The Parable of the Prodigal Son as a Theatrical Text Rich in Dramatic Elements

The Parable of the Prodigal Son as a Theatrical Text Rich in Dramatic Elements

Father Fady Tabet

The Parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11–32)

The Parable of the Prodigal Son in the Gospel according to Saint Luke, chapter fifteen, is considered more than a religious story; rather, it is a dramatic text par excellence, rich in theatrical elements that make it an excellent example for literary analysis and stage performance. Through its expressive characters, compelling plot, deep conflicts, and happy ending, it presents a profound human and spiritual vision concerning repentance, forgiveness, and mercy, making it a timeless work in both literature and religion[1].

The Purpose of Jesus in Telling the Parable of the Prodigal Son[2]

Jesus told the Parable of the Prodigal Son to present a comprehensive lesson about repentance, forgiveness, and God’s unconditional love. The story goes beyond being merely a narrative; it carries within it an open invitation to everyone to return to God and to celebrate the joy of heaven at the repentance of a sinner. Through this parable, Jesus redefines the true meaning of human relationship and shows the listener and the viewer that God is always ready to receive the repentant with open arms and a merciful heart.

The text of the Prodigal Son is considered one of the texts rich in theatrical elements that make it suitable for analysis and stage performance. It presents a dramatic story and addresses sensitive human themes such as repentance in the younger son, forgiveness and mercy in the father, and jealousy in the elder brother. All these are themes that we witness daily in our societies and that deserve reflection and contemplation.

The text employs expressive characters and both internal and external conflicts to convey a profound moral and religious message.

The Dramatic Context of the Text[3]

– Setting:

The Father’s House: It represents the place where the story begins and ends. The house symbolizes the relationship between the human being and God, and the return to God’s embrace after repentance.

– The Distant Country: This place is not geographically specified, but it symbolizes spiritual and moral estrangement from God. In this place, the son loses five talents that had been given to him while he was in his father’s house.

He spent everything, that is, he lost everything he possessed in terms of prestige, honor, and wealth that he had enjoyed while in his father’s house.
“A famine struck that country, and he began to be in need.”
This was the stage he reached after losing everything he owned; he began to suffer want.
“Then he went and joined himself to one of the citizens of that country.” He who had been first in his father’s house became attached to the household of a stranger.
“So he sent him into his fields to feed the swine.” The pig was considered forbidden in the Jewish religion; consuming it is prohibited according to the Jewish laws known as Kashrut.[4]

These laws are based on the Torah, specifically in the Books of Leviticus and Deuteronomy. The text states: “And the swine, though it divides the hoof and is cloven-footed, yet does not chew the cud; it is unclean to you. Of their flesh you shall not eat, and their carcasses you shall not touch; they are unclean to you” (Leviticus 11:7–8)[5].

And in the Book of Deuteronomy on the same subject: “And the swine, because it divides the hoof yet does not chew the cud, it is unclean to you; you shall not eat of their flesh nor touch their dead carcass” (Deuteronomy 14:8)[6].

The Reasons and Interpretations[7]

• Ritual Impurity: The pig is considered unclean because it does not chew the cud, even though it has split hooves. This combination of outward and inward characteristics makes it non-compliant with the standards of animals permitted for consumption under Jewish law.

• The Symbolism of Purity and Impurity: Judaism places great importance on distinguishing between the pure and the impure. The pig is regarded as a symbol of both spiritual and physical impurity.

• Health Considerations: Some believe that the prohibition may also have health-related reasons, since pork can potentially transmit certain diseases. Even if this explanation is less accepted than the religious and symbolic interpretations, the result remains the same: pork is forbidden and considered unclean.

The purpose of this point in the text is to highlight the degradation to which that young man had descended after distancing himself from his father’s house. He lost everything and ended up feeding pigs—indeed, even eating their food. Here comes the fifth and most important point:

“He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, and no one gave him anything.”

This sentence expresses the desperate and miserable condition to which the younger son had fallen after squandering his inheritance in a life of debauchery. The lowly job he performed was considered among the most degrading occupations in Jewish culture because of the impurity of the pig, as mentioned earlier[8].

