Compare and Contrast the ways in which Sherriff and Whelan present Stanhopes and Tom Hackfords attitudes to and perception of the war.

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Compare and Contrast the ways in which Sherriff and Whelan present Stanhope’s and Tom Hackford’s attitudes to, and perception of, the war. To what extent would you agree that the characterization of Stanhope’s attitudes and perception are more credible than those of Tom Hackford?

Both R.C Sherriff and Peter Whelan in `Journey’s End` and `The Accrington Pals` use the characters Stanhope and Hackford to present the way war is perceived on stage through the perceptions of other characters and of stage through the perception of the audience. Stanhope and Hackford are also used to affect the way the audience perceives the Great War. The main themes that are presented in both plays through Stanhope and Hackford concern the devaluation of the lives of the soldiers serving in the frontline.  Whelan and Sherriff use Stanhope and Hackford to present anti-heroism. Stanhope’s character is more credible than Hackford’s. This is because Stanhope’s character is far more authentic than Hackford’s. Hackford is a naïve young man who believes that The Great War is beneficial for the needs of society to become more cooperative although Hackford is unaware of the cost the Great War will bring; the death of many. On the other hand Stanhope is an officer who is renowned for his experience on the frontline. Stanhope knows of the costs this war brings to the other soldiers around him and the cost this war has on his own well-being.

Sherriff presents Stanhope as an unsettled character, through the presentation of the setting. `Except for the table, beds, and seats, there is no furniture save the bottles holding the candles. ` The setting is used as a device to educate the audience about the living conditions in the front line. Many people in the audience would not know what the frontline would have looked like, due to censorship.  The simplicity of the setting is symbolic of Stanhope’s loss of sophistication because of the basic necessities provided in the setting. The dim setting and the few possessions create a feeling of claustrophobia. Sherriff has created such a scene to make the audience feel uneasy. The scene is continuous, so Stanhope is confined in the dugout in the same way the audience feels confined. The lack of change in the setting is symbolic of the lack of change during the Great War because of the strategy of attrition.  In the same way the war is wearing away Stanhope. `And because he’s stuck it till his nerves have got battered to bits, he’s called a drunkard. ` This can be seen; in the slow dismantle of Stanhope’s reputation as he becomes renowned for his drinking. This can be seen in Stanhope’s loss of sensibility as he is drunk through intervals of the play. Therefore the set effectively illustrates the hardship of war. Similarly Whelan uses his setting to present Hackford as a transparent. The setting is informative to the audience. `Sound of guns in a series of faint echoes. The stage darkens. A flare going off in the distance bathes the edge of the stage in white light. ` Whelan like Sherriff uses setting to present as authentically as he can, the reality of frontline warfare; Whelan contradicts the methods of censorship. In the same way Hackford’s character does not conceal any of his own thoughts and beliefs. As he openly argues his socialist beliefs, and he openly pursues May Hassall. The Clear `sound of guns` and flashing of ` white light` is similar to Hackford’s characterisation; for he is openly expressive. Much like the` white light` Hackford’s character is symbolic of innocence; he has not experienced the reality of war. Hackford’s innocence will not benefit his service as a soldier because the image Hackford has of the war is at variance to the reality of the war. Hackford will be taken aback by the true hardship fighting in the frontline brings. Like Stanhope, Hackford will experience the strain of war although Hackford did not live through the war long enough for his character to become like Stanhope’s. Whelan makes clear to the audience that Hackford is out of place on the western front although Hackford desires to go to war. Hackford’s dilemma is a result of his own choice, whereas for Stanhope, the war is to blame for his misery.    

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 Stanhope has experienced the hardship that war brings and is very much against the idea of the war because from Stanhope’s perspective the war has damaged him and the other’s around him for example Hibbert therefore Stanhope’s considers the thoughts and feelings of others rather than his own. `We all feel like you do sometimes, if you only knew. I hate and loathe it all. ` Stanhope shows his conscience because he can sympathize with those who cannot cope with the difficulties war brings for example the character Hibbert. Stanhope can understand living in this war can be emotionally ...

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