1. Journey’s End
Revision

2. Context
Sherriff was originally going to call the play ‘Suspense’ or ‘Waiting’.
Laurence Olivier played the part of Stanhope in the first production of the play on 9th December 1928.
The class system was undergoing radical changes and to be a financial success plays had to have a wide appeal.
This all-male play about war was an unexpected success at a time when most theatre-goers were looking for escapism.

3. Setting The play takes place in St Quentin in France in 1918.
It begins on Monday 18th March and ends on Thursday 21st when the Germans launched ‘Operation Michael’.
It is historically accurate rather than ‘anti-war’ and reflects life in the trenches during WW1

4. Staging
The audience sees only the main part of the dug-out. The other ‘off-stage’ locations are simply inferred.
This highlights the cramped close conditions and warren-like nature of the dug-outs.
It also throws into sharp focus the camaraderie of shared experience.

5. Characters
The play explores the psychological effects of war on different types of personalities.
It also looks at the class system and the impact that has on the life of men in the trenches.
An important statistic to bear in mind is that the life expectancy of a junior officer in was only 6 weeks. Raleigh lasts only a few days whilst Stanhope has been at war for almost 3 years.

6. Characterisation
When writing about a character in the play you need to think about:
The character’s appearance and manner
What he says and does
What others say about him.
For instance, we learn about Stanhope from Hardy, Osborne and Raleigh before we see him on stage. The stage directions also give us a physical description of him.

7. The Colonel He is removed from the horror of war.
He seems insensitive.
He too is only following orders.
He provides a contrast with Stanhope who genuinely cares for his men and is respected by them.

8. Hardy A secondary or minor character
His drying of his sock over a candle flame introduces us to the conditions in the dugout
He offers a first insight into Stanhope
He himself is messy and disorganised and does not want to wait for Stanhope as he knows Stanhope will disapprove of the poor condition of the equipment and the trenches and dugouts.
He is red-faced and cheerful
He offers a contrast to Stanhope

9. Stanhope The son of a vicar He is only 21 but seems older
He is the Commander of Company C
He holds the Military Cross
He has high personal standards which is why he feels so guilty about drinking heavily as a coping mechanism
A natural leader, he was head boy at the school he and Raleigh both attended as well as captain of the rugby team
He did not go home on leave because he did not want his family to see him as he is now
He survived the battle of Vimy Ridge but is has affected him badly
Hardened by the war, he still cares about the men in his care

10. Osborne At 45 he is the oldest member of Company C
He is married and before the war was a school master. As such he understands the kind of hero worship Raleigh feels for Stanhope.
He is wise and approachable – he tells Raleigh that the men call him ‘Uncle’
He is loyal and a calming influence and Stanhope can confide in him
He is well-liked, trusted and humble (although he played rugby for England he does not boast about it – indeed he understands that this means very little at the front when death is never very far away.

11. Trotter
He is the only officer who has not attended public school. He does not share their conversations about rugger and cricket. He is a reminder that the class system was changing because of the war.
He is middle aged and ‘homely looking’.
He is friendly, jovial and uses humour (particularly about the food) as armour.
He too is loyal. We see this when he becomes second-in-command after Osborne’s death and is determined not to let Stanhope down.
Whilst Stanhope thinks Trotter does not feel anything too deeply, it is clear that there is more to Trotter than at first appears.

12. Hibbert He is in his early 20s He is weak and ineffectual
There is some question as to whether he is genuinely psychologically ill or cowardly
He serves as a contrast to both Raleigh and Stanhope.
He is exploitative of women. The others distance themselves from his tales of his exploits and his salacious photographs
He is not part of the ‘brotherhood’ of C Company but Stanhope reminds him of his duty to his fellow officers to persuade him to try to ‘stick it out’.

13. Raleigh He is 18, fresh out of school, naïve and vulnerable
He was at school with Stanhope and the two were also family friends. Stanhope is romantically involved with Raleigh’s sister.
He is courageous – he sees the war as romantic and is proud and excited to be chosen to go on the raid.
He hero worships the older men – particularly Stanhope
He represents all the young men who went to war and died in vast numbers.
He is a typical innocent victim of war.

14. Mason He is a lower class character He is a soldier and cook
He seems hardworking and eager to please – he worries about letting Stanhope down by forgetting the pepper and there being apricots not peaches
He and the food he prepares offer moments of light relief bringing normality to the madness of war.

15. PLOT
Stanhope’s second-in-command, Osborne enters the dug-out to take over from Hardy. Hardy asks if Stanhope is still drinking heavily and Osborne defends his company commander.
Raleigh, the new young officer, arrives. We discover that he knows Stanhope from school and had used family connections to get assigned to this company.
When Stanhope arrives, he calls for whisky and reacts strangely to Raleigh. Hibbert complains of neuralgia and goes to his room.

16. Stanhope confides in Osborne about his contempt for Hibbert and his concern over what Raleigh’s presence means for him. He decides to censor Raleigh’s letters despite Osborne’s assurance that Raleigh will not write anything uncomplimentary about him.
The men talk about life away from war. We find out that Osborne once played rugby for England. The German attack is expected on Thursday morning.
When Raleigh enters, Stanhope insists on reading his letter. Osborne reads it and we discover that it is full of praise for Stanhope.

17. The colonel tells Stanhope that there is to be a raid on the German line and Osborne and Raleigh are chosen to lead the men.
Hibbert insists he is going to see the doctor so that he can be sent home. Stanhope threatens to shoot him then persuades him to stay.
When the officers are told about the raid, Osborne is resigned to his fate, Raleigh is excited and Trotter agrees with Stanhope that the timing is wrong.

18. The colonel promises Osborne and Raleigh a Military Cross for bravery for their part in the raid. The raid claims the lives of six men and Osborne but a German soldier is taken prisoner.
The prisoner is interrogated. The colonel seems happy but Stanhope is bitter and Raleigh is stunned.
Raleigh does not join the other officers for the celebratory dinner. Stanhope sends Hibbert to bed, Trotter is made second-in-command, and when Raleigh appears, he and Stanhope argue.
Thursday dawns. The Germans attack and Raleigh is fatally wounded. Stanhope is with him as he dies. Just after Stanhope leaves the stage, the dugout collapses into darkness.

19. Structure The play is divided into three acts
The time span is short – from Monday evening to Thursday morning – and the action is confined to the dugout
The claustrophobic settling adds to the sense of doom – the ending is inevitable
Mini climaxes – the letter, the raid , the dinner after the raid

20. Comic Relief
The obsession with food and public schoolboy conversation is at odds with the horrors of the trenches and provides light relief from the tension.
It also shows that mental diversions were a survival strategy for the men in war. Stanhope may make fun of Trotter’s circles but it was a means of making the waiting time more bearable.

21. Themes
The physical and psychological damage caused by war
Heroism
Comradeship
The class system

22. Symbols Osborne’s watch – time Raleigh’s letter Alcohol
Osborne’s ‘Alice in Wonderland’
Red rags on the barbed wire
Osborne’s wedding ring
The Military Cross
The ‘last meal’
The sun