"Two weeks with the queen" the play by Mary Morris is mainly about a boy who has to grow up and face the responsibilities of an adult.

by estellem1497 (student)

English- Essay

Two weeks with the queen the play by Mary Morris is mainly about a boy who has to grow up and face the responsibilities of an adult. Colin and Alistair face many difficulties. Colin has to bear the illness of his brother, while Alistair faces the difficulty of standing up for himself. In this play many new things are learnt about coping with the challenges thrown at us by life.

Alistair and Colin’s personality develops during the play. Colin Mudford is a 12 year old boy who lives in Australia. In the beginning his character is rowdy, rogue and rebellious. The line ‘Why wouldn’t the ambulance driver let me in the ambulance? Eh? I’ve never been in an ambulance. Why wouldn’t she?’ indicates Colin’s arrogance and unwillingness to listen. At the start of the play Colin is a just an immature child who can’t control his emotions. Colin’s cousin Alistair, lives in England with his overprotective parents. Alistair’s personality is anxious, frightened and extremely dependant. ‘Quickest way’s by tube, but it’s pretty dangerous. You have to get in the same carriage as dozens of other people. You can catch cold, or flu, or anything’, this line demonstrates Alistair’s scared and worried personality. There are many differences between Alistair and Colin. Alistair’s personality is timid and shy whereas Colin’s personality is outgoing and wild.

This is a preview of the whole essay

Colin and Alistair both face many challenges. Colin faces the challenge of facing and understanding his brother’s ailment. Colin doesn’t understand Luke’s illness. He thinks that anything is curable and that the doctors are ‘bein’ slack. ‘If they can sew a bloke’s foot in and put a new heart in somebody surely they can cure a bit of cancer’, this quote demonstrates Colin’s inability to cope and understand how great Luke’s cancer is. On the other hand Alistair faces the problem of being overprotected and overruled by his parents. Alistair is under total control of his mother and father. He has no say and no independence. ‘Now Alistair, take two kelp tablets every four hours with water and one vitamin C tablet every two hours with milk and no running around’ this quote clearly proves that Alistair is told each and every thing to do and is not permitted to be independent or look after himself.

The characters of Alistair and Colin change quite rapidly. Colin changes from rowdy and arrogant to calmer and understanding person. Meeting the gay couple, Ted and Griff is one of the causes of Colin’s change in personality. Colin realizes that he isn’t the only one with problems and learns to control his wild emotions. ‘Colin, I know you probably don’t like soppy stuff. But we wanted to say thanks.’ This line shows that Colin has changed and made a few miserable people happy once more. Colin’s personality also changes because of the separation between him and his family. Alistair changes his personality later on in the play. He gains courage and stands up for himself. He learns how to be brave and confident from his experience with Colin. ‘Do this Alistair, do that! Well, I’ve had it! What makes you grown-ups so smart that you know what’s best for everybody?’ This line shows that Alistair has learnt to be independent and stand up for himself.

The challenges of growing up are many. One has to learn how to deal with problems, issues and responsibilities. Learning how to understand and face challenges is another focal point in growing up. Alistair and Colin both deal with these issues in different ways. Colin learns by making new friends and being separated from his family and friends. Alistair faces his challenge with the help and experiences with Colin. Both boys successfully manage and overcome these issues. The personalities of Colin and Alistair change. Alistair changes from being small and unimportant to bold and brave whereas Colin changes from being rowdy and rebellious to understanding and mature. This play helps one understand that growing up is a challenge but with the help of others it becomes much easier.

By: Estelle Mahendran