9HkKkEIVz93TC3gjgC2R6UzAEn1g0w8w%3A1700260980857&ei=dOxXZbn2M9ihkPIPh8elsA
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=Egxnd3Mtd2l6LXNlcnAiGmRlZmVuc2UgY291bnNlbCBkZWZpbml0aW9uMgoQABhHGNYEGLADMgoQAB
hHGNYEGLADMgoQABhHGNYEGLADMgoQABhHGNYEGLADMgoQABhHGNYEGLADMgoQABhHGNY
EGLADMgoQABhHGNYEGLADMgoQABhHGNYEGLADMg0QABiABBiKBRiwAxhDMg0QABiABBiKBRiw
AxhDMg0QABiABBiKBRiwAxhDMg0QABiABBiKBRiwAxhDMg4QABjkAhjWBBiwA9gBATIOEAAY5AIY1
gQYsAPYAQEyDhAAGOQCGNYEGLAD2AEBMhMQLhiABBiKBRjIAxiwAxhD2AECMhYQLhiABBiKBRjU
AhjIAxiwAxhD2AECMhMQLhiABBiKBRjIAxiwAxhD2AECMhYQLhiABBiKBRjUAhjIAxiwAxhD2AECSI8U
UHlYrxFwAXgBkAEAmAEAoAEAqgEAuAEDyAEA-
AEB4gMEGAAgQYgGAZAGE7oGBggBEAEYCboGBggCEAEYCA&sclient=gws-wiz-serp.
331
“Defrocked Definition & Meaning,” Merriam-Webster (Merriam-Webster), accessed November 17, 2022,
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/defrocked.
332
“Deportment Definition & Meaning,” Merriam-Webster (Merriam-Webster), accessed November 17, 2022,
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/deportment.
333
“Derelict Definition & Meaning,” Merriam-Webster (Merriam-Webster), accessed November 17, 2022,
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/derelict.
334
“Desecration Definition & Meaning,” Merriam-Webster (Merriam-Webster), accessed November 17, 2022,
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/desecration.
335
“Despair Definition & Meaning,” Merriam-Webster (Merriam-Webster), accessed November 17, 2022,
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/despair.

Leininger
38
Docket – a calendar or list of cases for trial or people having cases pending.
336
Dubious – not to be relied upon; suspect.
337
Ducats – a gold coin formerly current in most European countries.
338
Emancipation – the fact or process of being set free from legal, social, or political restrictions;
liberation.
339
Eminently – to a notable degree; very.
340
Enamored – be filled with a feeling of love for (something).
341
Erosion – the process of being gradually destroyed.
342
Eunuch – a man who has been castrated.
343
Exorbitant – unreasonable, excessive.
344
Fate – the development of events beyond a person's control, regarded as determined by a
supernatural power.
345
Fervently – very enthusiastically or passionately.
346
Garments – items of clothing.
347
Gavel – a small mallet with which an auctioneer, a judge, or the chair of a meeting hits a surface
to call for attention or order.
348
Gentile – not a member of the Jewish community.
349
336
“Docket Definition & Meaning,” Merriam-Webster (Merriam-Webster), accessed November 17, 2022,
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/docket.
337
“Dubious Definition & Meaning,” Merriam-Webster (Merriam-Webster), accessed November 17, 2022,
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dubious.
338
“Ducats Definition & Meaning,” Merriam-Webster (Merriam-Webster), accessed November 17, 2022,
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ducats.
339
“Emancipation Definition & Meaning,” Merriam-Webster (Merriam-Webster), accessed November 17, 2022,
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/emancipation.
340
“Eminently Definition & Meaning,” Merriam-Webster (Merriam-Webster), accessed November 17, 2022,
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/eminently.
341
“Enamored Definition & Meaning,” Merriam-Webster (Merriam-Webster), accessed November 17, 2022,
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/enamored.
