Last Supper (Scottish Highers English): Revision Notes
Last Supper
Overview of the poem
Lochhead subverts traditional expectations of how women respond to romantic betrayal. Rather than portraying the betrayed woman as passive or victimised, the poem presents her as calculated and in control. She prepares a final meal to formally end the relationship, and imagines sharing the details with her female friends afterwards. The women feast on the lover's lies and infidelity with almost savage pleasure.
The poem's power lies in its unflinching portrayal of female anger and agency. Instead of the conventional narrative of the heartbroken woman, Lochhead presents someone who transforms betrayal into a form of empowerment, albeit a troubling one.
The poem offers an honest, if unflattering, examination of certain female friendships. Lochhead reveals how some relationships thrive on shared contempt for men and take satisfaction in romantic failures.
Form and structure
The poem uses free verse with no regular metrical pattern. This creates a conversational yet deliberate tone. The structure comprises four stanzas, each marking a stage in the chronological sequence of events.
Enjambment appears frequently, placing emphasis on particular words at line breaks. In stanzas three and four, onomatopoeic verbs like "spitting", "gnawing" and "munching" are highlighted through this technique. These verbs draw attention to the greedy manner in which the women consume the details of the breakup.
Despite Lochhead's usual sparse punctuation style, this poem employs grammatically correct sentences throughout. The technical precision creates an impression of control and order. The woman's behaviour appears cold, calculating and carefully planned rather than emotional or impulsive.
The stanza breaks mark distinct phases:
- Stanza one: preparation of the final supper and the reason for it
- Stanza two: imagining celebration after the meal, feasting on the ex-lover's metaphorical carcass
- Stanza three: the women as witches consuming the details
- Stanza four: the women as predators already seeking their next victim
Lochhead engages multiple senses to depict the carnal consumption of relationship details. The women function as scavengers, picking over every fragment until nothing remains. Notably, the unfaithful lover himself remains largely characterless and undefined.
Stanza one: preparation and betrayal
The opening stanza establishes the scenario through third-person narration. A woman has discovered her lover's infidelity and prepares a final meal. The scene parodies the romantic dinner for two: she lights candles and arranges a beautiful table whilst fully aware of the betrayal.
The poem's title carries sardonic dual meaning. Literally, this represents the final meal the couple will share. It also alludes to Christ's Last Supper before his crucifixion, establishing a pattern of biblical references.
Religious Symbolism
Religious allusions appear twice in the opening stanza through mentions of Lent and the phrase "betrayal with a kiss". These biblical references elevate the personal betrayal to something of cosmic significance, positioning infidelity as an unforgivable sin equivalent to Judas's betrayal of Christ.
Lent traditionally marks a period of sacrifice before Easter. The woman declares:
"She is getting good and ready to renounce/his sweet flesh/Not just for lent. (For ever)."
The parenthetical "(For ever)" conveys absolute finality. The relationship has ended permanently with no possibility of resurrection.
Her observation that her lover could be relied upon to bring "the bottle/plus betrayal with a kiss" references Judas, who identified Jesus to Roman soldiers with a kiss. This comparison positions infidelity as the ultimate, unforgivable betrayal.
Literary Analysis: Wordplay and Puns
A wry tone permeates the stanza, particularly through Lochhead's clever use of puns. Admiring the table setting, the woman notes:
"The table she's made/ (and oh yes now/will have to lie on)."
This recalls the saying "you've made your bed now lie on it", suggesting people must endure consequences of their actions. Here the double meaning operates on two levels:
- The woman refuses to forgive
- "Lie" references the lies she expects during their meal
The phrase "cooked goose" provides another fitting pun. This expression typically means someone will face consequences for their actions. In this context, it works literally as she describes meal preparation whilst planning to confront her lover.
Stanza two: the imagined feast
The focus shifts from the literal meal to an imagined gathering. The woman anticipates the first meal being "done with" and contemplates the "leftover hash she'd make of it among friends". Unlike the unpleasant dinner with her lover, she looks forward to sharing and dissecting the relationship's ending.
She capitalises "The Girls" to emphasise the strength of her bond with these friends. The food metaphor extends throughout: she describes "very good soup/she could render from the bones" of the affair, characterising it as "substantial" and "extra/tasty if not elegant".