• Symbolism: His desire to eat the “carob pods” (the food of pigs) reflects the extent of his hunger and despair. He was not even permitted to eat the food given to the pigs. By leaving his father’s house and wasting his wealth, the son reached a state of extreme degradation, utter poverty, and spiritual decline—having strayed from the path of God.

His Return to the Father’s House[9]

The son’s return to his father’s house carries many meanings, which may be summarized in five gifts he gained.

• The Kiss: “And while he was still far off, his father saw him and was moved with compassion; he ran and threw himself upon his neck and kissed him at length” (Luke 15:20)[10].

The father’s seeing him from afar signifies that he had been waiting for his son’s return. When he saw him in the distance, he ran to him, embraced him to his wounded and pierced heart, and kissed him. The kiss signifies forgiveness and pardon. To confirm this forgiveness and reconciliation, he clothed him with the robe.

• The Robe: The father orders his servants to dress the son in “the best robe,” which had been taken from him when he stripped himself of the glory he had possessed in his father’s house. Restoring the robe to him expresses joy at his safe return, acceptance, forgiveness, celebration, and reinstatement to the position he had lost through disobedience.

• The Ring: The father commands his servants to bring “the ring” and place it on the returning son’s hand. This ring symbolizes the restoration of his recognition as a full member of the family with complete rights. It expresses the recovery of the honor and status he had lost.

The ring is mentioned in the Old Testament in the story of Joseph, when Pharaoh gave him his ring as a symbol of authority. Pharaoh said to Joseph: “See, I have set you over all the land of Egypt.” Then Pharaoh took his signet ring from his hand and put it on Joseph’s hand, clothed him in garments of fine linen, and put a gold chain around his neck (Genesis 41:41–42).

• The Shoes: “Put shoes on his feet.” The shoes symbolize the restoration of the son’s dignity and status within the family. Shoes were a sign of freedom: only a free man wore shoes, whereas a slave walked barefoot. Placing shoes on his feet is a sign of his liberation from servitude and his restoration to his father’s embrace as a free and honored member of the family.

• The Fattened Calf: The father orders his servants to slaughter “the fattened calf” to celebrate the safe return of his younger son. This calf symbolizes great joy, forgiveness, a grand celebration, and appreciation for the value of return and repentance.

The slaughtering of the fattened calf carries additional meanings and symbols:

Sacrifice and Worship: The fattened calf was offered as a sacrifice in religious rituals, reflecting the importance of sacrifice in the relationship with God.
Generosity and Abundance: Slaughtering the fattened calf demonstrates the father’s generosity and his willingness to sacrifice the best he had to celebrate his son’s return. It symbolizes the abundance of blessings and a warm reception.

The Elder Son (Luke 15:25–32)[11]

• Loyalty and Service: The elder son shows great loyalty to his father and remains with him, working diligently in his service. This indicates the faithfulness and obedience that characterize the elder son toward his father.

• Feeling of Injustice and Jealousy: The elder son feels wronged because he received no reward or celebration despite his continuous service to his father. This feeling appears in his anger, resentment, and refusal to enter the house where the celebration is taking place. Instead, he inquires from a distance through a servant about the reason for the music and dancing.

When he learns what the father has done for his brother—who squandered his wealth with prostitutes—he refuses to enter. He even refuses to call him his brother, saying to his father: “But when this son of yours returned,” expressing his resentment and anger when he sees the celebration for the return of his brother, who in his view deserves punishment rather than festivity and joy.

• The Call to Joy and Forgiveness: The father explains to the elder son the importance of joy and forgiveness in life. He assures him that rejoicing at the return of his lost brother does not diminish his loyalty and service, but rather highlights the mercy and love of the father and the family, and their readiness to welcome the repentant.

The Theatrical Elements in the Text[12]

1. Plot

The plot in the story of the Prodigal Son follows a classical dramatic structure, in which events escalate from an introduction that clarifies the context, through conflict and tension, leading to a turning point and climax, and finally ending with a conclusion that carries a powerful message about mercy, repentance, and forgiveness.

• Introduction

The story begins by presenting the main characters and introducing the central conflict.

• The Father:

The principal and central character in the story. From the very beginning, he appears as a symbol of mercy and love.

• The Younger Son:

The second main character in the text. He asks for his share of the inheritance during his father’s lifetime and decides to leave home and depart in search of a hoped-for freedom and a new life. The text says: “The younger son said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the property that falls to me’” (Luke 15:12).

