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- ROLES IN LIFE
- CHARACTER’S THOUGHTS ABOUT ONE ANOTHER I.1
- This is after Peter’s birth.
- CHARACTERS THOUGHTS ABOUT THEMSELVES
- CHARACTER’S THOUGHTS TOWARD RELIGION, GOVERNMENT, AND SOCIETY
WHO ARE THE CHARACTERS? CHARACTER SUMMARIES AND RELATIONS Robert Falcon Scott Aka: “Con” or “Captain.” Scott has conflicting public and personal personas. Publicly, he is a leader who’s sure of himself who prides himself with his love of country. Privately, however, he questions his some of his most treasured public beliefs such as the importance of the society that greatly constricts him. Scott has been trained to lead, and he leads well. He is sure of himself. He leads with compassion for his men. An example of this can be seen when he moves Evans to the front in a way that would not damage his pride (I.3). He practices positive reinforcement, which we can see when he tells Oates he “can depend on him” (I.3). For most of Scott’s life, he is defined by keeping the rules. He does this by doing what society dictates. Part of this trait is exposed with his weighted importance on reputation. Whenever anyone puts Scott’s reputation at stake, he rises to the challenge to defend it. Even in the face of clear defeat he continues this line of thinking, such as when he belittles the Norwegian flag to boast England’s greatness (I.9). He has served in the Navy since age 13 (II.3). He married Kathleen at 39. He is the captain of Wilson, Oates, Bowers, and Evans. The Amundsen in history is his fiercest rival in exploration; however, the Amundsen in Terra Nova starts as such but morphs into the same person as Scott. Amundsen Amundsen, a fierce competitor, renigs his quest of conquering the North Pole after Robert Peary made it there (I.4). Amundsen doesn’t see the point in being “the second person at the North Pole. He regularly uses his sardonic wit to taunt Scott. We can see an example of this when he jokingly talks of drinking puppy blood to make his point about English pride (I.4). He is only connected to Scott in Terra Nova. The play begins with him as a seeming enemy of Scott, but Scott eventually becomes him by the end of he play. Kathleen Aka: “Kath,” “Kathleen Bruce” Kathleen is Scott’s faithful wife. A real “straight shooter,” she openly lets Scott know her intentions of getting pregnant “with or without wedlock” upon their first meeting. After childbirth, she falls madly in love with Scott, and remains this way until the end of the play. Kathleen is only connected to Scott in Terra Nova. She is mentioned in connection with her friend Mabel Beardsley and her son Peter Markham Scott, but those two people never materialize as characters in the script. Bowers Aka “Birdie” Bowers is Scott’s Lieutenant. Until he asks for suicide pills, he remains optimistic throughout the entire play (I.7). His optimism is realistic, though, as evident by his calming Oates at the pole when there was truly no loophole to win, as Oates suggested. At the pole, we realize that he is shorter than the others (I.9). He speaks highly of the Navy. He does not speak French very well. Bowers is third in the chain of command on the expedition. Oates Aka “Titus,” “soldier” Oates believes in the concept of fairness and sharing the load equally (I.3). He follows through and walks off when it is his time to die (II.8). When needed, he has no problem confronting people not pulling their weight. This is especially evident in his dealings with Evans. At the pole, we see that Oates is a bit of a sore loser. He wants to officially measure to check the smallest margin of error so the British group could still technically “win.” Captain Oates is second in command for the mission. Evans Aka “Eddie,” “Edgar,” “Taff,” “Taffy” Evans’s foolish pride and selfish acts may have doomed the expedition. He cuts his hand and it leads to his death shortly after the party arrives at the pole. Evan, a mere Petty Officer, has the least amount of authority. Wilson Aka “William,” “Bill” Dr. Wilson is an optimistic, glass ½ full kind of guy. For example, when the party reaches the pole, while others are moping, he smokes the cigar he has been saving. He is a caring and competent doctor with a sly bedside manner. We can see his skills in action when he gets Evans to open up about his hand (I.7) In stark contrast to the rest of the crew, he is highly cultured, as seen in his perfect French (II.1). He takes the Hippocratic oath seriously, even as far as insisting Scott take the blame for the suicide pills. He takes his job seriously and helps the men to the end. Wilson, even though the voice of reason often, is only the fourth in command for the expedition. One Line Summary Every character is summed up nicely with his/ her last words before Scott dies: Oates: He’s too young! Evans: Scott you’ve done me. Wilson: It’s the easy way. Bowers: Like an animal. Amundsen: Live it well. Kathleen: Proud! ROLES IN LIFE X. CHARACTER A. Job/ Profession B. Social/ Economic Class
