(Act 3, scene 1). Many of the soldiers in the stage directions appear as anonymous shadows on the stage, which means the audience can't recognise which character it is: 'A man comes from the servant's dug-out; for a moment his head and soldiers stand out black against the glowing sky, then he passes on into the darkness by the table' (Act 3, scene 3). 0. He also reveals that he uses alcohol as a coping mechanism. During the first great war of the 21st century, this play about the first great war of the 20th century insists that we consider what such a journey does to a man. This is what Osborne does when he encourages Raleigh to see the Very lights as “romantic.” Rather than dwelling on the ominous nature of these lights—which are used for chiefly violent purposes—he urges Raleigh to shift his perspective so that the lights become appealing and nostalgic, as if the soldiers are looking out at the blinking lights of a beautiful city. All work is written to order. Journey's End Critical Analysis. *You can also browse our support articles here >. These stage directions help the director to convey Stanhope's experience of war, which makes the play more realistic. Info: 2466 words (10 pages) Essay Through the stage directions, Sherriff uses onomatopoeic noises such as the "crush" of shells and the "boom" of Minenwerfer, to help the director convey the horrors of war more accurately (Act 3, scene 3). Because the small amount of information the audience has already heard about Stanhope makes him out to be an unstable drunk, the fact that Raleigh knows him from school is quite significant. The play explores many aspects of war life, including friendship, alcoholism, class boundaries and the lifestyle of the men in the trenches. In Act 3, scene 1, the stage directions open, 'towards sunset'. By the end of Act 3, scene 3, the noises have intensified and the shells are falling louder and more frequently: 'There comes the louder thud of three more shells'. Journey’s End has been recently released to the PC version(s) of Terraria, with other platforms to follow along. When Raleigh eventually meets his death Sherriff wants Stanhope to stare, 'listlessly across at the boy on OSBORNE's bed' (Act 3, scene 3). My students love how organized the handouts are and enjoy tracking the themes as a class.”. Intro: In Journey’s End Osborne is presented as a likeable character. Journey’s End. Hibbert’s complaints about neuralgia recall the story Hardy told Osborne at the beginning of the play about the officer who went home because of a case of “lumbago.” What’s more, even Stanhope seems to have let somebody leave the trenches before, as he reveals by saying that he allowed a man name Warren to leave because of medical reasons. When Stanhope suggests that Raleigh’s sister mistakenly thinks he’s a hero, he confirms the notion that he doesn’t believe himself to be worthy of somebody else’s admiration. "My students can't get enough of your charts and their results have gone through the roof." Sherriff may have intended the stage directions to be symbolic of the end of the day, but perhaps also to signify the end of the men's lives. Sherriff wants the audience to see the tremendous stress and fear suffered by the men during the war. Journey's End. Journeys End is a play that creates a lot of dramatic tension throughout it, and there are several ways in which the author, R. C. Sheriff, creates and maintains tension. 2. Get the entire Journey’s End LitChart as a printable PDF. Relationships between officers and men. Sherriff wants the audience to compare Raleigh's initial anxiety with Hibbert's fear of death from the German attack later on in the play. Since the audience has witnessed the friendship between Stanhope and Osborne, they too feel the impact of Osborne's death, and empathise with Stanhope's grief. The play Journey's End is set in a dug-out in the British trenches during the last year of the First World War. In Act 3, scene 1, the trench appears darker, which shows the audience that time is passing by and the raid is approaching: 'a light that slowly fades with the sinking sun.' Stanhope. Journey’s End is a play, which is one of the most realistic and vivid plays related to war because the story was based on R.C Sherriff’s experience when he was on the front line during the actual war. Discuss: 1. In Act 3, scene 3, when Raleigh is fatally injured at the end of the play, Stanhope covers Raleigh with a 'blanket' and 'bathes the boy's face'. This is an escapist way of dealing with the fear presented by war. At the very least, this might help them feel as if they have a modicum of control over their lives, which is something they otherwise lack completely, since they can’t actually influence what happens or when it happens. The play Journey's End is set in a dug-out in the British trenches during the last year of the First World War. After all, going to school with somebody is quite different than fighting alongside