What do you think?
Rate this book
The Judas Kiss
The rise and fall (and ultimate rise again) of Oscar Wilde is usually portrayed as a personal drama pitting hubris against humorlessness, wit against witlessness, with the political and more obvious social aspects of the drama usually left out. In The Judas Kiss, David Hare, one of England's most noted political playwrights, rebalances the scales.
Set during Wilde's trial for "acts of gross indecency," The Judas Kiss examines why the playwright--given the chance--did not flee to France when it appeared that a guilty verdict (and harsh prison term) was inevitable. The interconnectedness of the personal and the political that has always been the theme of Hare's stage and screen work is present here as well. Hare's Wilde is a man of sexual, romantic, and political principle; what appears to many to be nothing more than an iron-willed whim of self-destruction is revealed as a matter of deeply held belief. As usual, Hare aims at provocation (and achieves it), but the genius of The Judas Kiss lies in his ability to make us rethink and reevaluate familiar history and force us to abandon preconceptions and prejudices to view the world--as well as our own experiences and emotions--in a new, and often startling, light. --Michael Bronski
128 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 1998
About the author
David Hare
102 books82 followersSir David Hare (born 5 June 1947) is an English playwright, screenwriter and theatre and film director. Most notable for his stage work, Hare has also enjoyed great success with films, receiving two Academy Award nominations for Best Adapted Screenplay for writing The Hours in 2002, based on the novel written by Michael Cunningham, and The Reader in 2008, based on the novel of the same name written by Bernhard Schlink.
On West End, he had his greatest success with the plays Plenty, which he adapted into a film starring Meryl Streep in 1985, Racing Demon (1990), Skylight (1997), and Amy's View (1998). The four plays ran on Broadway in 1982–83, 1996, 1998 and 1999 respectively, earning Hare three Tony Award nominations for Best Play for the first three and two Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Play. Other notable projects on stage include A Map of the World, Pravda, Murmuring Judges, The Absence of War and The Vertical Hour. He wrote screenplays for the film Wetherby and the BBC drama Page Eight (2011).
As of 2013, Hare has received two Academy Award nominations, three Golden Globe Award nominations, three Tony Award nominations and has won a BAFTA Award, a Writers Guild of America Award for Best Adapted Screenplay and two Laurence Olivier Awards. He has also been awarded several critics' awards such as the New York Drama Critics Circle Award, and received the Golden Bear in 1985. He was knighted in 1998.
source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Ha...
On West End, he had his greatest success with the plays Plenty, which he adapted into a film starring Meryl Streep in 1985, Racing Demon (1990), Skylight (1997), and Amy's View (1998). The four plays ran on Broadway in 1982–83, 1996, 1998 and 1999 respectively, earning Hare three Tony Award nominations for Best Play for the first three and two Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Play. Other notable projects on stage include A Map of the World, Pravda, Murmuring Judges, The Absence of War and The Vertical Hour. He wrote screenplays for the film Wetherby and the BBC drama Page Eight (2011).
As of 2013, Hare has received two Academy Award nominations, three Golden Globe Award nominations, three Tony Award nominations and has won a BAFTA Award, a Writers Guild of America Award for Best Adapted Screenplay and two Laurence Olivier Awards. He has also been awarded several critics' awards such as the New York Drama Critics Circle Award, and received the Golden Bear in 1985. He was knighted in 1998.
source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Ha...
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
March 31, 2014
David Hare revives the tragedy of Oscar Wilde, which has been lost from our consciousness, and gives the great Irish man of letters a chance to defend his unrepentant stance against those who locked him away and exiled him in the wake of his fall from grace, and restores his grace in the process.
A remarkable play of defiance and individuality, which captures the blithe, generous, and slightly ridiculous Wilde who did little to help himself at crucial legal junctures. To reveal more would spoil a read or a viewing of this insightful play.
I picked-up my copy for fifty cents at an op-shop, an ex-school copy. I hope in some way the message went in that there was a fight put up, of sorts, by gay men who fell foul of the unnecessary Victorian buggery laws, not just against the laws themselves, but the pious attitude of those who sought to denigrate Wilde's life's work in addition to his reputation. They failed at the former.
A remarkable play of defiance and individuality, which captures the blithe, generous, and slightly ridiculous Wilde who did little to help himself at crucial legal junctures. To reveal more would spoil a read or a viewing of this insightful play.
