By connecting John and Pontius with these biblical characters through the symbol of fish, Ruhl adds psychological value to her play. This familiar Christian symbol makes her metaphors more clear and presents her audiences with two opposing forces that must find common ground throughout the course of the play. The audience must think more critically about these common biblical figures, deciding for themselves how moral their decisions are within the given circumstances. Similar to the double meaning of fish, water symbolizes both the “living waters” of Christ and the seas of the world that souls can get lost in (Drewer 534). Ruhl associates John with Christ by having him spend his days upon the living waters as he fishes, while Pontius is