342
“Erosion Definition & Meaning,” Merriam-Webster (Merriam-Webster), accessed November 17, 2022,
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/erosion.
343
“Eunuch Definition & Meaning,” Merriam-Webster (Merriam-Webster), accessed November 17, 2022,
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/eunuch.
344
“Exorbitant Definition & Meaning,” Merriam-Webster (Merriam-Webster), accessed November 17, 2022,
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/exorbitant.
345
“Fate Definition & Meaning,” Merriam-Webster (Merriam-Webster), accessed November 17, 2022,
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fate.
346
“Fervently Definition & Meaning,” Merriam-Webster (Merriam-Webster), accessed November 17, 2022,
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fervently.
347
“Garments Definition & Meaning,” Merriam-Webster (Merriam-Webster), accessed November 17, 2022,
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/garments.
348
“Gavel Definition & Meaning,” Merriam-Webster (Merriam-Webster), accessed November 17, 2022,
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gavel.
349
“Gentile Definition & Meaning,” Merriam-Webster (Merriam-Webster), accessed November 17, 2022,
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gentile.

Leininger
39
Hemming and hawing – to stop often and change what one is saying during speech because one
is not sure of what to say or because one is trying to avoid saying something.
350
Implacable – unable to be placated or satisfied.
351
Incendiary – something that excites division, combustion, conflict.
352
Infidel – a person who does not believe in religion or who adheres to a religion other than one's
own.
353
Insinuation – an unpleasant hint or suggestion of something bad.
354
Impetuousness – to have the quality of often acting or doing quickly and without thought.
355
Juncture – a particular point in events or time; a place where things join.
356
Juxtapose – to place or deal with close together for contrasting effect.
357
Kosher – a term used to describe food that complies with the strict dietary standards of
traditional Jewish law primarily derived from Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 14:1-21.
358
Languish - failing to make progress or be successful.
359
Litigation – the process of taking legal action carried out by and/or overseen by a court or by
governing officials.
360
Magisterial – having or showing great authority.
361
Monotheistic – relating to or characterized by the belief that there is only one God.
362
Motion – a procedural device to bring a limited, contested issue before a court for decision. It is
a request to the judge to make a decision about the case.
363
350
“Hemming and hawing Definition & Meaning,” Merriam-Webster (Merriam-Webster), accessed November 17,
2022, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hemming%20and%20hawing.
351
“Implacable Definition & Meaning,” Merriam-Webster (Merriam-Webster), accessed November 17, 2022,
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/implacable.
352
“Incendiary Definition & Meaning,” Merriam-Webster (Merriam-Webster), accessed November 17, 2022,
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/incendiary.
353
“Infidel Definition & Meaning,” Merriam-Webster (Merriam-Webster), accessed November 17, 2022,
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/infidel.
354
“Insinuation Definition & Meaning,” Merriam-Webster (Merriam-Webster), accessed November 17, 2022,
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/insinuation.
355
“Impetuousness Definition & Meaning,” Merriam-Webster (Merriam-Webster), accessed November 17, 2022,
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/impetuousness.
356
“Juncture Definition & Meaning,” Merriam-Webster (Merriam-Webster), accessed November 17, 2022,
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/juncture.
357
“Juxtapose Definition & Meaning,” Merriam-Webster (Merriam-Webster), accessed November 17, 2022,
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/juxtapose.
358
“Kosher Definition & Meaning,” Merriam-Webster (Merriam-Webster), accessed November 17, 2022,
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/kosher.
359
“Languish Definition & Meaning,” Merriam-Webster (Merriam-Webster), accessed November 17, 2022,
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/languish.
360
“Litigation Definition & Meaning,” Merriam-Webster (Merriam-Webster), accessed November 17, 2022,
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/litigation.
361
“Magisterial Definition & Meaning,” Merriam-Webster (Merriam-Webster), accessed November 17, 2022,
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/magisterial.
