A cruel bully A fine leader of men Which do you think is the more accurate description of Stanhope? Support your ideas with details from Sherriffs writing.

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Ellen Weerasekera 10H         Mr Gerig        Word Count: 1033

QUESTION A:

‘A cruel bully’

‘A fine leader of men’

Which do you think is the more accurate description of Stanhope? Support your ideas with details from Sherriff’s writing.

R.C Sherriff represents Stanhope in many contrasting situations throughout Journey’s End. In each circumstance he is portrayed in a different way depending on the scenario. ‘A fine leader of men’ is the more accurate statement to describe Stanhope, although the reader is often left with mixed opinions of this diverse character. The gossip of the other characters in the play help to signify Stanhope’s personality; this is a major part of the character development as well as the contrast of Stanhope and Raleigh.

Although R.C Sherriff first introduces Stanhope as a callous character when Hardy speaks of him to Osborne, when he is presented for the first time, he does not seem quite as harsh as originally portrayed. Stanhope’s role as a leader of the battalion is often very successful and he seems professional and extremely capable of being in charge of other soldiers. It is his responsibility to keep the optimism and spirits high in the battalion during the trials and tribulations of war, and there are often points in the play where this is represented, such as when Stanhope continues with the celebration after the raid regardless of the death of Osborne to keep the battalion united. This suggests that Stanhope is a fine leader as it shows he puts in all the effort he can to keep the battalion together, even with small things such as keeping the men happy and keeping their moral fiber in tact. Stanhope is also represented in being a strong believer in teamwork. There are various scenes in the play where he makes a point of the fact that his ‘officers work together’. When Hibbert informs Stanhope that he no longer feels fit to fight, Stanhope believes that he is being a coward and trying to escape the horror of war. Stanhope says to Hibbert, ‘you’re going to stay here and see it through with the rest of us’ and although he may appear ignorant, it is evident that Stanhope was only performing his duty of commander. Stanhope’s more considerate side is also portrayed in this duologue, as he comforts Hibbert by telling the truth about his similar fears. He then says to Hibbert ‘we know how we both feel now. Shall we see if we can stick it together?’ the playwright uses this represent the more cooperative aspects of his personality.

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Stanhope’s reactions to the two main deaths during the play are extremely contrasting, in the sense that he deals with them in different ways. The death of Osborne is expected to evoke a strong reaction from Stanhope, as it was suggested that Osborne was his closest friend. However Stanhope proceeds with the celebratory dinner, and is depicted in high spirits. This reaction is not expected; however the he strain he is under is shown when he asks for more alcohol, which revisits the detail that drinking is Stanhope’s coping mechanism for the terrors of war. As the scene continues, ...

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