Plot Summary (AQA A-Level English Literature A): Revision Notes
Plot summary
Introduction to the play
Our Country's Good is a play by Timberlake Wertenbaker set in the late 18th century during the establishment of the first convict settlement in Australia. The play unfolds between 1787 and 1789 in Sydney, New South Wales, presenting the lives of convicts aboard a transport ship and their experiences after arrival in this new and harsh land.
At the heart of the story is an ambitious theatrical project. Lieutenant Ralph Clark proposes staging a production of George Farquhar's comedy The Recruiting Officer using the convicts as actors. This initiative becomes a focal point for exploring the transformative power of theatre and the possibility of redemption through art and culture.
The play employs a "play-within-a-play" structure, where the convicts rehearse and perform The Recruiting Officer. This theatrical device allows Wertenbaker to explore multiple layers of meaning about performance, identity, and transformation.
The play examines themes of human dignity, redemption, and identity against a backdrop of brutality and violence. Captain Arthur Phillip, the governor of New South Wales, supports the theatrical production, believing that theatre is an expression of civilisation. However, several military officers, particularly the stern Major Robbie Ross, oppose the project, viewing it as frivolous and inappropriate for a penal colony.
Structure and setting
The play is divided into two acts, each containing a series of short titled scenes. This episodic structure allows Wertenbaker to shift between different locations and perspectives, creating a complex picture of life in the early colony. In performance, the scene titles are typically announced or displayed on screen to help audiences follow the action.
The scene titles are not just organizational tools—they function as narrative markers that guide the audience through the fragmented world of the colony, mirroring the unstable and disjointed nature of colonial life.
The story moves between various settings including the hold of the convict ship, the deck, the beach, prison areas, and rehearsal spaces. This variety of locations reflects the fragmented and unstable nature of life in the new settlement.
Principal characters
The play features a large cast of characters from different levels of the colonial hierarchy:
Officers and authorities:
- Captain Arthur Phillip, governor of New South Wales, who supports the theatrical production
- Lieutenant Ralph Clark, who directs the play
- Major Robbie Ross, a senior officer who opposes the theatre project
- Captain Jemmy Campbell, Ross's assistant
- Captain David Collins, advocate general
- Reverend Johnson, a Church of England minister
- Midshipman Harry Brewer, the hangman, haunted by guilt
Convicts participating in the play:
- Robert Sideway
- Mary Brenham
- Dabby Bryant
- Liz Morden
- John Wisehammer
- John Arscott
- Black Caesar
- Ketch Freeman
- Duckling Smith, who is also Brewer's mistress
Other character:
- The Aborigine, a native Australian who observes the colonists
Act 1: establishing the colony and the play
Scene 1: The voyage out
The play opens in the semi-darkness of a convict ship's hold in 1787. A group of convicts huddle together while Robert Sideway is being flogged on deck. Lieutenant Ralph Clark counts the lashes as Sideway is thrown back into the hold and collapses among the other prisoners.
The convicts speak longingly about England, the country from which they have been exiled. Their nostalgia reveals their sense of loss and displacement, even though many were living in poverty and crime before transportation.
This opening scene immediately establishes the harsh realities of convict life while introducing the paradox at the heart of the play: the convicts yearn for a homeland that offered them little but suffering.
Scene 2: A lone Aboriginal Australian describes the arrival
An Aboriginal Australian appears and describes the arrival of the First Fleet in Botany Bay on 20 January 1788. This brief scene provides an Indigenous perspective on the colonisation, presenting the white settlers as intruders in an already-inhabited land. The Aboriginal character witnesses the momentous historical event that will transform his people's world.
This scene is crucial for acknowledging the Indigenous Australian presence and perspective. The Aboriginal character's voice reminds audiences that this land was not empty or unclaimed, challenging the colonial narrative of "discovery."
Scene 3: Punishment
Captain Phillip and other officers are shooting birds while discussing the appropriate punishment for convicts who have committed theft and other offences. The conversation reveals differing attitudes towards discipline and humanity.
Phillip objects not only to the routine floggings but also to the hangings scheduled for the following day. His more humane approach contrasts with the harsher views of the other officers, establishing the moral debate that will run throughout the play.
Scene 4: The loneliness of men
Lieutenant Ralph Clark sits reading aloud from his diary, recording events in the prison colony. His writing reveals his isolation and loneliness in this remote posting, far from his wife in England.
Harry Brewer, the hangman, enters and confesses that the man he recently hanged is haunting him. The ghost's presence torments Brewer with guilt. Clark attempts to comfort him and mentions the possibility of staging a play with the convicts, introducing the central idea that will drive the plot forward.
Scene 5: An audition
The audition for George Farquhar's The Recruiting Officer begins. The scene takes a comic turn as the convicts react to the unfamiliar experience of being in a play. Most have never encountered theatrical performance during their impoverished lives in England.
