Essay Questions

Why do the characters claim that the only way through which they can go back to England is to have sexual intercourse with one another?

Sex is used in this play as a metaphor for freedom. The characters who are inmates have little personal freedoms left and even more few reasons for happiness. They are however allowed to engage in meaningless sex which offers them happiness at least for a short period of time. When the characters claim that they can reach England only by having sexual intercourse the characters imply the idea that this is their only way of experiencing freedom and happiness. Thus, even though the inmates know the possibility to return home is minimal, they still cling to every little reminder of happiness.

Why are the prisoners sent to Australia?

The reason why the prisoners are sent to Australia is that the jail system in Great Britain in the 18th and 19th centuries was so overtaxed, that the need to create a prison colony arose. The jails and prisons in England were extremely overcrowded and there was no more space where to put the new inmates. This problem was caused by the judiciary system which punished even the slightest transgression with hard prison years. The claim that only murdered and extremely dangerous inmates were sent to Australia is a complete lie as many people caught for stealing food to survive were often sent there as well.

How were the aboriginal people affected by the British coming to the island?

The aboriginals are briefly mentioned in Act I, Scene II and are described as watching from afar as the British ships approach the land. It is estimated that before the arrival of the British people, between 500,000 to 750,000 aboriginal people lived in Australia as nomadic tribes or even more advanced settlements which had a well-developed agricultural system. The British did not try to sign treaties with the aboriginals at first and the tendency of the many settlers was to treat the Australian aboriginals as being the same with the Native Americans which many encounter. The native population was almost decimated by the many European diseases introduced to the island.

In time, the settlers began to claim more and more land and to turn it into grazing pastures for sheep. This affected greatly the traditional life of the Aboriginal people, many surviving from hunting and gathering. After a few years on the island, the British began to catch aboriginals and enslave them. The women also suffered a great deal, often being forced into prostitution and seen as desirable because of their exotic attributes. In comparison with the Native Americans, the Australian aboriginals did not try to get involved in armed conflicts. In fact, the aboriginal groups began to rise against the white settlers only at the beginning of the 20th century and in extremely small groups which were easily overpowered.