A. Captain of expedition, dreams of admiralty B. Middle/ Upper
A. Captain of Norwegian expedition B. Doesn’t say.
A. Artist, housewife B. Middle/ Upper
A. Lieutenant in the expedition, sets up tripod (I.7) B. Middle
A. Second Captain. Calvary background, surveys with theodolite (I.7) B. Middle
A. Petty Officer (private), cooks food (I.6) B. Probably Upper Low to Middle
A. Doctor, prepares food (I.6), makes sketches of surroundings B. Probably Upper, very cultured and affluent profession
“England’s own hero of the Antarctic.” Treats Scott with respect during, relegated to emcee. Amundsen to Scott “Old man” This is some kind of friendly connotation. I.2 Kathleen to Scott “Why don’t you come in now…it’s dark” She comes off as matronly, yet nothing more. She wants his to be safe. When we connect this to later text, we know that she is not yet in love with him at this point. Kathleen to Scott “My son will love the nights, and he will love the sea.” She wants his genes, not so much him at this point. She calls the child “my son,” which could imply the lack of necessity Scott plays in the scenario. This connects to her choosing Scott to have the baby that we learn later in the script. Scott to Kathleen “I have to tell you about the most extraordinary place I’ve been” Scott wants to impress Kath. This is NOT AFFECTION! He merely tells her tales of adventure. This is key to understanding Scott’s relationship at this point with Kath. I.3 Wilson, Oates, Bowers, Evans – among themselves “What should we do with a drunken sailor?” This demonstrates their unity with one another. Camaraderie. Wilson, Oates, Bowers, Evans to Scott “Then let’s ask the Captain” All 4 men look to Scott for guidance. The men clearly understand the value of a “Chain of Command” type relationship. This sets the precedent for the rest of the play. Captain makes (or sometimes doesn’t) make the hard decisions. Bowers to Oates “All the same to me.” Bowers confuses Oates for army. This highlights the different mindsets these two characters have about their past service for England. I.3 Scott to Oates “Put him on point so he can rest a bit…I can depend on you, Oates”
O: “Well, he’s not pulling his weight, sir” S: (surprised) Evans?
“Our Final victory over Norway will be all the sweeter, all the nobler, because we will know we’ve taken the prize by playing the game as it ought to be played!” Scott believes he is right. Amundsen, in Scott’s eyes is quite barbaric for not going of foot. This highlights Scott’s foolish pride in both “the sport” and being English without solid reasons for basing so much importance on these issues. Amundsen to Scott “A strange science to tell you a thousand pound sled can be man hauled across sixteen hundred miles.” Amundsen is no longer the emcee. Similar to Scott in the future of the play, he is not in public or performing public service, so he is free to be himself. Up until this point, Amundsen has publicly been supportive of Scott. After this moment, we see him as an often sarcastic, often “pulls not punches” kind of character. Amundsen is a sarcastic bastard: “success is a bitch” Scott to Amundsen (about Society) “The explanations I have to go through. The flagwaving. Even at the society.”
Amundsen to Scott “We’re the same”
“You’re an infant, tickling yourself with a razor…Plan it right!” Amundsen wants Scott to find success. He is not the antagonist as a first reading might imply. He has his own methods, but he wants Scott to succeed. I.5 Kathleen “You’ll get a chill…I brought this…I’ll tie you up in it”
“You’ve never had a thought that could keep itself from your face, Con.” In Scott’s public life, he is secretive. His men wonder what he’s thinking, and he says what needs to be said to get what he wants. In private with the woman he loves he is an open book. This can be juxtaposed with I.6 where Bowers wonders what Scott is thinking. Kathleen to Scott “So long as you’ll be happy again. It’s that I can’t bear.” Kath is willing to put her happiness on hold for Scott’s dreams and happiness. She doesn’t want to be a cause for Scott to “what if” himself while becoming an old codger. I.6 Bowers to Scott “We’re breaking the march and setting camp. Are there any orders, sir?”
“I can only beg you to think kindly of me.” At this stage in the play, Scott thinks living in the memories of others is the chief measure of success. As the play progresses, we will see that home, that which Scott is leaving to make himself more famous in the minds of his country mates, is the true place to find happiness. I.6 Bowers about Scott “Can’t fathom what he’s really thinking. Can’t figure him out.”
Bowers about Amundsen “My guess is, he’s already turned back. Never seen anything like this in his whole life, and wants no part of it.”
“He’s got stuff.” Oates will often speak his mind, regardless of the possible consequences. He is the only man in the party to actually compliment Amundsen. Scott about Amundsen and the Norskers “They don’t belong.” Scott’s sense of English right glares through these three words. For some reason, the Norwegians do not belong, but the English do. He clearly and deeply believes that the Norwegians are doing something unnatural in coming to the pole. Oates “Any more than we do” Again, shows Oates’s ability to think for himself. It also foreshadows his impending rebellion against Scott. Oates to Bowers about Evans. “I’d know what to do” Oates speaks candidly about his thoughts on Evans. Oates thinks he should kill himself for the sake of the group. He understands the “parts of a whole mentality.” Eventually, we will see him back this up when he needs to either live or die for the sake of the team. Bowers to Oates “You’re a cold-hearted bastard” Bowers has compassion toward Evans’s situation. He has more of the English charity than Oates does. Evans to Scott “You’re a wonderfully great man. There’s babies named after you. That’s all I wanted.” Evans looks up to Scott. He wants a taste of his glory. He has an idealized, childlike outlook on the situation. This connects to a talk Kath has with Scott later in the play about English boys hearing of Scott’s adventure and forsaking their own safety (and in Evans’s case, the safety of others, to mimic that exploration. Oates to Scott “(After a pause) Yes sir.” Oates disagrees with Scott but begrudgingly accepts orders. He wants to leave Evans, but understand his role in the team. I.8 Amundsen to Scott “But the others saved.”
