Journeys end coursework – Connor Witherington 10t
Introduction
Journeys end was rejected by most managers of theatres because it was so soon after the war, they thought the public would reject It since it might remind them of lost family members, however after may rejections it was finally accepted, it was branded awesome. The play and characters reflect Sherrifs experience in the ‘great war’ where he was sent home due to injury. Journeys end was a first hand account of what the war was really like. The audience loved it because it was the first of its kind; other war plays had just been showing the good side of the war, not the dreadful trenches, disease and heartbreak.
Section 2
The play is set when a group of British officers are waiting for a German attack, which will lead to their death. The captain Stanhope is nearly going insane but coping only with the help of whiskey, Stanhope is a tragic hero. Another officer Hibbert is close to breaking yet is carrying on due to the continuous bullying from the captain. There is an older wiser officer Osborne is like a father figure to the other officers especially Stanhope. Another officer Trotter continually provides humour he is also very lazy but loyal. A new officer enters the company Raleigh who was a school friend of Stanhope and feels heroism to him. There is a lot of Trench humour in the play (light humour about the dreadful conditions that they are dealing with) an example of this is when trotter is left without pepper for his meal he says ‘war’s bad enough with pepper – but without pepper – it’s – it’s bloody awful!’ this shows that they try to find the funny side of the war. There is another officer Hardy who is untidy, humorous and is cynical this contrasts with Stanhope’s leadership. There is a cook Mason who is very similar to trotter as he is funny but he doesn’t do it on purpose so this provides the audience with relief from the other horrors that are going on within the play.
