Stanhope

Question 1

Increasingly negative attitude towards war

Answer 1

• Increasingly bitter towards the idea of the raid from being submissive with comments such as, ‘quite’ and ‘very good’ to rhetorical questions such as ‘but surely he must realise - ?’
• (Stanhope talking to Osborne) ‘She (Madge) thinks I’m a wonderful chap – commanding a company.’
• After the raid, the colonel tells Stanhope about how he thinks that ‘ How awfully nice – if the brigadiers pleased’

Question 2

Coping Mechanisms

Answer 2

• ‘Drinking like a fish, as usual?’ – Hardy talking about Stanhope to Osborne
• While talking to Osborne about being ashamed of his drinking problem Stanhope admits that if he wasn’t ‘doped with whisky – (he’d) go mad with fright.’
• Stanhope explains to Osborne why he drinks and tells Osborne ‘I couldn’t bear being fully conscious all the time’

Question 3

Heroism

Answer 3

• Raleigh’s hero worship – ‘He was one of the big fellows’ , ‘[suddenly brightening up]’ , ‘isn’t he?’ , ‘He was skipper of rugger’
• Osborne’s praise Stanhope, ‘ The colonel would have sent you down long ago only … only he (colonel) can’t spare you.’ And his defence against Hardy ‘ young Stanhope goes on sticking it, month in, month out’
• Stanhope explains about his choice between drinking or going home sick to Osborne and tells Osborne how, ‘ it’s a slimy thing to go home if you’re not really ill, isn’t it?’

Question 4

Strain

Answer 4

• ‘There is a pallor under his skin and dark shadows under his eyes’ (stage directions when Stanhope first makes an appearance)
• Stanhope tells Osborne ‘I’m tired’ but refuses to sleep.
• ‘Didn’t you see him sitting there at supper? – staring at me? – and wondering?’
• (Trembling) ‘Give me that letter! … D’you understand an order? Give me that letter!’ … (Raleigh stares wide eyed at Stanhope, who is trembling and breathing heavily)

Question 5

Change in Stanhope

Answer 5

• When Osborne tries to warn Raleigh about the change in Stanhope, Raleigh misses the hints and instead goes on about a story where Stanhope loses his temper at a group of boys who were drinking whisky. Raleigh says that ‘he was frightfully down on smoking – and that sort of thing’
• While Stanhope is caring for Raleigh, Stanhope says, ‘Well, Jimmy – [he smiles] – you got one quickly.’
• ‘He was skipper of rugger at Bartford’ – Raleigh

Question 6

Dedication to duty

Answer 6

• While defending Stanhope, Osborne tells Hardy how, ‘young Stanhope goes on sticking it out, month in, month out’
• When Osborne is trying to convince Stanhope to sleep, Stanhope responds with, ‘Sleep? – I can’t sleep.’
• ‘I had a few words to say to master Hardy’ … ‘blasted mess those fellows left the trenches in’

Question 7

R/ship with Osborne

Answer 7

• ‘Righto. Now come and lie down. You’ve had a hard day of it.’ ( Osborne trying to get Stanhope to go to sleep while Stanhope is drunk.)
• Hardy: ‘You heard about it?’ referring to Stanhope’s loss of control and Osborne : ‘he told me’
• When Raleigh accuses Stanhope about not caring about Osborne’s death, Stanhope struggles for words but manages to get out, ‘the one man I could trust – my best friend’

Question 8

Masculinity

Answer 8

• Raleigh’s description of Stanhope to Osborne – ‘Isn’t he? He was a skipper of rugger at Bartford and kept wicket for the eleven. A jolly good bat, too.’
• Hardy talking to Osborne about the time Stanhope lost control, ‘Lost control of himself; and then he – sort of – came to – and cried –’
• While Stanhope is threatening Hubert with death for trying to go home I’ll he says, ‘I’d rather spare you the disgrace… You either stay here and try to be a man …’

Question 9

Good Leader

Answer 9

• After finding out that Raleigh is in his company he goes from saying ‘ I see.’ to saying something ‘With sudden forced gaiety’
• When convincing Hibert to not leave the war, Stanhope uses both menacing control over Hibert but also is sympathetic towards him and relates to him in order to convince him. ‘(quietly): You’re going to stay here’ and ‘Because I feel the same- exactly like that’
• Conversation with sergeant major about the raid and it is made obvious that there is little hope any of them will survive and as the sergeant major asks more and more questions on what they’ll do after the Germans surround them Stanhope says ‘If you’re told that to stick where you are you don’t make plans to retire’