An introduction to Sherriff's play for GCSE candidates - updated

1. Journey’s End R.C. Sherriff

3. Wounded in 1917 during WW1 in France

4. He wrote 6 earlier plays that were not successful

5. ‘Journey’s End’ was his 7th play and was first performed in 1928

9. Most audience members at this time went to the theatre to escape their lives

10. After the war the class system was undergoing massive change – commercially successful plays had to appeal to the masses

11. An all-male play about war was an unexpected success

13. The war poetry of Owen & Sassoon

15. Starts Monday 18th March

16. 3 days later Germany launched ‘Operation Michael’

17. Historically accurate rather than ‘anti war’

18. Life in the trenches

20. Warren-like nature of dugouts

21. Cramped close conditions

22. Hardships – exposed to elements

23. Camaraderie of shared experience

25. It also investigates the class system and how it impacts the life of the men in the trenches

27. Unseen Highest ranking officer Commanding Officer of different Company Commanding Officer of C Company James Raleigh 2nd Lieutenant 2.I.C. 2nd Lieutenant Officer Cook & Servant Mason Unseen – Raleigh’s sister & Stanhope’s sweetheart Young German Soldier Madge

29. Studying characters

31. He is removed from the horror

32. He seems insensitive

33. He is only following orders himself

35. He offers the first insight into Stanhope

36. Messy & disorganised

37. Red faced and cheerful

39. 21 years old (but seems older)

40. Holder of the Military Cross

41. High personal standards

42. Heavy drinker as a coping mechanism

43. A natural leader

44. No leave in 3 years

45. Survived the battle of Vimy Ridge

47. Married with 2 children

48. Former school master

49. Wise & approachable

50. Loyal and a calming influence

51. A mentor to Stanhope

52. Well liked & trusted

54. Middle aged & ‘homely looking’

55. He comfort eats and is portly!

56. Friendly & jovial

57. Unemotional & uses humour as armour

58. Loyal – becomes 2 I.C.

60. Weak & ineffectual

61. Psychologically ill or cowardly?

62. Exploitative of women

63. A contrast to Raleigh

65. Naive & vulnerable

66. An old school friend of Stanhope

67. Courageous

68. Eager to please

69. Hero worships the older men

71. Soldier & cook

72. Hard working & keen to serve

73. Offers moments of light relief

77. Confined time span

78. Claustrophobic setting

79. Does not follow the rules of a ‘well made play’- instead a series of complications are presented leading to mini climaxes

85. Raleigh’s letter

86. Alcohol

87. Osborne’s ‘Alice in Wonderland’

88. Red rags on the barbed wire

89. Osborne’s wedding ring

90. Military Cross

91. The ‘last meal’

93. While the language is now dated, it was modern in the 20s

94. The language of Public Schools

95. Mason – cockney accent & dialect

96. Trotter – simple colloquialisms & idioms

97. Osborne – Controlled & reserved

98. Stanhope – restraint & outbursts

99. Raleigh – childlike innocence