Stanhope has internal conflict because he is censorings Raleigh’s letter, he says: “Yes. I have to censor all letters”. Stanhope does this to make sure Raleigh’s sister does not find out how much he has changed, Stanhope knows it is wrong but he has internal conflict in himself so he can not stop censoring the letters. The stage directions help us understand Stanhope’s character because the way he acts, expresses his personality and how he feels: ‘ He is the picture of misery, Stanhope stands impatiently beside him.’ This stage direction tells us that he is miserable and impatient because Osborne, his best friend died the day before and he proberly has a hang over from the party night before.
The other characters help us understand Stanhope because Hardy say:’ How is the dear young boy? Drinking like a fish, as usual?’ This quotation reveals that everyone knows Stanhope drinks a lot all the time, so they may think he is an alcoholic. Osborne also says:’ He’s a long way the best company commander we’ve got’. This quotation reveals that everyone thinks he is a great commander they have got. Hardy then says: ‘Oh, he’s a good chap...’ This quotation reveals that even though he drinks a lot of alcohol, they all like him and look up to him.
Stanhope’s relationship with Raleigh has a great impact on the audience because they both knew each other before they went to war, and Raleigh looked up to Stanhope at school.:” yes, rather”! We were at school to get her –at least-of course-I was only a kid and he was one of the big fellows: has three years older than I’ am: they also are a bit related because Stanhope is seeing Raleigh’s sister:” Denis used to stay with us and naturally my sister” And also says: they’re not-er- officially engaged-“ also Raleigh’s got his uncle to pull a few strings to get into some regiment as Stanhope: ”yes I went to see him on the quiet and asked him if he could get me into this battalion. He bit my head off, and said I’d got to be treated like everybody else-“Also Raleigh’s means a lot to Stanhope because when Raleigh was dieing, he said: “Steady old boy. Just lie there quietly for a bit”. All of these quotations show that Stanhope has a nice caring side to him and that Stanhope means a lot to Raleigh, because what ever happens Raleigh wanted to be in the same regiment as him and to look up to him.
The conditions in the trenches were horrendous, more often then not they were in wet clothes and stood in slurry mud, as Hardy say’s: “It is rather isn’t it? Guaranteed to keep the feet dry. Trouble is it gets so wet doing it”. The conditions in the trenches are so poor, that disease’s spread rapidly, due to no hygiene facilities and infestation of rats. Many got trench foot due to the wet conditions. Flies also spread disease’s and dead body’s were not buried, as many was in no man’s land: “How can’t I sit down and eat that-when-Osborne’s-lying-out there”.
This quotation revels that Osborne is lying in no mans land, which means that he is not buried. All the men have a wooden frame, covered with a wired net, this servers the purpose as a bed. The food is not very nice, they get things muddled:” I say, Stanhope, it’s a terrible business. We thought we’d got a tin of pineapple chunks: it turns out to be apricots “. This quotation revels that the tins of food have no labels on them to identify what is in them and this is how it gets muddled. The bacon is all fat:” there was a bit of lean in the middle of yours sir, but its kind of shrunk up in the cooking”. The porridge is also lumpy:” Is’ pose.” These revel that the food given to the soldiers isn’t very nice.
The water the soldiers drank was horrible so the put whisky in it as a disinfectant, (passing the whisky and the mug) don’t have much water its rather strong and there is some times tea leafs in it as well “…got some tea leafs in it, d’you mind?” this reveals that the water was horrible and could not drink it without whisky.
Stanhope’s confrontation with Hibbert show’s that he dislikes the war as much as Hibbert does: “…I hate and loathe it all, sometimes I feel I could lie down on this bed and pretend I was paralysed or something-and couldn’t move-and just lie there till I dyed-or was dragged away.” This quotation show’s that Stanhope hate’s the war and wishes he was dead sometimes. This scene is so dramatic because Stanhope lies about him going to the doctor about Hibbert’s neuralgia: “ I’ve sent he doctor. I saw him this morning. He won’t send you to the hospital, Hibbert; He’ll send you back here. He promised me he would. So you can save your self a walk”. This quotation reveals that Stanhope is lying to Hibbert about seeing the doctor to stop him going to hospital and getting out of the big attack. Also it is dramatic because Stanhope threatens to shot Hibbert for deserting:” if you went, I’d have you shot-for deserting….”you try to get out of that door-to desert. If you do that, there’s going to be an accident. D’you understand? I’m fiddling with my revolver, D’you see? -Cleaning it-and it’s going off by accident. It often happens out here. It’s going off and it’s going to shot you between the eyes”. This quotation revels that Stanhope is very adamant that Hibbert will not leave and threatens to kill Hibbert with his revolver straight between Hibbert’s eyes.
Stanhope is an important character because all of the soldiers like him, he has built relationships with Osborne, Raleigh’s and Hibbert and he’s and inspiration to everyone, not just the soldiers but the audience as well. Stanhope as a character show’s the stress, nerves, and exhaustions of many soldiers in the First World War, and how the horror and futility of trench warfare affects him dramatically. If Stanhope were not in this play, it would not show the realism of the war as it does with him in it. All in all the play was brilliant and it show’s the audience what emotional trauma soldiers went through and makes the audience understand so it pays a tribute to the soldiers that died in the first world war.
