| At the core of Stephan Adly Guirgis' courtroom drama The Last Days of Judas Iscariot there is a faint, shrouded message of hope. This paper will examine the central theme of hope by touching on four theological/philosophical viewpoints present in the play: the parable of the sheep and the goats in Matthew 25, Hegel's dialectical principles, Thomas Merton's reflections on hope and despair, and St. Augustine's reflections on choice and free will. Research for this paper was mined from a variety of sources including books, periodicals, music, film, and web articles. The Journal entries are more anecdotal, experiential and reflective in nature and therefore slightly less formal.;The idea that there is Hope for every person on Earth is rampant in this play; however it is anything but overstated. Guirgis understands that all things are as they should be, or need to be, and exist so without judgement. Love and Fear exist side by side, as do Light and Dark, Good and Evil, Sacred and Profane, Hope and Despair. Each needs the other give it meaning. Light is nothing without Darkness, Hope is nothing without Despair. A production of The Last Days of Judas Iscariot must embrace this, and this research was intended to support such a production. |
