The Death of King David or, The Abishag Rag
Graduation Date
Fall 2004
Document Type
Master's Thesis
Document Form
Degree Name
Master of Arts
Program Name
Humanities
First Reader
Carlos Rodriguez, MA
Second Reader
Leslie Ross, PhD
Abstract
This play presents King David, at the end of his life, recounting his exploits, epiphanies, sins, insights and triumphs to his last love, Abishag, who was chosen, as the most beautiful from all twelve tribes, to keep the old man warm. It emphasizes his personal relationships and demonstrates the complexity of a character whose legacy, as the model shepherd-king of Judaism and Christianity, as the composer of some and the inspiration for others of the most beautiful poems in literature or liturgy, and as the founder of a Messianic line, has endured for 3,000 years. While it includes, for literary and dramatic purposes, some presumptions as to David's opinions and attitudes, some embellished details of the old tales, and occasional instances of compressed time, it is, in essence, a faithful retelling of the stories and songs presented in First and Second Samuel, First Kings, First Chronicles and The Psalms.