I picked-up my copy for fifty cents at an op-shop, an ex-school copy. I hope in some way the message went in that there was a fight put up, of sorts, by gay men who fell foul of the unnecessary Victorian buggery laws, not just against the laws themselves, but the pious attitude of those who sought to denigrate Wilde's life's work in addition to his reputation. They failed at the former.
November 20, 2021
This is by far my favourite play, and I would highly recommend it to anyone who is interested in the life and works of Oscar Wilde. I found a copy in my school library that hadn't been borrowed since 2009 and have held onto it for months. I keep it in my school bag constantly re-read it, often on a monthly basis.
The Judas Kiss is a quick read that truly conveys the sense of loss prior to and after Wilde's imprisonment, in my opinion it is a masterfully crafted rendition of a tragic series of events, and I hope to see it performed in person someday.
10/10, Thank you David Hare.
The Judas Kiss is a quick read that truly conveys the sense of loss prior to and after Wilde's imprisonment, in my opinion it is a masterfully crafted rendition of a tragic series of events, and I hope to see it performed in person someday.
10/10, Thank you David Hare.
June 10, 2019
Heartbreaking and beautiful. Wilde is captured in perfect spirit. There are so many lovely, clever lines that it's very difficult to choose (on beauty, morality, love and sex, and the narrowness of the mind), but only Wilde could have said something as crude as "we can't live on cock" and make it both mordantly funny and quietly devastating.
May 22, 2016
Had read this when it was first done 18 years ago, but reading reviews of its recent revival made me want to revisit it. It holds up fairly well, although some of it is a bit static and repetitious. And the best parts are cribbed directly from Wilde too!
February 2, 2021
I haven't seen this performed but reading it the second act is much better than the first.
March 16, 2023
rpf at its finest 👌
November 19, 2011
I was lucky enough to see this play on Broadway during its debut, with Liam Neeson as Oscar Wilde. It was one of my top two theatrical experiences (the number one spot being occupied by a performance of Tennessee Williams "lost" play "Not About Nightinggales.") I've always remembered the power of this play, and I finally got a copy to read to refresh my memory.
The play has two Acts, the first in Bosie's hotel room right before Oscar's arrest, and the second in Naples after his release from prison. The main thrust of the play, besides the horrible behavior of Lord Alfred Douglas, is the radical change in Wilde after his incarceration. The second half of the play is remarkable on the page, and manages to convey this transformation. But it doesn't approach the power of the play performed, and the stunning performance of Liam Neeson. Because it's really a play about subtleties of acting, and the ability of an actor to convey a spirit totally broken.
It's heartbreaking and tragic, and something I would recommend any Wilde fan read.
The play has two Acts, the first in Bosie's hotel room right before Oscar's arrest, and the second in Naples after his release from prison. The main thrust of the play, besides the horrible behavior of Lord Alfred Douglas, is the radical change in Wilde after his incarceration. The second half of the play is remarkable on the page, and manages to convey this transformation. But it doesn't approach the power of the play performed, and the stunning performance of Liam Neeson. Because it's really a play about subtleties of acting, and the ability of an actor to convey a spirit totally broken.
It's heartbreaking and tragic, and something I would recommend any Wilde fan read.
February 10, 2013
This is an interesting semi-biographic play. What interests me about it is that none of the characters--including Wilde are particularly sympathetic, though they all have moments when they are. Wilde is an intriguing figure in this play. At some points he is decidedly fatalistic, and at other points it seems more like he is just lazy. I'm intrigued by the idea he puts forward, however briefly, in the first act, that his life is governed by a narrative which maintains its own internal logic. This is an intriguing metatheatrical move, but then I don't feel like Hare returns to it. I might even suggest that he calls into question this fatalistic metatheatricality by turning Wilde in the second act into a lazy, sad good-for-nothing.
March 18, 2013
Excellent pseudo-historical account of the fall of Oscar Wilde for the love that dare not speak its name.
March 28, 2020
This was an amazing play and I'd kill to see it live (especially with 2012 revival cast -- though I would love to have seen Peter Capaldi in the original version.) Much of the play is fictionalized since we don't exactly how exactly Oscar Wilde spent the day of his arrest nor at his last meeting with Boise (the two days depicted in this play), but I'm fine with that. David Hare wasn't trying to write a biography of Wilde, he meant to show how much Boise influenced him and, most importantly, how changed he was after prison.