The dialogue becomes humorous as the convicts struggle to understand what is expected of them and confuse the play's fiction with their own reality. Their awkwardness highlights how alien this cultural experience is to them.
The convicts' confusion between theatrical fiction and reality is both comic and poignant, revealing how theatre represents a completely foreign cultural experience for people from the poorest levels of society.
Scene 6: The authorities discuss the merits of the theatre
Several officers, particularly Major Ross, strongly object to the theatrical production. They view it as inappropriate and frivolous for a harsh penal colony where survival is uncertain.
Captain Phillip defends the project with conviction. He argues that theatre is an expression of civilisation and has the potential to foster civility and humanity among both the convicts and the colony as a whole. This scene establishes the central conflict between those who see only brutality as appropriate for convicts and those who believe in the possibility of redemption and transformation.
Central Conflict of the Play:
This scene establishes the ideological battle that drives the plot: Captain Phillip's belief in theatre as a civilising force versus Major Ross's view that harsh punishment is the only appropriate treatment for convicts. This debate explores fundamental questions about human nature, rehabilitation, and the purpose of punishment.
Scene 7: Harry and Duckling go rowing
This scene focuses on personal relationships that have developed in the isolated world of the colony. Harry Brewer and his mistress Duckling Smith share a moment together, revealing the human connections that form even in this harsh environment.
Scene 8: The women learn their lines
Several female convicts discuss the play while learning their lines. As they rehearse, they reveal aspects of their own troubled lives and the experiences that led to their imprisonment and transportation. The scene shows how the play is beginning to engage the convicts and give them something meaningful to focus on beyond mere survival.
Scene 9: Ralph Clark tries to kiss his dear wife's picture
Clark is alone, pacing and talking to a picture of his wife in England. His loneliness becomes palpable as he finally kisses the picture. This tender moment reveals his isolation and longing for home.
Ketch Freeman, a convict, interrupts him. Freeman shares the sad history of his life and begs Clark to allow him to participate in the play. This scene shows how desperately some convicts want to be part of the theatrical project, seeing it as an opportunity for something beyond their grim daily existence.
Scene 10: John Wisehammer and Mary Brenham exchange words
Two of the literate convicts meet. Mary Brenham, one of the few convicts who can read and write, makes a copy of The Recruiting Officer. John Wisehammer demonstrates his knowledge and love of language and words. This scene highlights the intellectual potential of some convicts, challenging assumptions about their worthlessness.
The presence of literate convicts like Mary and John challenges contemporary assumptions about criminality and intelligence. Their love of language and learning demonstrates that many convicts possessed abilities and potential that society had ignored or dismissed.
Scene 11: The first rehearsal
The first proper rehearsal takes place, but it proves difficult. The convict actors argue among themselves about the play, taking it literally and confusing the drama with their own lives. Their inexperience with theatrical conventions creates both comic and poignant moments.
Major Ross and Captain Campbell interrupt the rehearsal with serious news. Some cast members have stolen food and attempted to escape. The harsh reality of the penal colony intrudes upon the theatrical fantasy, and it appears the play may never be performed.
This scene marks a critical turning point where the theatrical project collides with the brutal realities of colonial life. The theft and escape attempt threaten to destroy the production and represent the first major obstacle to Phillip's vision.
Act 2: obstacles and determination
Scene 1: Visiting hours
The second act opens with four convict players awaiting punishment. Morden, Wisehammer, Arscott, and Caesar sit in chains, facing consequences for theft and attempted escape.
Liz Morden recalls her difficult life in England, the poverty and hardship that led to her crimes and eventual transportation. The others discuss escape, but their conversation is interrupted by fellow cast members who have come to continue rehearsing despite the crisis.
Scene 2: His excellency exhorts Ralph
Captain Phillip confronts the situation directly. He argues passionately against cancelling the play, even though half the cast has been arrested. This scene reveals Phillip's conviction that theatre can serve as a redeeming force in the prison colony.
Phillip articulates his belief in the essential dignity of all human beings, regardless of how damaged their lives have become. He sees the theatre not as a luxury but as a necessity for maintaining civilisation and humanity in the colony.
Phillip's passionate defence of the theatre project reveals his progressive views about human nature and rehabilitation. His argument that theatre is essential to civilisation—not a luxury—represents a radical stance for the brutal penal system of the 1780s.
Scene 3: Harry Brewer sees the dead
Harry Brewer, increasingly haunted by the men he has hanged, sees their spirits and is overwhelmed by guilt. The psychological toll of his role as hangman becomes unbearable. This scene shows the human cost of the colony's brutal system of punishment.
