Seán Walsh: Pilate Under Pressure

PILATE’S WIFE STANDS, HOLDING A SMALL,

ORNAMENTAL DISH…  CALLING:

         Zara?..    Zara!..

ENTER ZARA…

         Coming, my lady… I was fetching water for your –

WOMAN:    Such a commotion!

ZARA:        Oh? It woke you?

         No matter, that. I had a fretful night… So? What is it?

         Of no great import, my lady. But a crowd of Jews –

Crowd? More like a mob –

         Come to importune the Governor –

         Importune? To what purpose?

         They have brought one of their own race to him for judgment.

Oh?

         One Jesus of Nazareth. The rumours about him are rife –

         Oh-hh…

         My Lady?

         This Jew, this Jesus – describe him.

         Why, I cannot, my lady, his face is bruised, bloodied –

THE WOMAN DROPS THE DISH.

Oh, your precious dish! Broken now beyond repair –

         No matter, that. Leave it…

Zara, you will go at once to my husband,

tell him he must have nothing to do with this man –

         But, but my lady –

         I dreamt I suffered much on his account –

The Governor is, even now, on the Seat of Judgment –

         You must get my message to him, girl! You must!

It is of the utmost importance! Go – now!

         I, I –

         Do it!

         As you wish, my lady…

EXIT ZARA.

         Bloodied… bruised… The face in my dream…

Seán Walsh: From my drama, Pilate Under Pressure… the Passion of Christ from the Colonizer’s viewpoint. Matthew is the only evangelist who refers to Pilate’s wife without naming her. Her name was unimportant; her dream – in terms of a primitive people – was of no small significance… (An Amazon book, paperback and kindle.)

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