Oscar Wilde had a very sad life, and this is a very sad play. I kept on wanting the characters to do different things even though I knew their paths were predetermined. I was frustrated for Ross, angry at Boise, and felt an immense amount of sympathy for Wilde. I definitely benefited from having read De Profundis prior to this play and I'd recommend reading that before picking this up as it's quite short but gives a lot of insight into Wilde's mindset and his relationships with the other characters. I don't think it's necessary to be an expert on Oscar Wilde to enjoy this play since the themes of love and betrayal are universal, but I do think it adds to the experience.
I think I'll try and read some of David Hare's other plays. I absolutely loved this and would highly, highly recommend this if you enjoy reading plays or about Oscar Wilde.
Oscar Wilde had a very sad life, and this is a very sad play. I kept on wanting the characters to do different things even though I knew their paths were predetermined. I was frustrated for Ross, angry at Boise, and felt an immense amount of sympathy for Wilde. I definitely benefited from having read De Profundis prior to this play and I'd recommend reading that before picking this up as it's quite short but gives a lot of insight into Wilde's mindset and his relationships with the other characters. I don't think it's necessary to be an expert on Oscar Wilde to enjoy this play since the themes of love and betrayal are universal, but I do think it adds to the experience.
I think I'll try and read some of David Hare's other plays. I absolutely loved this and would highly, highly recommend this if you enjoy reading plays or about Oscar Wilde.
June 19, 2023
The premise of this play piqued my interest. I've been into Wilde for a solid three years, reading his prose and poetry, lectures, letters, and philosophies; for further reading, biographies on his life and relations. I have a compulsion to get my hands on anything Wilde-related. But, I never thought I would stumble upon a work like this before (and have it be good): a theatrical drama of Wilde's tumultuous relationship with Lord Alfred Douglas.
And frankly, why was I shocked? These two had so much drama that their lives transferred perfectly over to the medium. Regarding historical accuracy, I have only come across the depiction of Robbie Ross and Oscar Wilde's relationship in Wilde's own work, De Profundis. In his writing, Wilde was affectionate towards Ross, and I have rarely seen this aspect of their relationship acknowledged until I read this slim, yet entertaining volume. The drama combined with Hare's adeptly balanced historical accuracy and wit made this the ideal dramatization of Wilde's life.
And frankly, why was I shocked? These two had so much drama that their lives transferred perfectly over to the medium. Regarding historical accuracy, I have only come across the depiction of Robbie Ross and Oscar Wilde's relationship in Wilde's own work, De Profundis. In his writing, Wilde was affectionate towards Ross, and I have rarely seen this aspect of their relationship acknowledged until I read this slim, yet entertaining volume. The drama combined with Hare's adeptly balanced historical accuracy and wit made this the ideal dramatization of Wilde's life.
March 17, 2020
It’s difficult to write a review of a play as a work of literature, versus a performance. Some great plays, like those of Shakespeare, Ibsen, and Chekhov, can be read like novels. The Judas Kiss, other than a few genuinely exciting and moving scenes between Oscar Wilde and Robbie Ross, has a very static quality. There is no real character development, and the affection between Bosie and Wilde is never particularly passionate or stormy. Still, given that the play when staged has inspired some riveting performances, I can’t give it less than four stars. I wish I’d been able to have seen Rupert Everett in the role of. Wilde.
October 26, 2021
Very talky, one-note account of Wilde and his trials/tribulations later in life.
December 1, 2021
liam neeson as oscar wilde lmaoo
March 12, 2024
oscar wilde as jesus and bosie as judas..... david hare your mind is insane
April 20, 2015
A really thoughtful imagining of Wilde's situation both before and after the trial. I think I like this a bit more than _The Invention of Love_ (though the focus is very different). Now I just need to see it performed somewhere...
May 24, 2016
Imagining Oscar Wilde just before his gross indecency trial, and after his release from prison, “The Judas Kiss” is an exploration of betrayal at the hands of those we trust with our hearts and secrets, and asks whether new beginnings are possible.
July 24, 2016
4.5 stars. Definitely a must-read for any Wilde fan.
September 30, 2015
This is a simply stunning play.
Hare at his absolute best.
Hare at his absolute best.
Read
June 3, 2018oh this ached. gorgeous. (shit female parts tho)
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews