Behind the curtain, between blood and stone: the representation of god in Peter Shaffer’s Yonadab

Abstract

This article analyzes Yonadab, a play by the British playwright Peter Shaffer, first staged in London in 1985. Set in biblical times, the play depicts the machinations of Yonadab, King David's nephew, who wants to destroy the royal family and the religious foundations of that society. The analysis focuses on God's representation in the play through the conflicts and tensions shown by the main character Yonadab. Four main characteristics stand out in the divine figure: violence, exclusiveness, immanence, and absence.