Peter Grimes Flashcards
What are 10 quotes from Peter Grimes?
- “At first refused, then added his abuse:”
- And never paid the duty of a child”
- “Sacrilegious blow”
- “Sought for prey on shore”
- “But none inquired how Peter used the rope”
- “Peter pass’d untroubled and unmoved…the victim bound”
- “Selfish pity”
- “Thou’lt find thy sentence, like thy soul, severe”
- “Tide’s delay”
- “Then dropp’d exhausted…. and mutter’d as he died”
What is the analysis for “At first refused, then added his abuse:”?
Through this line said early in the play, the character of young Peter is established. From early childhood, we can see that Peter rebelled against religion and societal norms; and respect for his father. We immediately become aware of the contrasting themes of society’s framework and Peter’s amorality.
What is the analysis for “And never paid the duty of a child”?
Young Peter Grimes not paying “the duty of a child”, holds sinful connotations as in the Bible, many figures such as Issac, Jacob and Joseph, are shown to be loving and obedient of their fathers.
What is the analysis for “Sacrilegious blow”?
This line displays Peter’s forceful and destructive murder of his father. It shows how violent and deeply flawed young Peter Grimes is, showcasing his rage through a powerful lexical field.
The phrase, “Thou kill’dst not her - heav’n spares the double crime” implies that Peter would have killed both his parents if his mother hadn’t already passed away, displaying his truly evil nature.
What is the analysis for “Sought for prey on shore”?
His human victims are zoomorphisied, in this context depicted as prey animals.
What is the analysis for “But none inquired how Peter used the rope”?
Society is questioned. If they had noticed or asked about Peter’s treatment of the boy and punished him for it, it is likely that he wouldn’t have died after three years of torment. If society sees what is happening and chooses to do nothing, they become complicit in the crime and share the same guilt.
What is the analysis for “Peter pass’d untroubled and unmoved…the victim bound”?
There were not enough questions asked, certainly not enough to save the boy. The system was corrupt and nothing prevented an abuser from repeating the crime with another child.
Society as a whole tends to find it hard to approach a criminal to stop them from doing something bad. This could be due to fear or reluctance to get involved in situations that didn’t directly impact them.
What is the analysis for “Selfish pity”?
This oxymoron shows that Peter is not truly sorry for his actions, but is instead seeking redemption for his own personal gain. His “pity” is self directed, with his regret stemming from the consequences he faces, isolation, rejection by society and psychological torment, rather than from the deaths of the children.
Peter is a man who lacks moral responsibility, suggesting his regret is performative. He seeks redemption to escape his torment rather than to atone for his crimes. Guilt consumes Peter in a way that is self-destructive rather than transformative and instead of acknowledging the humanity of his victims, he focuses on his own misery, leading to his downfall.
What is the analysis for “Thou’lt find thy sentence, like thy soul, severe”?
The religious underpinning of the story emerges here. The mayor has too little evidence to convict Peter, but he can threaten him with God’s judgment. Peter’s isolation is intensified when he is rejected by other humans, but also by God. Even his curses are unheard.
What is the analysis for “Tide’s delay”?
This showcases an ecocritical reading of the poem. Everyone has turned against Peter, but now even nature, the thing he loves the most, has as well. The tide is stopping him from sailing and nature is stopping him from doing what he enjoys, stealing every aspect of joy from his life.
The environmental obstacle of the delayed tide can be seen as a manifestation of Peter’s internal guilt and turmoil. His inability to engage with the sea parallels his psychological paralysis, suggesting that his crimes have disrupted not only his social standing but also his harmony with the natural world.
What is the analysis for “Then dropp’d exhausted…. and mutter’d as he died”?
Peter dies without any punishment or imprisonment, though his inner thoughts torment him. The reader is left feeling confused. Are his hallucinations the product of a guilty mind or a true glimpse of hell? Is his guilt sincere or a result of fear of damnation? Crabbe’s decision to leave the reader with this uncertainty ensures the reader leaves the poem intrigued and fascinated.
What are the key structural elements within Peter Grimes?
- The general structure of the poem is Heroic couplets however this is broken in the first 3 lines which are all AAA, this off-puts the reader initially suggesting the disturbing nature of Peter Grimes.
- “”It was the fall” he mutter’d, “I can show….. In mercy give me time to pray”” - The punctuation in this stanza is important, with its dashes and pauses and questions. It shows how Peter’s speech is incomplete. He is trying to find excuses for the children’s fates, to ease his torment.
What is the context surrounding Peter Grimes?
The people who would have been reading Crabbe’s poems would have been primarily middle and upper-class individuals, who have benefited either directly or indirectly from child labour, such as the workhouse apprenticeships. By portraying the horrific abuse of Peter’s crimes, Crabbe is sending a message to these individuals, showcasing how vulnerable children were treated in society. Workhouse children were often sent to masters who were supposed to train them in a trade but, in reality, many were exploited, overworked, and mistreated. Through Peter Grimes, Crabbe exposes the cruelty that existed within these arrangements, forcing his readers to confront the dark realities of a system they may have supported. Crabbe suggests that society’s neglect of these children is a moral failure that cannot go unpunished.
How does Peter Grimes relate to Oliver Twist?
Charles Dickens’ novel follows Oliver Twist, a workhouse orphan, who is subjected to mistreatment and exploitation. The novel criticises the Poor Law system and the practice of sending poor children into apprenticeships where they were often abused. Peter Grimes and figures like Oliver’s cruel master, Mr Sowerberry, share similarities as they represent how some adults used the system for their own gain at the expense of children.
How does Peter Grimes relate to Wuthering Heights?
In Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte Heathcliff mourns Catherine’s death, but his grief is not about her suffering - it is about how he has lost her and how he will now suffer. Both Peter and Heathcliff’s regret is entirely self-focused, driven by personal pain rather than moral responsibility.
How does Peter Grimes relate to The Rime of the Ancient Mariner?
‘The Rime of the Ancient Mariner’ by Samuel Taylor Coleridge depicts the cruelty and the unforgiving nature of both the environment and the protagonist’s own conscience, aligning with nature turning on Peter.
What is a critical interpretation of Peter Grimes?
Peter Gutmann, in his analysis of Benjamin Britten’s opera adaptation of Peter Grimes, states that the opera “transformed a sadistic villain into a tortured outcast,” highlighting a shift in the portrayal of the character from Crabbe’s original depiction.
