Justice and humaneness have never gone hand in hand. The law is not a sentimental comedy.
In this line, Tench explores the universal value of ‘Justice’ and suggests that not only must justice take precedence over humaneness, but that they, in his view, completely incompatible. The use of personification to illustrate these abstract concepts is mocking in its tone suggesting that those who have hope of a humane version of justice are dreaming. Tench shows derision towards sentimentality, illuminating his beliefs that if the convicts are seen as human, then the entire institution of the criminal justice system is undermined. Wertenbaker references the fragility of masculinity whereby to show emotion is to be seen as weak.
You don't have to be able to read the future to know that Liz Morden is going to be hanged.
Dabby reveals the knowledge that all convicts hold, that their fate is sealed. The loss of hope which is evident in the convicts at the beginning of the play is illuminated when Dabby suggests that Liz Morden will not be treated fairly, that she will be discriminated against, ignored and chastised because of her social class and background. The near future tense employed by Dabby generates an air of inevitableness, there is nothing to be done, exploring the themes of fate and injustice. This outspoken example is illustrative of Dabby's personality, she is unhampered by social expectation and so does not shy away from speaking the truth.
A crime is a crime. You commit a crime or you don't. If you commit a crime, you are a criminal. Surely that is logical.
Tench exhibits the political device of oversimplification which was perhaps most notably employed by George Bush when he said “you’re either with us or against us”. The object is to provoke action in bystanders and of those who are undecided, the implied consequence of not being on the favored side is that you are actively against it. This is further reinforced with the rhetorical question which contributes to an inability in the reader to challenge his words.
When he treats the slave boy as a rational human being, the boy becomes one, he loses his fear, and he becomes a competent mathematician. A little more encouragement and he might become an extraordinary mathematician. Who knows? You must see your actors in that light.
Phillips offers an alternative view of the prospect of criminal rehabilitation. He directly challenges the view of Tench that criminals are born with an inherent appetite for committing crimes and suggests that nurture is pivotal in human development. This directly references the Pygmalion Effect which Wertenbaker chooses to include in the epilogue of the play whereby expectations of achievement were shown to directly influence the outcome for an individual. This effect was observed in the Rosenthal-Jacobson study in which students whose teachers were led to believe were gifted significantly outperformed other students.
You go rest in the country, or it crushes you with power: you die for your country, your country doesn't want you, you're thrown out of your country.
Wisehammer views his punishment of transportation not only as a money-saving measure designed to free space in prisons but also as a personal punishment for being Jewish. He is tormented by being cast out of society and is desperate to be part of a community. The repetition of "country" shows how important it is to him which combined with the metaphor “crushes you with power” represents the discrimination he has felt.