2. Conflict

Here begin the challenges and conflicts that confront the younger son.

The Financial and Living Crisis:

The crisis experienced by the younger son was not a crisis of conscience for the evil he had committed against himself and against his loving father. Rather, it was a financial crisis that stemmed from the hunger and need that struck him after he had squandered his wealth on prostitutes and a life of immorality and debauchery. He finds himself alone in a state of extreme poverty:
“And when he had spent everything, a severe famine arose in that country, and he began to be in need” (Luke 15:14).

3. Rising Action

Events grow more complex and escalate toward the climax.

• Working with the Pigs: The son reaches a level of poverty that forces him to work with pigs—a job considered degrading in Jewish culture, as previously mentioned:
“So he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed the pigs” (Luke 15:15).

• The Turning Point: A radical transformation occurs in the story when the son decides to return to his father.

• Confession of Wrongdoing and Return: Moved by his hunger and humiliation, the son realizes his mistake and decides to return to his father, confessing his sins:
“But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you’” (Luke 15:17–18).

4. Climax

The dramatic tension reaches its highest point in the encounter between the son and the father.

• Reception and Forgiveness: The father receives him with joy and forgives him even before he asks for forgiveness. This represents the climax of the dramatic structure of the story:
“And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still far off, his father saw him and was moved with compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him” (Luke 15:20).

5. Conclusion

This includes the final resolution and settlement of the conflicts.

• The Celebration of the Son’s Return: The father orders the slaughter of the fattened calf and the holding of a great celebration for the safe return of his son. The father says: “Bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate, for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.” And they began to celebrate (Luke 15:23–24).

• Dialogue with the Elder Son: The text concludes with a dialogue between the father and the elder son, who feels injustice and jealousy because he was not honored in the same way. The father explains the necessity of rejoicing at the return of the “lost” son: “It was fitting to celebrate and be glad, for this your brother was dead and is alive; he was lost and is found” (Luke 15:23).

The Theatrical Vision of the Text[13]

As for the theatrical vision of the text, it can focus on several aspects.

I. Emotions and Feelings

The emotional tension between the father and the prodigal son stands out, as well as the internal conflict experienced by the elder son upon his brother’s return home. The text is saturated with emotions and feelings that reflect human life experiences—sin, repentance, envy, and jealousy. An analysis of the emotions and feelings in the text reveals the depth of the wisdom and moral values it carries.

1. The Prodigal Son:

Rebellion and the desire for freedom: The younger son’s longing for independence drove him to request his share of the inheritance and leave home.
Pleasure and reckless impulsiveness: These led him to live a liberated life filled with pleasures and unreflective indulgence, unaware of the consequences.
Remorse and shame: After squandering his wealth and experiencing loneliness, poverty, and hunger, he felt regret, realizing his mistake and poor judgment.
Repentance and hope: The son returns to his father submissive and obedient, hoping in his father’s mercy and prepared to bear the consequences of his actions.

2. The Father:

Sadness and anxiety: The son’s absence created sorrow and anxiety in the father’s heart, yet he retained hope for his return.
Mercy and forgiveness: The father’s heart was moved with compassion and forgiveness when he saw his son coming toward him in a miserable state; he did not hesitate to receive him with open arms.
Overwhelming joy: A joy that moved the father to celebrate by slaughtering the fattened calf, considering that his son had been dead and was alive again, lost and now found.

3. The Elder Son:

Jealousy and resentment: When he sees that the celebration was held by the father for the son who had gone astray and erred—rather than for the son who had respected the father’s command—he sets himself up as judge and declares that his brother does not deserve such a welcome.
Entitlement and justice: The elder son feels neglected and unappreciated despite his constant loyalty and continuous service to his father.
Compassion and reconciliation: It is possible that the elder brother may feel compassion for his father after their conversation, coming to understand the value of mercy and forgiveness.

The Impact of Emotions on the Story:

Emotions intensify the dramatic conflict: Feelings of rebellion, regret, repentance, joy, and jealousy all strengthen the dramatic tension within the story, making it more powerful and engaging.
Emotions convey moral lessons: Through the portrayal of these feelings, the story demonstrates the importance of mercy, forgiveness, and repentance, making it a profound moral lesson.
Emotions deepen empathy: The reader or viewer can empathize with the characters and their feelings, making the story more influential and inspiring.