The implication suggests the relationship's end provides nourishment and sustenance for her and her friends. Whilst breakups typically involve pain, here pleasure derives from dissecting the infidelity's bones and carcass. Lochhead transforms female solidarity into something darker and more troubling.
Stanza three: witch imagery and consumption
The sinister mood intensifies through imagery deliberately evoking Macbeth's witches:
"Yes, there they'd be cackling round the cauldron/spitting out the gristlier bits/of his giblets."
The language becomes deliberately gruesome. Verbs like "spitting" and "gnawing" emphasise the women's determination to savour every detail of the failed romance. The harsh alliteration in "cackling round the cauldron" combined with witch depiction creates a distinctly malevolent tone.
Assonance in the line describing women "gnawing on the knucklebone of some/intricate irony" suggests a feast to be savoured slowly. A delicate ferocity characterises how the women consume tiny pieces of gossip.
Lochhead describes them "getting grave and dainty" whilst recounting "petit-gout mouthfuls of reported speech". The French phrase "petit-gout" translates approximately as "little taste". This idea of sharing tiny flavours of conversation contrasts sharply with earlier suggestions of gluttony and excess, creating a disturbing juxtaposition between refinement and savagery.
Stanza four: predators and conclusion
The final stanza opens with direct speech: the indignant exclamation "That's rich! They'd splutter". The ex-lover's lies become "fat and sizzling…sausages" that the women are "munching" on. Lochhead forces readers to acknowledge that some women derive genuine pleasure from sharing failed relationship details, particularly those involving betrayal.
The women's behaviour contradicts expectations. Rather than nurturing, sympathetic or supportive, it appears almost triumphant. As the feast concludes, the women "sink back/gorged on truth/and their own savage integrity".
Climactic Imagery
The imagery suggests sexual fulfilment as the discussion reaches climax and the feeding frenzy ends. The word "gorged" emphasises gluttony, reinforcing negative aspects of friendships that depend on misery for sustenance.
The phrase "savage integrity" exposes hypocrisy. The women not only expect male infidelity but seem prepared to use such betrayals to feel superior.
In the final lines, the women become predators and scavengers, "sleek" and "preening like corbies". The corbie reference (crows or ravens) likely alludes to the old Scottish poem "The Twa Corbies", in which two birds discuss picking over a dead knight's carcass in detail.
Themes
Toxic female friendships
The poem's central theme examines sinister aspects of certain female relationships. Society often elevates sisterhood as empowering and noble, yet Lochhead exposes corrosive, toxic effects of some friendships. The women's behaviour demonstrates clear misandry (hatred or dislike of men), their contempt almost tangible.
The conclusion depicting men as prey proves especially revealing. Lochhead forces readers to confront preconceived notions about female relationships, conveying an aspect which, whilst unappetising, remains truthful. This uncomfortable honesty is what makes the poem so powerful and controversial.
Hypocrisy and double standards
Misandristic attitudes receive less attention in literature than misogyny (hatred or dislike of women). Whilst many female writers rightly address gender inequalities, the notion that women can equally promote contempt for men receives less acknowledgement. Lochhead exposes this hypocritical double standard.
By presenting female characters who exhibit the same predatory and contemptuous behaviour often criticised in men, Lochhead challenges simplistic narratives about gender and power. The poem suggests that the capacity for cruelty and vindictiveness transcends gender boundaries.
Betrayal and infidelity
Although the poem touches on infidelity's effects, this does not form the central concern. The betrayed woman appears not as victim but as predator, converting her lover's unfaithfulness into something providing sustenance for herself and her friends.
Key Points to Remember:
- The poem subverts the stereotype of the betrayed woman as victim, presenting her instead as calculated and in control
- Religious allusions (Last Supper, Judas, Lent) position infidelity as ultimate betrayal and emphasise the relationship's finality
- The extended food metaphor transforms relationship details into a feast the women consume with savage pleasure
- Witch imagery and gruesome verbs reveal the darker side of female solidarity
- The poem exposes toxic aspects of friendships that thrive on shared contempt and romantic failures
- Lochhead challenges readers to acknowledge uncomfortable truths about misandry and hypocrisy in gender attitudes