Judas Iscariot, the disciple, hanged himself on a tree after betraying Jesus Christ and giving him a kiss. The tree in which Judas hanged himself is known as the "Judas Tree" and is found mainly in southern Europe and western Asia. In the story “Flowering Judas” written by Katherine Anne Porter the title is linked to this religious event of betrayal, murder and denial. The two main characters in this story are Braggioni and Laura. Braggoni is a cruel and powerful leader of Marxist revolutionaries in and around Mexico City. Laura a beautiful American woman, 22 years old, who settled in Mexico. The best-known theme in Porter's short story “Flowering Judas” is betrayal. Laura, Braggioni, Braggioni's wife and Eugenio are all guilty of treason. Laura betrays the love in her life. Rejecting all men who intend to reach her heart. Laura imagines Braggioni as a “thin revolutionary, animated by heroic faith, a vessel of abstract virtues” (Porter p.1692). Imagining a revolutionary as a Christ figure. Laura betrays Braggioni by making him believe she is interested in him. “She knows what Braggioni would offer her, and she must resist tenaciously without appearing to resist” (Porter p. 1692). Laura does not intend to tell Bragioni to disappear from her life. Laura fears that she might disturb his pride and knows that Braggioni is powerful and this could lead to him hurting her. Porter states: “Braggioni is cruel to everyone, because it is dangerous to offend him, and no one has this courage” (p. 1992). Not only is Laura cheating on Braggioni but also Braggioni's wife. Laura is committing adultery by passing false judgment on a married man and may cause the separation of someone else's marriage. A nineteen year old... middle of paper... ura claims to have brought the narcotic substance to Eugenio. In the last supper where Jesus Christ presented to his disciples the bread as his body and the wine as his blood; they were to eat and drink from it in memory of him and accepting him as their savior. At the end of the story Porter presents us with an event related to a dream that Laura has with Eugenio. Eugene says to Laura in the dream “Then eat these flowers, poor prisoner,” and from a Judas tree he plucked the hot, bleeding flowers, and held them to her lips (p. 1700). Here Porter mentions Judas referring to the disciple who betrayed Jesus. Laura by accepting and eating the bloody leave of Eugene, torn from the Judas tree, accepts the contribution to his murder. Just as Christians accept Jesus on Sunday through Holy Communion. Laura betrayed Eugenio by participating in his murder.