The emotions and feelings in the story of the prodigal son play a vital role in conveying its moral and spiritual message. They make the characters close to human reality and help the audience engage with the story deeply and understand its meanings with sincerity and integrity.

II. Internal Conflict[14]

Internal conflict plays a central role in highlighting the human and moral dimensions of the characters. This conflict within the three main characters—the father, the younger son, and the elder son—makes the story not merely a tale about repentance and forgiveness, but a profound psychological study of emotions and struggles faced by individuals in their lives and how they respond to them.

Some behave like the merciful father; some act like the ignorant younger son; and others behave like the envious elder son. The story embodies reality, and its lessons build humanity and call it toward a better future in which forgiveness and love prevail over hatred and selfishness.

The Dramatic Importance of Internal Conflict:

Deepening the characters: Internal conflict adds depth to the characters, making them more realistic and human. It shows that every individual in society carries complexities and personal struggles, which enhances the strength and impact of the story.
Reinforcing the moral message: Important moral messages in the story—such as the importance of repentance, forgiveness, mercy, and compassion toward others—are clarified through these conflicts.
Developing the plot: Internal conflicts drive the characters to make decisive choices that influence the course of events, making the plot more compelling and suspenseful.

III. Settings and Scenes in the Text[15]

These settings and scenes in the story of the prodigal son take us on a journey filled with emotional and psychological transformations, enhancing our understanding of the deep moral and spiritual message. These elements contribute to making the text more powerful and impactful and allow the audience to engage with the characters, their suffering, and their victories on a profoundly human level.

The text contains a series of settings that guide us through the journey of the younger son and illustrate his emotional and psychological transformations.

• The Father’s House: It is considered a symbol of safety, stability, and love. It is the place from which the son begins his journey and to which he ultimately returns. It represents the embrace of fatherhood, mercy, and forgiveness. Upon the son’s return, it becomes a place of celebration and joy.

• The Distant Land: It is the place the younger son goes after receiving his share of the inheritance, where he lives a life of extravagance and debauchery. It represents the world of sin and deviation from the right path. It is the place where the son learns a harsh lesson about the consequences of his decisions.

• The Farm: It is the place where the prodigal son works as a caretaker of pigs after his money has run out and he becomes hungry. This farm represents the lowest point he reaches and embodies his suffering and sense of regret. It also highlights the great contrast between his life there and his former life in his father’s house.

Symbolism and Lessons from the Text[16]

The story of the prodigal son is rich in symbolism and profound lessons that reflect spiritual and moral values in Christianity. Through analyzing these symbols and lessons, we can understand the core message of the story: divine mercy and genuine repentance are the keys to returning to God and living in inner peace.

From this symbolism in the text, we derive the following:

The Symbolism of the Father: The father represents God or divine love that welcomes the return of repentant sinners regardless of their sins. His behavior toward his prodigal son reflects the idea of unconditional forgiveness and inexhaustible love.
The Symbolism of the Younger Son: The younger son represents the sinful human being who strays from the right path but eventually returns due to a turning point in his life, filled with remorse. He symbolizes every individual who turns away from God because of bodily and material desires and falls into sin, yet finds the way back through repentance.
The Symbolism of the Elder Son: The elder son symbolizes the person who resents God’s mercy toward repentant sinners, compares himself to them, and envies the Lord’s forgiving treatment of them—forgetting the Lord’s words that He did not come for the righteous, for it is sinners who need a physician. The elder son represents a group of people who strictly follow religious laws and duties but lack mercy and tolerance toward others.
The Symbolism of the Distant Land: The distant land symbolizes estrangement from God and being lost in worldly pleasures. It reflects a life of debauchery and departure from spiritual and moral values.
The Inheritance: The inheritance represents the gifts and blessings that God grants to human beings, and it shows how a person may waste these gifts in the pursuit of desires and pleasures.
The Pigs: The pigs symbolize impurity and degradation in Jewish culture. The prodigal son’s work in tending pigs represents the humiliation a person reaches when distancing himself from God.