362
“Monotheistic Definition & Meaning,” Merriam-Webster (Merriam-Webster), accessed November 17, 2022,
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/monotheistic.
363
“Motion Definition & Meaning,” Merriam-Webster (Merriam-Webster), accessed November 17, 2022,
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/motion.

Leininger
40
Nag – to annoy or irritate (a person) with persistent fault-finding or continuous urging.
364
Nefarious – (typically of an action or activity) wicked or criminal.
365
Neuropathology – the branch of medicine concerned with diseases of the nervous system.
366
Newt – a small salamander.
367
Ontological – relating to the branch of metaphysics dealing with the nature of being.
368
Pagan – a person holding religious beliefs other than those of the main world religions; a non-
Christian.
369
Paradox – a situation, person, or thing that combines contradictory features or qualities.
370
Pariah – an outcast.
371
Perjury – the offense of willfully telling an untruth in a court after having taken an oath or
affirmation.
372
Petulant – (of a person or their manner) childishly sulky or bad-tempered.
373
Precarious – not securely held or in position; dangerously likely to fall or collapse.
374
Precluding – prevent from happening; make impossible.
375
Prefect – a chief officer, magistrate, or regional governor in certain countries.
376
Prestigious – inspiring respect and admiration; having high status.
377
Prick – to cause mental or emotional discomfort to (someone/something).
378
364
“Nag Definition & Meaning,” Merriam-Webster (Merriam-Webster), accessed November 17, 2022,
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nag.
365
“Nefarious Definition & Meaning,” Merriam-Webster (Merriam-Webster), accessed November 17, 2022,
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nefarious.
366
“Neuropathology Definition & Meaning,” Merriam-Webster (Merriam-Webster), accessed November 17, 2022,
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/neuropathology.
367
“Newt Definition & Meaning,” Merriam-Webster (Merriam-Webster), accessed November 17, 2022,
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/newt.
368
“Ontological Definition & Meaning,” Merriam-Webster (Merriam-Webster), accessed November 17, 2022,
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ontological.
369
“Pagan Definition & Meaning,” Merriam-Webster (Merriam-Webster), accessed November 17, 2022,
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pagan.
370
“Paradox Definition & Meaning,” Merriam-Webster (Merriam-Webster), accessed November 17, 2022,
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/paradox.
371
“Pariah Definition & Meaning,” Merriam-Webster (Merriam-Webster), accessed November 17, 2022,
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pariah.
372
“Perjury Definition & Meaning,” Merriam-Webster (Merriam-Webster), accessed November 17, 2022,
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/perjury.
373
“Petulant Definition & Meaning,” Merriam-Webster (Merriam-Webster), accessed November 17, 2022,
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/petulant.
374
“Precarious Definition & Meaning,” Merriam-Webster (Merriam-Webster), accessed November 17, 2022,
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/precarious.
375
“Precluding Definition & Meaning,” Merriam-Webster (Merriam-Webster), accessed November 17, 2022,
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/precluding.
376
“Prefect Definition & Meaning,” Merriam-Webster (Merriam-Webster), accessed November 17, 2022,
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prefect.
377
“Prestigious Definition & Meaning,” Merriam-Webster (Merriam-Webster), accessed November 17, 2022,
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prestigious.
378
“Prick Definition & Meaning,” Merriam-Webster (Merriam-Webster), accessed November 17, 2022,
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prick.

Leininger
41
Procurator – resident governor.
379
Prodigiously – to be extremely great in ability, amount, or strength.
380
Prone – likely to or liable to suffer from, do, or experience something, typically something
regrettable or unwelcome.
381
Prosecution – the institution and conducting of legal proceedings against someone in respect of
a criminal charge.
382
Psychoanalysis – a system of psychological theory and therapy which aims to treat mental
disorders by investigating the interaction of conscious and unconscious elements in the mind and
bringing repressed fears and conflicts into the conscious mind by techniques such as dream
interpretation and free association.
383
Pulchritudinous – beautiful.
