At about the mid-point in the "Journeys End" play, there is a very dramatic and tense scene between Hibbert and Stanhope. There are many factors and elements before and during the scene which could lead to such an outburst, and through this essay we will scrutinize how this is done. Just before the scene in hand, the audience and Stanhope has just discovered that two of the protagonists in the play are to have to perform an extremely dangerous raid, a possibly life threatening one. It is easy to see from the audiences perspective of how shocked and agitated Stanhope is, not only because both men are his friend, but because he feels he owes something to Raleigh now, and that it is unfair to make such an innocent boy perform such a task. There is quite a long silence, after the audience hears this news, as Stanhope is left stunned, staring in to space.
Stanhope Wood, Findern, Derbyshire
Stanhope Street, Highgate - Land Rover Defender TD...
Stanhope Street, Highgate - road signThis then begins the scene, and Hibbert, (Page 1 line 3) "comes quietly in to the dug out". This is almost performed secretively, slyly, which straight away makes the audience suspicious of his actions, and begins to build an atmosphere.
And then the conversation begins. Everything begins quite casually, but the tension remains. Hibbert jumps straight to the point and the mystery of what is actually happening is revealed. Stanhope gives a quick stichomythic reply saying that he also has neuralgia, and immediately changes the tone of the argument. To a brief spectator to the conversation it seems two men are talking casually about their problems, but when you look further, each is having their own surreptitious war. Stanhope already doubts Hibbert, and suspects he is trying to escape, so by saying he has Neuralgia too, yet is acting normally and "sticking it...