“Your ridiculous pride” Amundsen points out Scott’s pride. This will play a key role in Scott’s metamorphosis. Amundsen to Scott “He outshines the angels. He kills his brother for a scrap of bread. Oh yes, English, you will too when your time comes.” Amundsen believes even English charity with eventually die away when an Englishman is pushed to extremes. Amundsen believes Scott will soon show his true colors as well as regret this decision. Amundsen – Scott “You know every rule, not one bit of yourself, though.” Toward the end of act one, we are explicitly faced with Scott’s journey. The spine of the play. As Scott transforms to a Scott/Amundsen hybrid, he will lose the rules and gain self-awareness. Amundsen wants Scott to find this, even if his methods are a bit suspect. I.9 Bowers to team (about Evans) “If I just give him a hand.”
“Liar, wielding coward!” This connects to Oates’s confrontation earlier in the play. He puts all the blame for making it to the pole after the Norwegians on Evans’s choice to go out with a bad hand. He then beats Evans. Bowers (under his breathe) about Scott “Never had a chance.” At the pole, we see an enlightening look at the party’s true selves. Here Bowers is the second soldier (after Oates) to show slight rebellion toward Scott. He does it under his breath, but he clearly realizes that Scott’s plan was doomed from the beginning. II.1 Scott for Evans “Evans will have the braised duck with chestnut and sausage stuffing.”
“To Captain Scott – The truest and finest officer that a sailor could ever ask to ship under.” All the men gladly toast to this sentiment. The men love their captain. But, this toast raises a big question: since Scott is secretive and clearly not the truest, is the reader to believe that he’s clearly not the finest as well? II.2 Amundsen to Scott “Married like one person”
“Robert are you alright?” Wilson (and Bowers) are starting to worry about Scott’s sanity. His real and fantasy worlds are colliding. II.3 Kathleen to Scott “Why not go to a place where you’ll become alive?”
“Because I don’t fit so comfortably into little rooms as you do.” Scott thinks Kath is simple and compartmentalizes things into perfect little spaces. II.4 Wilson to Oates (about Evans) “I haven’t once heard Evans complain. And neither have you, Mr. Oates.”
Kath to Scott “I think until Peter was born I was never fully in love with you.”
“I think I loved you because I knew you didn’t need me.” Even thought Kath was sexually easy, he found wooing her a different sort of conquest. He took someone who was totally comfortable in her own skin and over time made her fall deeply, passionately in love with him. II.8 Wilson to Scott “No one there, Robert.”
“We’ll sit tight and set a course when it clears. Are those your orders?” Wilson has the most sense in the group. He makes the orders and Scott snaps back to reality and says “okay.” Wilson to Scott “I remember a man who wouldn’t hurt dogs.” Wilson is shocked to know that Scott is okay with Bowers’s suicide idea (and the killing of Oates). Amundsen’s prophecy is coming true. Scott is treating men like dogs. Wilson shows visible disgust at his Captain. II.9 Amundsen to Scott “You finally understand the game.”
I.3
Oates to Bowers “Calvary! Not army.” Oates connotes that his position in the Calvary is more prestigious than the army. Scott to The Society “I leave it up to you to decide how sporting that is” Scott loves the idea of his country. His worth is wrapped up in this ideal. This will contrast with him finding himself toward the end of the play. I.4 Scott to Amundsen “My efforts to open a whole continent for science.”
Scott to Kathleen “I’ve been happier here, I think, in this garden—than anywhere else in my life.”
“You actually despise the place.” Kathleen sees the real Scott. Even though Scott doesn’t see this, we can infer this is his true thought, especially when comparing this with the person Scott becomes. Scott to Kathleen “They all looked like me, but their faces were much younger.” Scott is insecure about age (he’s 41). As this monologue progresses, we see that it is chiefly important for the Scott in the beginning of the play to be remembered. He will contrast this with thoughts about a good name later on. I.7
Oates to Bowers “I’m a soldier, aren’t I? And all a soldier needs to know is his duty.” This quotation sums up Oates perfectly. He knows his “duty” to let himself go if it comes to that. It’s a no-brainer. He’s forced to make this decision eventually, and he does just as he says he will. I.8 Scott to Amundsen “One duty to his nation…One duty to his men.”
Scott to his team “Be just one-tenth as proud of your efforts as I have been—and what we’ve accomplished can never seem a failure, or an empty gesture.”
Amundsen to Scott “We of course must pretend to be modern men, with no time for such gaudy superstitions.” Amundsen talks of “pretending” to be a modern man.
Scott to Amundsen “I’m sick of playing God!”
Scott to unrealized Mrs. Bowers and Mrs. Wilson “If any blame can be attached, let it rest on my shoulders.”
Amundsen to Scott “Twenty years after your death and they talk of flying over the Pole in aeroplanes. Flying in aeroplanes!”
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