This blog's read really is one that should be read with caution. There are many uncouth and disgusting images, and they are not for the faint of heart.
Judith: A Parting From the Body by Howard Barker is a retelling of the Apocryphal(or deuterocanonical, depending on what you believe)story of the Jewish Judith, who goes to the enemy general Holofernes' camp and beheads him while he's drunk.
In this retelling, Judith develops feelings for Holofernes, and the play explores what she must do and overcome in order to motivate her nation to win the war.
I think a good question that is answered from this play is "Does Judith gain control?".
Control means over her country, her people, and most importantly herself. After developing feelings for this man, brutally murdering him, and then attempting to have sex with his carcass, Judith comes out the other side of this event a changed woman. In a way, Judith consumes Holofernes and becomes like the general she has just killed and defiled.
Judith is timid and scared to carry out her task at the start of the play, but is almost a foaming from the mouth barbarian by the end of it. She gains control, but it comes with a price.
Your choice for the MDQ was right on point! I had trouble with this play, but your MDQ made it a bit clearer. It explains the major decision and change she had to make for her country and made the plot so much easier for me to understand. The first time I read it I just thought it was very strange. Now even the title makes more since to me because she "parted" from the person she once was and acquired the demeanour of Holofernes.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Victoria the MDQ is completely right. One of the things that you brought up that I agree with is once Judith has successfully murdered Holofernes she embodies him and seemingly turns into him. She has essentially gained control of Israel, but has lost control of herself.
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