Lessons Learned from the Text[17]

• The Power of Repentance and Forgiveness: The story teaches us that God is a merciful and forgiving deity who pardons repentant sinners regardless of their sins. His love is limitless. The story encourages the human person to repent and return to God with confidence in His mercy.

• Mercy Above Justice: The story teaches us that mercy and compassion are inseparable attributes of God, and we, as His children, must embody them. When we pray the Lord’s Prayer, we say, “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive.” Therefore, we must imitate our heavenly Father by being merciful and forgiving toward others, especially those who seek repentance and reform.

• The Value of Rejoicing at the Return of the Lost to the Fold: The story highlights the great joy God feels at the return of the lost to the right path. It encourages individuals and religious communities to celebrate the return to God and rejoice at the sinner’s return to the father’s house, rather than appointing ourselves as judges while ignoring our own sins. For we are all sinners in need of repentance and humble return to the fatherly embrace.

• Avoiding Jealousy and Resentment: The story teaches that jealousy and resentment toward God’s mercy shown to others are unjustified. It urges us to adopt an open and understanding attitude toward others and to appreciate God’s mercy, which encompasses all. He makes His sun rise on the righteous and the wicked and rejoices at the return of the lost sheep. He is the Good Shepherd.

The prophet Isaiah says: “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder; and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6)[18].

And Luke says concerning the lost sheep: “And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders rejoicing; and when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost’” (Luke 15:5–6)[19].

If the Lord bears the governance of the entire universe upon His shoulder, yet carries the found lost sheep upon both His shoulders and returns home rejoicing, then we too must rejoice, like the Master, at the return of the lost sheep safely to the Lord’s dwelling.

• Confession of Error and the Value of Humility: The text demonstrates the importance of acknowledging one’s mistakes with humility and seeking forgiveness. It encourages individuals to be honest with themselves and with God, and to strive seriously for reform and repentance.

The Dramatic Conflict in the Text[20]

The dramatic conflict in the story of the Prodigal Son strengthens the power and impact of the narrative by portraying the internal and external struggles faced by the characters. These conflicts contribute to the development of the plot and to the delivery of the spiritual and moral messages carried by the story.

Internal Conflict in the Story

It is manifested in:

The conflict between the desire for freedom, responsibility, independence, and liberation from family constraints.
Remorse and guilt over what he has done—a struggle that drives him to consider returning to his father.
Humility and hope for mercy: upon deciding to return, the son faces a struggle between his sense of shame and humility and his hope of receiving his father’s mercy and acceptance.

The Father’s Internal Conflict

The father’s internal conflict appears in:

Sorrow and anxiety versus hope: Despite his grief over his son’s departure, he retained hope for his return: “But while he was still far off, his father saw him” (Luke 15:20). This conflict between sorrow and hope reflects the deep emotions of fatherhood.
Forgiveness versus punishment: The father faces a struggle between the desire to punish his son for his mistakes and the desire to grant him forgiveness and acceptance.

The Elder Son’s Internal Conflict

It appears in:

Jealousy and resentment: A conflict between loyalty to the family and a sense of injustice at seeing celebrations for the return of his brother who squandered his father’s wealth in debauchery.
Justice versus mercy: A struggle between his sense of justice—believing his brother does not deserve celebration—and his father’s call to learn mercy and forgiveness.

External Conflict in the Story

It appears in:

• The Conflict Between the Prodigal Son and Society

Rejection and acceptance: After squandering all his money and falling into misery, the son finds himself rejected by the society he thought loved him, only to realize that self-interest had governed that false love. This conflict reflects the challenges faced by those who fall into sin and attempt to return to the right path.

• The Conflict Between the Father and the Elder Son

Explanation and containment: The father attempts to explain his position in celebrating the prodigal son’s return to the elder brother, seeking to contain his anger and resentment. This external conflict reflects the necessity of understanding and communication within the family.

Climax and Resolution

• The Climax: The story reaches its dramatic climax when the younger son returns to his father’s house and encounters him in a meeting filled with powerful emotions. The father’s love and forgiveness are revealed—his unconditional love despite the offense committed against him. At the same time, we witness the elder son’s resentment toward the celebration of his brother’s return, which heightens the dramatic tension and prompts the viewer or reader to ask: What is happening? How will it be resolved? What ending awaits after the conflict reaches its peak? Here comes the resolution.

