ipl-logo

Matthew's Portrayal Of Pilate

1456 Words6 Pages

Matthew 27: 11-66 is the story of Jesus being brought to trial before Pilate. Pilate accused, charged and condemned Christ. Many people who read this story have an opinion that Pilate is either a negative, positive or neutral figure. Pilate is the main reason as to why Jesus was crucified, therefore Matthew’s portray of him can make Pilate seem positive or negative. In a literary critique of this story, Callie Callon fights that Pilate is a negative figure. Throughout Pilate the Villain: An Alternative Reading of Matthew’s Portrayal of Pilate, the idea of Pilate being vehemently negative is very obvious. There are a few examples as to why Callon sees Pilate as strictly negative, but I do not agree with her points. The title of her article says …show more content…

Verses 24-25 show how Pilate had no other choice. “ So when Pilate saw that he could do nothing, but rather that a riot was beginning, he took some water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of this man’s blood; see to it yourselves.” Then the people as a whole answered, “His blood be on us and on our children!” ” Pilate feels helpless in this very part of the chapter. He is stuck with knowing this man did nothing, and not wanting a riot to form. His effort to convince the crowd that they were unjust and unreasonable for wanting this man dead proved to be unsuccessful. In his saying “I am innocent of this man’s blood,” it signifies that the guilt of killing this man was on the crowd, and not on him. It is a common Jewish custom to wash their hands when they wish to show their innocence in a crime committed by others (Barnes). Pilate however does not escape the guilt of sending Jesus to his death. It was his job as a Judge to free innocent men, and he did not do so in the case of Jesus. Although this can be seen as Pilate being a negative figure, I still see it as him having no choice. He wants the crowd to know they are the only reason Jesus is being crucified. He wanted no part of Jesus’ death to be on him, but he truly did not have a choice if he wanted peace to remain. Pilate still remains neutral in this part of the chapter because he even said he was innocent of Jesus’ death. The crowd took the responsibility of His death by answering Pilate saying, “His blood be on us and our children!” I do not see Pilate being negative in this part of the chapter, because he acts in a way to keep the peace throughout the majority of the

Show More
Related

  • Ivan's Poem 'The Grand Inquisitor'

    845 Words  | 4 Pages

    The Inquisitor says that because of Christ rejecting those three temptations, he committed that human

    Read More

  • Pilate's Continual Singing Analysis

    236 Words  | 1 Pages

    Pilate’s continual singing helps to foster Milkman’s growth in discovering his ancestry as well as learn about his mistreatment of people, especially women. The Sugarman song that Pilate frequently sang appears again to reveal Milkman’s ancestry to him. As the children sang a slightly different version of the song, “singing ‘Solomon don’t leave me’ instead of ‘Sugarman,’” Milkman began to piece together how the song was dealing directly with his ancestors.

    Read More

  • Milkman In Toni Morrison's Song Of Solomon

    1418 Words  | 6 Pages

    As a mother, teacher, and spiritual guide, she gives Milkman the affection, comfort, and wisdom that he does not get at home. Catherine Carr Lee states that: ”Pilate begins by instructing Milkman in practical, everyday knowledge: to say what you mean...Because she values nothing but human relationships...” For instance, Milkman and Guitar attempted robbery for the “gold’ in Pilate’s house, but end up getting arrested until Pilate comes to the rescue and they realize it was just a sack of bones. She pays no mind to the fact that they stole from her and puts on an act to prevent them from going to jail. “She didn’t even look the same.

    Read More

  • Summary Of Shadow Of The Galilean By Gerd Theissen

    1329 Words  | 6 Pages

    In the novel, The Shadow of the Galilean, the author Gerd Theissen writes an outstanding story of historical fiction about the Son of John, Andreas. He is an average grain merchant from Sepphoris Galilee, however, his life changes when he goes on an excursion during the time of Jesus Christ. Throughout Andreas’ journey he discovers and meets various people, including recognizable faces as well as unexpected groups of people. Remaining in his excursion he voyages to both distant and nearby residences, constructs an alliance with a Roman officer, retains and generates secrets, and matures as in individual in his faith. He achieves this all while living a double life filled with lying and deceiving by commands of the Roman Emperor Pontius Pilate,

    Read More

  • Materialism In Toni Morrison's Song Of Solomon

    850 Words  | 4 Pages

    Pilate and her family did not live in the best conditions, as they lived in “A narrow single-story house… [and] had no electricity because [they] could not pay for the service. Nor the gas”, yet they were still the characters who were the most satisfied with their lives even when they had the bare minimum to survive (27). Compared to Macon Dead, Pilate was much happier with her life in her small house caring for her family than Macon was in his nice house with his family. This was evident to Milkman as he felt more comfort while in Pilate’s house than he ever did in his own house, which was more associated with materialism than Pilate’s house was. Because of the lack of materialism in Pilate’s life, it is simple to see how Pilate was able to thrive and live in

    Read More

  • Hester Prynne Pride Quotes

    618 Words  | 3 Pages

    (pg.63) His response was also to seek revenge on the man who wronged them both. “Think not that I shall interfere with Heaven’s own method of retribution,or, to my own loss, betray him to the gripe of human law. Neither do thou imagine that I shall contrive aught against his life, no, nor against his fame; if, as I judge, he be a man of fair repute. Let him live!

