1. Raleigh
Act 1
 Stage directions say he is a “well built, healthy-looking boy”
“boy” – young and naïve
healthy-looking (adjective) = he is healthy which is a contrast to the men…
the play is about how the war ruins him and all his ‘healthy’ views of the world
By the end of the play he is literally broken. His spine is broken. Stabbed in the
back by his own idealism and nativity.
‘Well-built’ – implies he can take weight (emotional and physical) almost like an
animal used in war…
 “new uniform” – reflects his ignorance. Contrasts to Stanhope’s ‘war stained’
uniform. But by the end of the play Raleigh’s hands ‘are bleeding’ (stained
with violence/guilt)
‘frightfully keen’ – so the adverb ‘frightfully’ suggests his public school
background and also his naivety. The dramatic irony (where the audience
know something that the character doesn’t) is that we know he will die
from the start…
Act 2
 “It all seems rather – silly, doesn’t it” about the war (both to Osborne)
It = pronoun = vague = they don’t want to say the word ‘war’
The dash makes it seem naturalistic/realistic so it seems believable (the play
is written to be believable)
‘Silly’ = adjective – makes it sound trivial
Act 3
 Says “It’s – It’s so frightfully dark and cold” when he’s injured
Dash – used to create a pause as he control himself and the pain.
The same adverb as he used earlier but here he is afraid and, like a child, seem to
be unaware that he is dying.
‘dark and cold’ – literally
‘dark’ (adj.) – cannot see where he is going = lost
‘Cold’ (adj.) – lost his warmth and love…
 Stage directions say “Raleigh lies in the shadows” once he’s died. He has
become another corpse or casualty of war… a shadow of the ideals he once
held… at the start he is ‘well built’