Appearance
Excerpt
Excerpt from The Plays of W. E. Henley and R. L. Stevenson, by William Ernest Henley
ARETHUSA (at back of stage by the door); GAUNT (front L.); to
these, PEW, C.
PEW (sotto voce). All snug. (Coming down.) So that was you, my
young friend Christopher, as shot by me on the road; and so you was hot
foot after old Pew? Christopher, my young friend, I reckon I’ll have the
bowels out of that chest, and I reckon you’ll be lagged and scragged for
it. (At these words ARETHUSA locks the door, and takes the key.)
What’s that? All still. There’s something wrong about this room. Pew,
my ’art of oak, you’re queer to-night; brace up, and carry off. Where’s
the tool? (Producing knife.) Ah, here she is; and now for the chest;
and the gold; and rum—rum—rum. What! Open? . . . old clothes, by God! . . .
He’s done me; he’s been before me; he’s bolted with the swag; that’s
why he ran: Lord wither and waste him forty year for it! O Christopher,
if I had my fingers on your throat! Why didn’t I strangle the soul out
of him? I heard the breath squeak in his weasand; and Jack Gaunt pulled
me off. Ah, Jack, that’s another I owe you. My pious friend, if I was
God Almighty for five minutes! (GAUNT rises and begins to pace the
stage like a quarterdeck, L.) What’s that? A man’s walk. He don’t
see me, thank the blessed dark! But it’s time to slip, my bo. (He
gropes his way stealthily till he comes to Gaunt’s table, where he
burns his hand in the candle.) A candle—lighted—then it’s bright as
day! Lord God, doesn’t he see me? It’s the horrors come alive. (GAUNT
draws near and turns away.) I’ll go mad, mad! (He gropes to the
door, stopping and starting.) Door. (His voice rising for the first
time, sharp with terror.) Locked? Key gone? Trapped! Keep off—keep
off of me—keep away! (Sotto voce again.) Keep your head, Lord have
mercy, keep your head. I’m wet with sweat. What devil’s den is this? I
must out—out! (He shakes the door vehemently.) No? Knife it is
then—knife—knife—knife! (He moves with the knife raised towards GAUNT,
intently listening, and changing his direction as GAUNT changes his
position on the stage.)
ARETHUSA (rushing to intercept him). Father, father, wake!
Explanation
This excerpt from The Plays of W. E. Henley and R. L. Stevenson (specifically Admiral Guinea, a collaboration between William Ernest Henley and Robert Louis Stevenson) is a tense, atmospheric scene steeped in psychological horror, betrayal, and the unraveling of a villainous mind. The passage is written in the tradition of melodramatic Victorian theater, blending piratical adventure (a staple of Stevenson’s work, given his Treasure Island fame) with Gothic suspense. Below is a detailed breakdown of the text, its themes, literary devices, character dynamics, and significance, with a focus on the excerpt itself.
Context of the Scene
The play Admiral Guinea (1892) revolves around piracy, revenge, and moral corruption, set in a world of cutthroat sailors and hidden treasures. The excerpt features:
- Pew: A blind, ruthless pirate (likely the same or a similar character to the infamous Blind Pew from Treasure Island), whose greed and paranoia drive the scene.
- Christopher: A young man Pew has already shot (offstage) and now threatens further.
- Gaunt: A stern, disciplined figure (possibly a former pirate or naval officer) who moves with military precision ("paces the stage like a quarterdeck").
- Arethusa: A woman (likely Gaunt’s daughter) who locks the door, trapping Pew.
Pew enters believing he’s about to plunder a chest of gold, only to discover it empty—his prey has outsmarted him. The scene escalates into a climax of terror as Pew realizes he’s trapped, his mind fracturing under the strain.
Themes
Greed and Betrayal
- Pew’s monologue reveals his obsession with gold and rum ("the gold; and rum—rum—rum"), only to find the chest empty. His rage ("He’s done me; he’s been before me; he’s bolted with the swag") underscores the pirate’s code of honor—where theft is expected, but being outsmarted is unforgivable.
- His desire to "have the bowels out of that chest" (a grotesque metaphor for violent plunder) contrasts with the anticlimax of "old clothes", emphasizing the futility of his greed.
Paranoia and Madness
- Pew’s sensory deprivation (blindness) heightens his paranoia. He relies on sound and touch, but the silence of the room ("All still") and Gaunt’s unseen movements unnerve him.
- His descending sanity is marked by:
- Self-dialogue ("Keep your head, Lord have mercy, keep your head")
- Hallucinations ("It’s the horrors come alive")
- Violent outbursts ("Knife—knife—knife!")
- The locked door and missing key symbolize his inescapable fate, a common Gothic trope (e.g., Poe’s The Tell-Tale Heart).
Power and Control
- Gaunt’s silent dominance: His military bearing ("paces the stage like a quarterdeck") contrasts with Pew’s chaotic flailing. Gaunt doesn’t need to speak—Pew’s terror is enough.