them in the trenches of World War I. The play begins on March 18, 1918. Trotter’s assertion that Raleigh will feel like he’s been in the trenches for “a year” after only an hour once again taps into the play’s interest in the way time moves. Questions to help you analyse the play. However, Stanhope seems resolved to keep Hibbert in his trenches, believing that such behavior is nothing short of cowardly. The way the content is organized, LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in, Anticipation, Expectations, and Uncertainty. Clicking on the link below will take you to notes for each of the four essays for the play Journey’s End by R.C. Sherriff in 1928 and is concerned with the lives of soldiers in the British trenches of St Quentin, France towards the end of the First World War. Summary about themes, tone, and characters. In Act 3, scene 1, Sherriff further shows comradeship between the soldiers in the play, when Osborne gives his valuable items to Stanhope before the raid: 'he takes a letter and his watch from his pocket and puts it on the table. Tags : A-Level Notes on Journey's End analysis Journey's End kindle Notes paperback play Study Guide W Lawrance ; Share: Contact : contact.us@greatwarliterature.co.uk; 2 Little Breach, Chichester, West Sussex, PO19 5TX, United Kingdom. In the beginning of Act 3, scene 2, the stage directions show that Stanhope, Trotter and Hibbert have just had dinner: 'The dug-out is lit quite festively by an unusual number of candles. '(Act 3, scene 1). In the scene before Act 1 Sherriff, through the stage directions, demonstrates how primitive the trenches were: 'A wooden frame, covered with wire netting, stands against the left wall and serves the double purpose of a bed and a seat for the table.' It covers the events and experiences of the 'C' company, just before the beginning of the Ludendorff offensive - a series of German attacks along the Western Front. This is portrayed by many characters feelings and emotions from the play. When he interrupts Osborne to say that boys admire their heroes “as long as” they are still “a hero,” the audience begins to understand that Stanhope questions whether or not he actually deserves Raleigh’s reverence. Sherriff shows how the soldiers' living conditions were appalling and primitive, and he emphasises how horrific the conflict was. It centers around Stanhope, the Commander of an infantry company fighting the Germans in France during 1918. The effects of stress. “Would not have made it through AP Literature without the printable PDFs. In this way, Sherriff demonstrates that one of the most difficult parts of being at war is the uncertainty that comes along with waiting for something bad to happen. Journey's End Critical Analysis 1449 Words | 6 Pages. This essay will focus on how Sheriff uses stage directions and special effects to do this. The entire narrative of the play is mostly set in the officer’s dugout for four days in March 1918. Then he pulls off his ring'. The play Journey’s End was written by R.C. Sherriff. Teach your students to analyze literature like LitCharts does. From simple essay plans, through to full dissertations, you can guarantee we have a service perfectly matched to your needs. It therefore can be said that R.C. Stanhope struggles with the emotional strains of war and, as a result, he lashes out at Raleigh: 'STANHOPE clutches RALEIGH's wrist and tears the letter from his hand.' Study for free with our range of university lectures! When the men are seen eating and drinking these luxuries, it shows the audience that the men want to enjoy one last meal before the imminent German attack, where they know their chances of survival are miniscule. Two champagne bottles stand prominent on the table.' (Act 1). Not only is he unhappy Raleigh has come to his company because he doesn’t want to disappoint the young man, but he’s also nervous that Raleigh’s presence will negatively affect his life after the war. Sherriff uses lighting for the morning and afternoon sun, to give the play a sense of time. An intelligent, meticulously crafted drama about British soldiers in the trenches of World War I, “Journey’s End” is the latest cinematic rendition of a play by a war veteran, R.C. This final update contains a mass amount of content, systems, and fixes. In the dugout officers' quarters of the British trenches, less than a hundred yards from the German trenches, Hardy dries his sock over a candle flame before he hands off duties to C Company's Osborne. What’s more, he patiently allows Stanhope to assume the position of leader, but when it all truly comes down to it, it’s not hard to see that he—Osborne—is the one keeping everything on track, as he puts Stanhope to bed and makes arrangements to ensure that the company knows what to do for the remainder of the night. Journey’s End: An Analysis The play Journey’s End is set in a dug-out in the British trenches during the last year of the First World War.