    Read More

  • Supernatural Motifs In Pilat Pilate

    259 Words  | 2 Pages

    Pilate’s motif of being supernatural contributes to her role as a mentor to Milkman’s development by being more knowledgeable than most, therefore helping him mature into a man. Pilate is a mentor to Milkman. “[…] and more important, he would have learned not to fool with anything that belonged to Pilate, who never bothered anybody, was helpful to everybody, but who also was believed to have the power to step out of her skin, set a bush afire from fifty yards, and turn a man into a ripe rutabaga, all on account of that fact that she had no navel (94).” This quote shows how Pilate’s ability to mentor Milkman comes from her supernatural powers stemming from the fact that she does not have a belly button. The quote characterizes Pilate as kind and helpful, qualities that help Milkman become more thoughtful of his relationships with others.

    Read More

  • A Character Analysis Of Milkman's Pilate

    305 Words  | 2 Pages

    Pilate is an extremely strong figure in Milkman’s life who makes him feel like he is loved by her. The motif of flying associated with Pilate is different than other characters in the book. PIlate knows the value of the relationships she has and as a result, “without ever leaving the ground, she could fly”. This is as important contrast to Milkman’s journey of self discovery because although he matures and becomes his own independent man, he leaves the people he loves behind and doesn’t realize it until it's too late. For example Hagar would have done anything for Milkman, however he treated her very poorly.

    Read More

  • Summary In 'Mains Street And Not Doctor Street'

    681 Words  | 3 Pages

    During the flight of Mr. Smith, Pilate watches from below and sings the song, "O Sugarman. " For most of the men, the flight is a leap towards freedom and liberation both spiritually and physically, but the women they leave behind are less happily moved by the flight. Most of the onlookers of Mr. Smith 's flight remain still and unmoved, except for Pilate. She liberates

    Read More

  • Allusion To Pilate In Toni Morrison's Song Of Solomon

    1085 Words  | 5 Pages

    During the 1st century, Pontius Pilate was a Roman prefect under the emperor of Tiberius. Pilate’s job as a prefect included tasks like tax collecting or managing construction projects, but after years as a prefect he was given the new position of governor of Judaea and the power of a supreme judge. As a supreme judge Pilate had complete authority over ordering a criminal’s execution, and he now also had the most important responsibility of maintaining law and order. Pilate is most widely known for his work as a judge on Jesus’s trial. During the trial, Pontius falsely claims that Jesus embraced the title of King of the Jews after Pontius asked about his title, and according to the Roman government, this accusation was considered an act of treason.

    Read More

  • Is Brutus A Betrayer Or A Patriot Essay

    504 Words  | 3 Pages

    He explains that has Caesar had to die for his ambition and since he loved Rome more than he loved Caesar it was his duty to kill him. He also states that he is sad that Caesar had to die but that he would prefer him dead rather than have the people of Rome as slaves. He finally says that he will kill himself when his country is in need of his death. In the end of the story he does kill himself therefore he was true to his

    Read More

  • Theme Of Piety In The Aeneid

    1205 Words  | 5 Pages

    The virtue of piety was a defining characteristic in Roman life, Romans carried out their everyday lives in accordance of the ideas of pietas which is one’s duty to their family, God, and people; these Roman values are displayed in Virgil’s The Aeneid through the actions of the character Aeneas, and challenged further in the Gospel of Matthew by Jesus Christ. The word “pietas” is a Latin word that means dutifulness, and refers to the balanced duty to a person’s family, gods, and people in Roman culture. The Romans believed that for these duties to be upheld then it must be implemented in one’s everyday life, and this belief of the Romans separated them from other ancient societies. In The Aeneid, Aeneas engages in all aspects of pietas throughout his journey to Italy to become the ancestor to the city of Rome.

    Read More

  • Is Euthyphro Pious In Prosecuting His Father

    715 Words  | 3 Pages

    Is Euthyphro pious in prosecuting his father? According to the Euthyphro, the main characters like Socrates and Euthyphro have their own notions about piety. The way the main characters understand piety is different from each other. The first, Euthyphro examines himself and brings evidence against his father.

    Read More

  • Martyrdom Of St. Perpetua And Felicity Analysis

    623 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Martyrdom of St. Perpetua and Felicity, which is a story about Perpetua’s trial due to her beliefs in Christianity, was written in the year 203 by three different authors, Perpetua, Satururs, and an unknown narrator. Perpetua wrote her part of the story while she was in prison, perhaps to give others the strength to stand up for what they believe in. Perpetua lived in Carthage under the Roman Empire, where the paterfamilias meant everything. The paterfamilias is the father of the household; they have the ability to take away the life of their children which means they have complete control over them. However, in The Martyrdom of St. Perpetua and Felicity, Perpetua disobeys her father.

    Read More

  • Traits Of Brutus In Julius Caesar

    935 Words  | 4 Pages

    Wake up. I’ve noticed many such calls to action left where I would find them. Is Rome going to ... etc. ”(II, i, 46-49) to what he responds accurately expressing this trait, ““Is this asking me to speak and strike? Oh, Rome, I promise you, if you’re meant to receive justice, you’ll receive it by my hand!”

    Read More

More about Matthew's Portrayal Of Pilate

Open Document