• The Resolution: The knots begin to unravel progressively. The younger son’s conflict is resolved through the father’s warm reception, even before questioning him about what he had done to himself and to his father. Instead, he calls the servants to clothe him with the robe, ring, and shoes, after kissing him with the kiss of forgiveness and reconciliation, and slaughtering the fattened calf for him.

The second conflict is resolved with the elder son, who angrily refuses to enter the house and even refuses to call his brother by name, saying to his father, “When this son of yours returned.” In his resentment, he strips his brother of the title of brotherhood and blames his father, accusing him of injustice in treating them equally.

The resolution comes through the father’s calmness, as he absorbs his elder son’s anger and reproach. It is a resolution built upon the father’s explanation of his perspective and reassurance that the elder son’s share is secure: “Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours” (Luke 15:31)[21].

But if you have chosen to remain always with me, then you must think as I think and act as I act—with love and forgiveness, without impulsiveness. Therefore, he explains the necessity and importance of rejoicing at his brother’s return and assures him that he need not fear losing his place, for his place is secure in his father’s heart. He must rejoice at his brother’s return. This joy does not diminish his value or loyalty; rather, it increases his father’s love for him when his heart becomes like the father’s—merciful and forgiving. For it is the sick who need a physician, not the healthy: “For this your brother was dead and is alive; he was lost and is found” (Luke 15:23).

The Dramatic Dialogues in the Text[22]

The dramatic dialogue in the story significantly contributes to conveying the lessons and concepts the story aims to communicate. The dialogues are simple, yet they carry profound meanings for the viewer or reader. Sometimes silence expresses more than words, as the father does in his second encounter with his younger son after his return home—where his silence is accompanied by actions, as we shall see.

The First Dialogue Between the Younger Son and His Father

The text begins with the narrator recounting the story, and the characters enter to become alive, speaking in their own voices.

The Younger Son: “Father, give me the share of the property that falls to me” (Luke 15:12).
The Narrator: “So he divided his property between them.”

After expressing what the father did, the narrator continues telling the story as the tensions escalate.

The Younger Son’s Monologue: We then move to the younger son’s monologue—his inner conversation before deciding to return to his father. The narrator says: “But when he came to himself and said.” Here begins the monologue, as the younger son speaks to himself:

“How many of my father’s hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish here with hunger! I will arise and go to my father and say to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants’” (Luke 15:17–19).

The tension rises until it reaches its climax with the prodigal son’s return and his dialogue with his father.

The Second Dialogue Between the Younger Son and the Father

The Younger Son: “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son” (Luke 15:21).

The father’s grief, previously expressed by the narrator, is transformed into an opportunity expressed by the father himself.

The Narrator: “But the father said to his servants.”
The Father: “Bring quickly the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and shoes on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it; let us eat and celebrate, for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found” (Luke 15:22–24).
The Narrator: “And they began to celebrate” (Luke 15:24).

The Third Dialogue Between the Servant and the Elder Son

The narrator continues with precise detail and prepares for the arrival of the elder son returning from the field.

The Narrator: “He heard music and dancing, and he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant” (Luke 15:25).
The Servant: “Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has received him safe and sound” (Luke 15:26).

The plot tightens until it reaches its resolution through the dialogue between the father and the elder son.

The Fourth Dialogue Between the Father and the Elder Son

The Elder Son: “Lo, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your command; yet you never gave me even a young goat that I might celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him” (Luke 15:29–30).

The narrator introduces the father’s response:

The Narrator: “And he said to him.”
The Father: “Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. It was fitting to celebrate and be glad, for this your brother was dead and is alive; he was lost and is found” (Luke 15:31–32).

Conclusion

When we draw the curtain on the stage of Parable of the Prodigal Son, we realize that we were not standing before a simple family story, but before the drama of existence in its entirety—a scene in which freedom intersects with loss, remorse with hope. The greater truth is that fatherly love is not measured by human standards; it surpasses the limits of justice to reach the threshold of extraordinary mercy.

The dramatic element here is not merely an emotional plot, but the inner transformation that creates the true stage within the soul. Hunger, the swine, departure, return—these are but external scenes. The greater drama unfolds in the moment when “a person comes to himself,” that moment when the stage of the world falls silent and the heart becomes the true platform upon which voices contend: the voice of pride, the voice of shame, the voice of fear, and the voice of return.