384
Purgatory – Purgatory is, according to the belief of some Christians, an intermediate state after
physical death for expiatory purification.
385
Rabble-rousing – to stir up public sentiment by emotionalism.
386
Ragamuffins – a person, typically a child, in ragged, dirty clothes.
387
Rakishly – in a confidently careless and informal way.
388
Rash – displaying or proceeding from a lack of careful consideration of the possible
consequences of an action.
389
Rebate – a payment back (of such a sum of money).
390
Recant – say that one no longer holds an opinion or belief, especially one considered
heretical.
391
379
“Procurator Definition & Meaning,” Merriam-Webster (Merriam-Webster), accessed November 17, 2022,
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/procurator.
380
“Prodigiously Definition & Meaning,” Merriam-Webster (Merriam-Webster), accessed November 17, 2022,
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prodigiously.
381
“Prone Definition & Meaning,” Merriam-Webster (Merriam-Webster), accessed November 17, 2022,
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prone.
382
“Prosecution Definition & Meaning,” Merriam-Webster (Merriam-Webster), accessed November 17, 2022,
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prosecution.
383
“Psychoanalysis Definition & Meaning,” Merriam-Webster (Merriam-Webster), accessed November 17, 2022,
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/psychoanalysis.
384
“Pulchritudinous Definition & Meaning,” Merriam-Webster (Merriam-Webster), accessed November 17, 2022,
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pulchritudinous.
385
“Purgatory Definition & Meaning,” Merriam-Webster (Merriam-Webster), accessed November 17, 2022,
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/purgatory.
386
“Rabble-rousing Definition & Meaning,” Merriam-Webster (Merriam-Webster), accessed November 17, 2022,
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rabble-rousing.
387
“Ragamuffins Definition & Meaning,” Merriam-Webster (Merriam-Webster), accessed November 17, 2022,
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ragamuffins.
388
“Rakishly Definition & Meaning,” Merriam-Webster (Merriam-Webster), accessed November 17, 2022,
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rakishly.
389
“Rash Definition & Meaning,” Merriam-Webster (Merriam-Webster), accessed November 17, 2022,
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rash.
390
“Rebate Definition & Meaning,” Merriam-Webster (Merriam-Webster), accessed November 17, 2022,
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rebate.
391
“Recant Definition & Meaning,” Merriam-Webster (Merriam-Webster), accessed November 17, 2022,
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/recant.

Leininger
42
Refute – prove (a statement or theory) to be wrong or false; disprove.
392
Relative (as referring to relativity) – the absence of standards of absolute and universal
application.
393
Relish – to greatly enjoy (something).
394
Reprieve – cancel or postpone the punishment of (someone, especially someone condemned to
death).
395
Reprisal – an act of retaliation.
396
Reticence – the quality of being reticent or reserved.
397
Reverent – feeling or showing deep and solemn respect.
398
Sacrosanct – (especially of a principle, place, or routine) regarded as too important or valuable
to be interfered with.
399
Salacious – having or conveying undue or inappropriate interest in sexual matters.
400
Seditious – inciting or causing people to rebel against the authority of a state or monarch.
401
Scrupulously – in a very careful and thorough way.
402
Shifty – (of a person or their manner) appearing deceitful or evasive.
403
Solicited – to have asked for or tried to obtain (something) from someone.
404
Synthesis – (in Hegelian philosophy) the final stage in the process of dialectical reasoning, in
which a new idea resolves the conflict between thesis and antithesis.
405
392
“Refute Definition & Meaning,” Merriam-Webster (Merriam-Webster), accessed November 17, 2022,
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/refute.
393
“Relative Definition & Meaning,” Merriam-Webster (Merriam-Webster), accessed November 17, 2022,
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/relative.
394
“Relish Definition & Meaning,” Merriam-Webster (Merriam-Webster), accessed November 17, 2022,
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/relish.
