In his essay on the play, Professor Clarke Hulse counts "14 killings, nine of them on stage, six severed members, one rape (or two or three, depending on how you count), one live burial, one case of insanity and one of cannibalism - an average of 5.2 atrocities per act, or one for every 97 lines".

BBC: How unrealistic is murder on television?

While it might seem unusual for a CIA director to take interest in a veteran's burial dispute, in Joyeuse's case, Petraeus was paying homage to a fellow soldier-spy, said O'Donnell, whose latest book, "Dog Company, " tells the story of U.S. Army Rangers in World War II.

WSJ: Ex-CIA chief aided WWII hero's Arlington burial