Judith's virtue is indicated by the demure clothing and veil that cover her from head to toe while Holofernes, in contrast, is almost naked. |
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Holofernes was an Assyrian general and king, often drunk and constantly monstrous. |
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As Holofernes was often drunk, Judith anticipated that he would attempt to seduce her. |
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Holofernes adopts the archetypal monstrous image, further pulling any convictions of wrongdoing away from Judith. |
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When the unsuspecting Holofernes fell into a drunken slumber, Judith severed his head with a sword. |
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She pretended to be charmed by Holofernes, allowing herself to be taken to his bedroom. |
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Featuring David Horovitch as Holofernes, John Hodgkinson as Don Armado and Sam Alexander as the King of Navarre. |
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In the Book of Judith, Holofernes is depicted as a babbling drunkard. |
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Judith's decapitation of Holofernes is often interpreted as a kind of reverse rape, in which a woman penetrates the male body rather than allowing a man to penetrate her own. |
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