Scene 4: The Aborigine muses on the nature of dreams
The Aboriginal character appears again, this time reflecting on dreams and their meaning. His perspective provides a counterpoint to the European preoccupations, reminding the audience of the Indigenous presence and worldview that existed before colonisation.
Scene 5: The second rehearsal
Despite the arrests, rehearsal continues with the remaining cast members in chains. The convicts' determination to proceed demonstrates how important the play has become to them.
Major Ross disrupts the proceedings, harassing and humiliating the convicts. His cruelty contrasts sharply with Phillip's humanitarianism, emphasising the competing visions for the colony's culture.
Scene 6: The science of hanging
This disturbing scene focuses on preparations for Liz Morden's execution. Officials attempt to measure her to determine the correct length of rope for hanging. The bureaucratic attention to the technicalities of execution highlights the coldness of the punishment system.
The action then shifts to Harry Brewer, who hears the voices of the dead men he has hanged. Unable to bear their accusations any longer, he finally collapses under the psychological burden.
The juxtaposition of clinical preparations for execution with Harry's psychological breakdown emphasizes the dehumanizing nature of capital punishment. The "science" of hanging treats death as a technical problem while ignoring its profound human cost.
Scene 7: The meaning of plays
The Aboriginal character speaks again, questioning how his people can rid their land of the white intruders, whom he views as a swarm of ancestral spirits. His speech provides an Indigenous perspective on the colonisation.
Another rehearsal takes place, continuing despite constant interruptions. The cast argues about the play's meaning, revealing their growing engagement with the theatrical text and its themes.
Scene 8: Duckling makes vows
Duckling Smith sits beside her lover Harry Brewer, promising to treat him better if he recovers from his illness. Her concern shows genuine affection despite their difficult relationship.
She then discovers that Brewer has already died. The voices of the hanged men, which have tormented him day and night, have finally claimed him. Duckling's grief is palpable.
Scene 9: A love scene
On the beach, Ralph Clark and Mary Brenham conduct a private rehearsal. As they practise their scenes together, passion develops between them. Soon they are undressing in the warm night air and become lovers. This relationship represents hope and human connection emerging from the harsh circumstances of the colony.
The development of love between Ralph and Mary symbolizes the transformative power of theatre. Through rehearsing romantic scenes together, they discover genuine feelings for each other, demonstrating how theatrical performance can create authentic emotional experiences.
Scene 10: The question of Liz
Liz Morden has been sentenced to hang for her part in the food theft and escape attempt. However, she has refused to defend herself because she will not inform on her fellow convicts. Her silence demonstrates loyalty and a moral code that survives despite her criminal past.
Eventually, the full story emerges and Liz is reprieved. Captain Phillip encourages her to play her role well in the forthcoming production, showing his continued faith in the theatre project.
Liz's refusal to inform on her fellow convicts, even at the cost of her own life, demonstrates a powerful moral code. Her loyalty challenges assumptions about convicts lacking honour or principles, revealing instead a community with its own ethical standards.
Scene 11: Backstage
The play's final scene is simply titled Backstage. The Aboriginal character appears alone, describing symptoms of an illness. He does not realise he has contracted smallpox from the European visitors, a disease that will devastate Indigenous populations.
Meanwhile, the actors prepare excitedly for their performance. John Wisehammer has written a prologue for The Recruiting Officer containing the phrase "our country's good", suggesting that the transportation of convicts has actually benefited England by removing its criminal element.
The director and cast decide the prologue should not be used because it is too political. Despite Wisehammer's disappointment, excitement builds as the performance approaches.
The play ends with the nervous cast waiting for their entrances, listening intently as one actor delivers the opening speech offstage. The audience never sees the actual performance of The Recruiting Officer, but the play concludes on this moment of anticipation and possibility, suggesting that the transformative journey matters more than the final product.
The Significance of the Ending:
The play's ending is deliberately open and ambiguous. By not showing the actual performance, Wertenbaker emphasizes that the process of creating theatre—the rehearsals, relationships, and personal transformations—matters more than the final product. The moment of anticipation before the performance represents pure potential and hope.
Remember!
Key Points to Remember:
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Our Country's Good depicts convicts in 1787-1789 Australia staging George Farquhar's The Recruiting Officer, exploring theatre's power to transform and redeem.
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The play is structured in two acts with short titled scenes that shift between multiple locations and perspectives, creating a complex picture of early colonial life.
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Central conflict exists between Captain Phillip, who believes theatre expresses civilisation and human dignity, and Major Ross, who sees it as frivolous in a brutal penal colony.
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Key plot developments include auditions and rehearsals constantly interrupted by theft, escape attempts, arrests, hauntings, and executions, yet the production continues despite obstacles.
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The play ends at the moment before the actual performance begins, emphasising that the journey of creating theatre matters more than the final product, and leaving the transformative outcome open to interpretation.