Abstract: This article focuses on violence as a basic theme in various plays by George Tabori. The article contends that an interest in how humans deal with violence, both as perpetrated and as suffered, fundamentally informs Tabori’s work for the theatre. The murderous violence of the Nazi regime against the Jews is inextricably linked with this preoccupation. In his plays, Tabori draws on various theatre traditions and dramaturgical models to address the question how violence can be atoned for or avenged, and whether reconciliation is possible. The notion of theatre as a sacrificial ritual that defers the continuation of violence is crucial to Tabori’s approach.

Keywords: George Tabori – theatre and ritual – shoah – violence – justice – atonement