The poem is a commentary upon and adaptation of the biblical story of Jesus. The Bible describes the figure of Pontius Pilate and his role in the trial and execution of Jesus, and Carol Ann Duffy here riffs upon and references that story. The biblical narrative also mentions the wife of Pilate, though little is said about this figure. Carol Ann Duffy instead imaginatively expands upon the little information provided about her. Pontius Pilate was a real historical figure dwelling in Roman Jerusalem at the beginning of the first century, while his wife may have been a real individual as well. In other words, Duffy's poem operates on several levels at once, simultaneously referencing historical individuals and the Bible's narrative about these individuals. Here, we summarize what is known about the life of the real Pontius Pilate, and will briefly delve into the Bible's depiction of the two characters.
Relatively little firm historical evidence, outside of biblical sources, exists about Pontius Pilate. What is known is that he was a governor, or prefect, of the Roman territory of Judaea during the first century. In this role, he served as a representative of the Roman Empire, helping to ensure the power of Emperor Tiberius in a far-flung outpost. Evidence suggests that Pilate was an unpopular figure, cultivating little goodwill among the Jewish residents of the region. Appointed by Tiberius, Pilate was recalled to Rome in 37 CE after a series of riots protesting his rule. He died shortly thereafter.
Within the New Testament, Pilate is a figure of indecision and internal conflict. He states clearly in several of the gospels that he believes Jesus to be innocent, at least of any crimes that might be punished with execution. In the Book of Luke, for instance, Pilate explains, "‘I have found in him no grounds for the death penalty." In the Book of Matthew, meanwhile, Pilate ultimately capitulates to the assembled crowd, who wish to see Jesus executed. Yet he "washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person." Consistently across the gospels, Pilate believes Jesus to be somewhat innocent if not divine—yet he allows, or is forced to allow, his execution. Meanwhile, Pilate's wife is unmentioned in historical sources, though she has a single biblical appearance in the Book of Matthew. Here, she sends her husband a note saying, "Don’t have anything to do with that innocent man, for I have suffered a great deal today in a dream because of him.” This incident forms the basis of Carol Ann Duffy's feminist retelling.
In Christian tradition, Pontius Pilate—and by extension his wife—have been read as both heroes and villains. In the early church, Pilate's biblical belief in Jesus's innocence, and his wife's advocacy on behalf of Jesus, caused them to be viewed as martyrs. Indeed, various apocryphal sources such as the Acts of Pilate, also called the Gospel of Nicodemus, allegedly detailed Pilate's conversion to Christianity. In Orthodox Christianity, Pilate's wife is considered a saint, while Pontius Pilate is also a saint in Ethiopian Christianity. The depiction of Pilate as upstanding may have been rooted in the early church's desire to appease Roman officials. However, over time the Western church came to view Pilate with less admiration, characterizing him as weak or cowardly.
Rather than treating Pilate and his wife as a unit, Carol Ann Duffy separates them. She reflects Orthodox Christianity's sympathy for Pilate's wife, but adopts Western Christianity's skepticism toward Pilate himself. However, she goes beyond the meager direct source material available on Pilate's wife. Extrapolating from a single biblical verse, Duffy imaginatively delves into the hypothetical world of Pilate's wife. In doing so, she makes an oblique commentary on the lack of source material surrounding this individual, which makes it impossible to know whether she even existed. While some records of her husband's life remain, this woman—if she existed—has been entirely lost to history, revived only through imaginative renderings.
