How Stanhope Generates Conflict in the Opening Act Anonymous 11th Grade

Journey’s End’ by R.C, Sherriff was written in the late 1920s when attitudes towards the First World War began to change and people began to realise the horrors of the war and face them. This play offers different view than most about the commanding officers of the war compared to media seen now, where generally they are seen as comic relief. The character of Captain Stanhope is introduced by many other characters, such as Hardy and Osborne, before entering himself on page twenty two. Stanhope creates conflict in many ways in the opening act of the play and even creates conflict when not on stage which highlights the importance of the character overall.

One way that Stanhope creates conflict in the opening act is through the use of different opinions that Osborne and Hardy have on him, which creates conflict between them. Osborne describes Stanhope as ‘the best company commander we’ve got’. The use of ‘we’ve’ shows that Osborne believes this is a common opinion amongst his fellow officers and could highlight that everyone disagrees with Hardy. This could also highlight the bond that the officers have with each other and how they make up a dysfunctional family, which could highlight why they are so loyal to Stanhope....