395
“Reprieve Definition & Meaning,” Merriam-Webster (Merriam-Webster), accessed November 17, 2022,
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/reprieve.
396
“Reprisal Definition & Meaning,” Merriam-Webster (Merriam-Webster), accessed November 17, 2022,
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/reprisal.
397
“Reticence Definition & Meaning,” Merriam-Webster (Merriam-Webster), accessed November 17, 2022,
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/reticence.
398
“Reverent Definition & Meaning,” Merriam-Webster (Merriam-Webster), accessed November 17, 2022,
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/reverent.
399
“Sacrosanct Definition & Meaning,” Merriam-Webster (Merriam-Webster), accessed November 17, 2022,
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sacrosanct.
400
“Salacious Definition & Meaning,” Merriam-Webster (Merriam-Webster), accessed November 17, 2022,
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/salacious.
401
“Seditious Definition & Meaning,” Merriam-Webster (Merriam-Webster), accessed November 17, 2022,
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/seditious.
402
“Scrupulously Definition & Meaning,” Merriam-Webster (Merriam-Webster), accessed November 17, 2022,
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scrupulously.
403
“Shifty Definition & Meaning,” Merriam-Webster (Merriam-Webster), accessed November 17, 2022,
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shifty.
404
“Solicited Definition & Meaning,” Merriam-Webster (Merriam-Webster), accessed November 17, 2022,
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/solicited.
405
“Synthesis Definition & Meaning,” Merriam-Webster (Merriam-Webster), accessed November 17, 2022,
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/synthesis.

Leininger
43
Tarnished – lose or cause to lose luster, especially as a result of exposure to air or moisture;
discolored.
406
Thesis – (in Hegelian philosophy) a proposition forming the first stage in the process of
dialectical reasoning.
407
Unequivocally – in a way that leaves no doubt.
408
Veracity – conformity to facts; accuracy.
409
Verily – truly; certainly.
410
Vixen – a spirited or fierce woman, especially one seen as sexually attractive.
411
Wanton – (of a cruel or violent action) deliberate and unprovoked.
412
Well-apportioned – to be assigned an adequate amount.
413
Writ – a form of written command in the name of a court or other legal authority to act, or
abstain from acting, in some way.
414
Zealot – a member of an ancient Jewish sect that aimed at a world Jewish theocracy and resisted
the Romans until AD 70.
415
Zealous – having or showing passion for (something).
416
406
“Tarnished Definition & Meaning,” Merriam-Webster (Merriam-Webster), accessed November 17, 2022,
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tarnished.
407
“Thesis Definition & Meaning,” Merriam-Webster (Merriam-Webster), accessed November 17, 2022,
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/thesis.
408
“Unequivocally Definition & Meaning,” Merriam-Webster (Merriam-Webster), accessed November 17, 2022,
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unequivocally.
409
“Veracity Definition & Meaning,” Merriam-Webster (Merriam-Webster), accessed November 17, 2022,
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/veracity.
410
“Verily Definition & Meaning,” Merriam-Webster (Merriam-Webster), accessed November 17, 2022,
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/verily.
411
“Vixen Definition & Meaning,” Merriam-Webster (Merriam-Webster), accessed November 17, 2022,
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vixen.
412
“Wanton Definition & Meaning,” Merriam-Webster (Merriam-Webster), accessed November 17, 2022,
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wanton.
413
“Well-apportioned Definition & Meaning,” Merriam-Webster (Merriam-Webster), accessed November 17, 2022,
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/apportioned.
414
“Writ Definition & Meaning,” Merriam-Webster (Merriam-Webster), accessed November 17, 2022,
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/writ.
415
“Zealot Definition & Meaning,” Dictionary.com (Dictionary.com), accessed September 22, 2022,
https://www.dictionary.com/browse/zealot.
416
“Zealous Definition & Meaning,” Merriam-Webster (Merriam-Webster), accessed September 22, 2022,
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/zealous.