Within the text lies a dramatic element rarely highlighted: the role of silence in the father’s heart. The father does not run after his son when he departs, nor does he send him messages demanding his return. Rather, he allows freedom to take its course, for he knows that freedom which does not pass through the hunger of experience cannot reach the banquet of grace.

There is another dimension seldom discussed: the elder son in the narrative is not merely a secondary character, but also a stage upon which questions of justice, comparison, envy, and anger are laid bare. The drama is not only between father and son, but also between brother and brother, where a persistent question arises: can love endure the resentment of those who consider themselves righteous?

In its profound dramatic depth, the text of the Prodigal Son is not a story of the past but a call to the present. Every departure from the self is a loss; every return is a resurrection. It is as though the play does not end at the banquet, but begins there.

Human beings are called to live upon the stage of time between the awakening of remorse and the courage of return, and to understand that fatherly love does not tire of waiting, does not age, and does not close its doors. Divine love is an open stage upon which the curtain is never lowered.

After journeying through the scenes of the Prodigal Son—where loss gives birth to return, and where the heart is the stage upon which mercy and repentance meet—we move to another scene from the Gospel: Parable of the Good Samaritan, where the drama is not founded upon an internal conflict within the self, but upon the encounter between one human being and another.

Here we stand before a different kind of stage: the stage of the open road. No house, no family—only barren ground upon which a human being stands stripped of every protection. The road between Jerusalem and Jericho is more than geography; it is the space of confrontation between cruelty and mercy, indifference and presence.

The profound dramatic element in this text is not merely the fall of a man into the hands of robbers, but the fall of conscience. The priest and the Levite pass by as though before a closed stage; they see the wound yet do not enter the scene. The Samaritan—the stranger, the rejected one—is the one who steps into the stage, not as a hero, but as “the one who is present.” And presence is the greatest dramatic act in the divine texts.

There is a rarely noted element here: the drama is double. There is an external stage—a wounded man on the road—and an internal scene, the reader’s own soul compelled to determine its position: Is it a passerby or a healer of wounds? A spectator or an agent?

The deeper theological dimension is that the Samaritan does not merely represent a kind human being, but the very image of Christ—the stranger who came to a land not His own, bound up wounds, paid the cost, and departed with a promise to return. Thus, as we prepare to study the dramatic elements in this text, we do not stand before a moralizing tale, but before a living summons from a wounded man asking: “Who is my neighbor?” Upon this earth? And among these three figures—the priest, the Levite, and the Samaritan—the great scene is drawn: oil, wine, and the daring of a love that heals without questioning.

It is an open stage before every human being, and each one alone must decide: to pass by, or to stop and make of his own hands a scene of incarnate mercy.

The story of the Prodigal Son teaches us that sincere repentance has the power to restore a person to the right path, no matter how great his sins may be. It is a reminder of God’s boundless mercy and forgiveness, and that fatherly love—whether earthly or divine—surpasses every fault and welcomes the returning lost with an open heart and outstretched arms. It is a story that teaches us to show mercy to others as we desire to be shown mercy, and to seek always the way back to the right path, no matter how far we have strayed.

