Essay Questions

Although Rattigan based the play on the Archer-Shee case, there are some significant differences between the real life, and the fictional, case. What are some of these differences?

Most of the differences are in the characters involved in the real life incident and the play respectively. For example, in the play, the first person to support Ronnie was his father, but in George Archer-Shee's case, it was his brother, Martin, who used his political influence to involve a renowned barrister in the case. The character of Martin is also hugely different from the character of Dickie Winslow. Martin Archer-Shee, George's brother, was a successful member of parliament whereas Dickie Winslow is a university student who is failing his classes and has no particular plans for his life.

By contrast, Catherine Winslow is a strong female character destined for politics herself. She is at the forefront of the Suffragette movement. Archer-Shee's sister is not at all driven or political and was barely involved in her brother's case at all.

Why do Sir Robert Morton and Catherine Winslow initially believe that they do not like each other?

Both Catherine and Sir Robert feel they will dislike the other because they have completely opposing positions on many political issues, the primary one being the Suffragette movement. Catherine is very involved in the movement, wanting women to have voting rites, and equality, to men. She wants better representation for women and for them to be given more independence. She knows that Morton does not support the cause and therefore believes him to be a man who does not like women. She also believes that because he is a typical male politician he will have no real principles, and that he only takes on Ronnie's case to further his political aspirations.

Sir Robert knows that Catherine is a Suffragette and therefore believes her to be a woman who dislikes men and who wants women to reject their social identity in favor of the male identity.

Both judge the other unfairly. Sir Robert actually hampers his own political aspirations by representing Ronnie Winslow, and Catherine does not want to assume the role of men in society, she merely wants women to have an equal role within it.