The Pillowman

Some theaters have asked Martin McDonagh to edit the language of The Pillowman so that it’s less provocative and offensive to audiences. McDonagh has refused. Why do you think he made that choice? How would the play be different if it were altered to be more appropriate for general audiences?

Katurian, Michal, Ariel, and Tupolski all use violence at some point in the play. In fact, all of them commit murder. Explore how each character justifies their use of violence. What values do they draw on in making these justifications, and how are these values in conflict?

The Pillowman takes place in a fictional totalitarian state. What relationship does this fictional state bear to actual totalitarian states? In what ways does the play comment on political reality, and how does this relationship between fiction and reality align—or conflict with—Katurian’s stance on the political and moral impact of his own plays?