LIST OF REFERENCES

The forty parables of Jesus by Gerald Lohfin; Liturgical press 2021.
1. Storie with intent a comprehensive guide to the parables of Jesus by klyne R. SNODGRARS SECOND EDITION PUBLISHED BY Wim. B. Eermans publishing co. 2018.
1. The Return of the Prodigal Son: A Story of Homecoming, by Henri J. M. Nouwen, Image Books, 1992.
  This book is considered one of the literary and spiritual studies based on the story of the Prodigal Son. Nouwen discusses the dramatic context of the story and connects art and spirituality by exploring the relationship between the father and the son, as well as the dramatic elements that appear in the text.
1. How to Keep Kosher: A Comprehensive Guide to Understanding Jewish Dietary Laws, by Lise Stern, First Edition, HarperCollins.
1. The Holy Bible – The Book of Leviticus.
1. The Holy Bible – The Book of Deuteronomy.
1. Symbols of Forgiveness in the Parable of the Prodigal Son, Father Matta El-Meskeen, St. Anba Maqar Press, 1985.
  Father Matta El-Meskeen provides an interpretation of the symbols in the parable of the Prodigal Son and explains how they relate to divine forgiveness. The kiss, the ring, the robe, the shoes, and the slaughtering of the fattened calf represent elements symbolizing humanity’s return to God’s embrace after repentance. Each of these carries a distinct spiritual significance.
1. The Holy Bible – The Gospel According to Saint Luke.
1. “La parabole du fils prodigue”: une approche narrative, Pierre Prigent, Labor et Fides, 2003.
  In this book, Prigent approaches the story from a dramatic narrative perspective, focusing particularly on the character of the elder son. He presents an analysis of the elder son’s feelings of bitterness and jealousy, and how his refusal to accept the mercy granted to his brother by their father is manifested. The book shows how the elder son represents a typical figure of those who adhere to the law yet lack a deep understanding of divine mercy.
1. The Drama of the Lost Son: The Parable as Theatre, Bruce Longenecker, Westminster John Knox Press, 2004.
  The author discusses how the Prodigal Son narrative can be considered a fully integrated theatrical work. The book studies character development, internal conflicts, plot progression, and resolution, and how these are presented in a style resembling classical dramatic theatre.
1. La parabole du fils prodigue: une lecture narrative et dramatique, Jean-Yves Leloup, Albin Michel, 2002.
  Leloup examines the story of the Prodigal Son from a theatrical perspective and analyzes the relationships between the characters. He discusses the dramatic structure of the story and the role of each character in presenting the conflict within the text, explaining how the dramatic escalation reaches its climax at the moment of return and reconciliation.
1. The Parables of Jesus: A Commentary, by Arland J. Hultgren, Eerdmans Publishing, 2000.
  Hultgren offers a comprehensive interpretation of the parables of Jesus in his book, including a clear analysis of the dramatic elements in the story of the Prodigal Son. The book discusses how the interactions between the characters and the decisions they make weave a theatrical vision of the text, portraying the Prodigal Son, the father, and the elder son as principal characters in the drama of repentance and mercy.
1. Il drama del figlio prodigo: studio sulle tecniche narrative e drammatiche, Giuseppe Barbaglio, Edizioni Dehoniane Bologna (E.D.B.), 1988.
  The author examines the internal conflict in the text from the perspective of narrative techniques. He focuses on the psychological transformations experienced by the younger son, the father, and the elder son, analyzing how these inner struggles express the social and religious values that are challenged in the text.
1. The Prodigal Son: A Commentary on Luke 15:11–32, by Kenneth E. Bailey, InterVarsity Press, 1992.
  This book provides a detailed critical and literary analysis of the story of the Prodigal Son and addresses the scenic and visual dimensions present in the text.
1. The Gospel Parables: An Exegetical Study, by Abdullah Youssef, Christian Publishing House, 2005.
  This book contains analyses of the parables of Jesus, including the Prodigal Son, with a focus on symbolism within the text.
1. Studies in the Bible: Interpretation of the Parables, Rev. Marcos Fikry, St. Mark Coptic Church, 1998.
  The book presents a symbolic interpretation of the Gospel parables, including the Parable of the Prodigal Son.
1. Returning to God: Meditations on the Story of the Prodigal Son, Father Matta El-Meskeen, St. Anthony Monastery, 1997.
  This book contains meditations on the story of the Prodigal Son and highlights the lessons derived from it regarding repentance and forgiveness.
1. The Holy Bible – The Book of the Prophet Isaiah.
1. The Holy Bible – The Gospel According to Saint Luke.
1. Parables in the Bible: Dramatic Studies, Father Michel Al-Tarras, Dar Al-Mashreq, 2008.
  The book discusses dramatic conflict in the biblical parables, including the story of the Prodigal Son, with analysis of the tense relationships between the father and his son, as well as the elder brother.
1. Drama in the Bible: A Critical Study, Abd Al-Masih Basit, Christian Culture House, 2003.
  The book examines dramatic elements and conflict in the Gospel parables, with a detailed analysis of the Parable of the Prodigal Son.
1. The Dramatic Elements in the Bible, Abd Al-Masih Basit, Christian Publishing House, 2004.
  The book addresses how dialogue is used in the text to create dramatic tension, with particular analysis of the theatrical dialogue between the characters in the parable.