Killing Lincoln

Ford’s Theatre is the location in which John Wilkes Booth assassinated President Lincoln. The theatre was a second home to Booth, and his knowledge of the theatre allowed him to move so expertly through the place while planning and carrying out the assassination. The theatre is symbolic in that Booth was a noted actor and the theatre was his life, meaning that killing Lincoln in the theatre played to his vanity and love of dramatics. The theatre is also a stage, and Booth conducted the assassination as if it were his greatest role and performance.

The play Lincoln was watching when he was assassinated, Our American Cousin, is the same play he saw when he began his career as president, thus bookmarking his presidency as the narrative indicates. Notably, it ended his presidency with his murder. The narrative paints the picture that the president didn’t want to go to the play, as if he knew he was doomed. Lincoln also invites half a dozen people to attend, with all of them refusing, again suggesting that there was some doom surrounding the play. Booth also used a specific scene and line of dialogue in the third act of the play as a cue for Lincoln’s death.