Murmering Judges

Look closely at one scene exploring its dramatic impact and its relevance to the play as a whole

Act 1 scene 7 appears to be so far the only scene where all three institutions are seen together; although all three of them are not seen communicating directly, they are all linked either by music (Mozart playing in background, same as the opera) or by the fact that they all share the stage. However, even with this closeness and opportunity to have had the three different groups communicate there is still a distinct lack of cooperation and rapport between them; although it does appear that the police and the prison service do have some degree of contact with each other by the way the conversation about Gerard’s appeal is structured, as though they were talking to each other. This appears to be one of the main points Hare is trying to convey throughout the play, the lack of communication in the legal system especially with the courts as they seem to be alienated from the police and prison services, all this can probability be attributed to the pompous, self centred attitudes towards people of a less significant social standing as themselves. This can be seen on p89 where Sir Peter describes Gerard as being “sub-average” which is also what he says “half the human race is fated to be” this extreme arrogance is the cause of alienation it seems.

This scene also underlines the difference in class which Hare has shown through Irena and Sir Peter going to see the opera and by Sir Peter pointing out some dignitaries to Irena and by Irena’s implication of “Tell me, if you run the country, is it compulsory to go to the opera in the evening?” suggesting that this is an activity of the educated elite and for people who command power. The class differences are even emphasised by how the cast list appears where it is done in groups: constabulary, bench and bar etc…

As for Sir Peter, he is supposed to represent the legal system from the higher end of the scale and through him Hare has portrayed an out-of-touch judiciary system firstly by Sir Peter’s assumption that the whole nation stops on a Sunday just before lunch and listens to Desert Island Discs (not that the whole nation is united in faith and goes to church on a Sunday or anything like that) and also when Woody tells Sir Peter that Irena didn’t seem interested in going to the opera, Sir Peter says “ I was shocked. I thought I must be losing touch. I thought all educated young women loved music.” Sir Peter,