- Arethusa’s agency: Her locking the door is a quiet but pivotal act, trapping Pew and setting his downfall in motion. This subverts the passive female trope of Victorian melodrama.
Fate and Divine Justice
- Pew’s blasphemous wishes ("if I was God Almighty for five minutes") and curses ("Lord wither and waste him forty year") invoke a perverted sense of justice. His violent fantasies (strangling Christopher, owing Gaunt a debt) suggest a world where morality is transactional.
- His final desperation ("I must out—out!") mirrors a damned soul’s struggle, reinforcing the Gothic theme of inevitable punishment.
Literary Devices
Dramatic Irony
- The audience knows Gaunt is present (his pacing, the candle) while Pew fumbles in ignorance, creating suspense.
- Pew’s confidence ("I’ll have the bowels out of that chest") is undercut by the empty chest, making his rage darkly comic.
Stream of Consciousness
- Pew’s fragmented speech ("Door. Locked? Key gone? Trapped!") mimics panicked thought, immersing the audience in his psychological collapse.
Sensory Imagery
- Sound: "All snug" (false security), "a man’s walk" (unnerving), "the breath squeak in his weasand" (visceral, almost onomatopoeic).
- Touch: Burning his hand on the candle, groping in the dark, shaking the door—all tactile signs of his helplessness.
- Light/Darkness: The candle’s glow ("bright as day") becomes a symbol of exposure, contrasting with Pew’s preference for darkness (where he can hide).
Repetition and Rhythm
- Anaphora: "Knife—knife—knife!" (escalating violence), "Keep off—keep off of me—keep away!" (rising terror).
- Short, staccato phrases ("Trapped!", "Out—out!") mimic a racing heartbeat, heightening tension.
Symbolism
- The Chest: Represents false promise—Pew’s greed leads only to emptiness.
- The Knife: A phallic symbol of violence, but also his last desperate tool.
- The Locked Door: Fate’s inescapability, a common Gothic motif (e.g., Jane Eyre’s red room).
Foreshadowing
- Pew’s earlier threat ("I owe you") to Gaunt hints at future conflict.
- His madness foreshadows a violent climax (either his death or Gaunt’s intervention).
Character Analysis Through the Text
Pew: The Unraveling Villain
- Language: His speech shifts from cocky bravado ("I reckon I’ll have the bowels out of that chest") to whimpering terror ("Lord have mercy"), showing his psychological disintegration.
- Blindness: His physical disability becomes a metaphor for his moral blindness—he sees only greed, not the trap closing around him.
- Violence: His fixation on strangulation ("why didn’t I strangle the soul out of him") reveals a sadistic streak, but his failure to act (Jack Gaunt pulled him off) underscores his weakness.
Gaunt: The Silent Authority
- Stage Directions: His military pacing ("like a quarterdeck") suggests discipline and control, a foil to Pew’s chaos.
- Presence: He never speaks, but his shadowy movements dominate the scene—his silence is power.
Arethusa: The Catalyst
- Action: Her locking the door is the turning point—without it, Pew might escape. Her sudden cry ("Father, father, wake!") suggests she’s protecting Gaunt, but also triggering the confrontation.
Significance of the Scene
Gothic and Melodramatic Traditions
- The scene blends Gothic horror (madness, trapped protagonist) with melodramatic villainy (Pew’s over-the-top threats).
- The use of darkness, locked doors, and hallucinations aligns with 19th-century Gothic theater (e.g., The Monk, Sweeney Todd).
Stevenson’s Piratical Influence
- Pew’s language and brutality echo Treasure Island’s Blind Pew, reinforcing Stevenson’s fascination with morally ambiguous pirates.
- The treasure chest motif is a staple of adventure fiction, but here it’s subverted—the real horror isn’t the lack of gold, but Pew’s descent into madness.
Psychological Realism
- Unlike cartoonish villains, Pew’s fear feels visceral—his sweat, trembling, and self-doubt make his terror relatable, even as we despise him.
- The scene explores how greed destroys the mind, a theme Stevenson also examines in Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.
Theatrical Innovation
- The minimal stage directions (e.g., "sotto voce") create intimacy, pulling the audience into Pew’s clandestine world.
- The use of silence and shadow (Gaunt’s unseen presence) relies on the audience’s imagination, a technique later used in expressionist theater.
Conclusion: Why This Scene Matters
This excerpt is a masterclass in suspense, using language, silence, and stagecraft to dissect a villain’s psyche. It’s more than a pirate story—it’s a study in fear, greed, and inevitable downfall, wrapped in Gothic atmosphere. The lack of resolution (we don’t see Pew’s fate) heightens the horror, leaving the audience to imagine his doom.
In the broader context of Henley and Stevenson’s collaboration, this scene showcases their shared love of morally complex characters and high-stakes drama, bridging adventure fiction and psychological realism. It’s a microcosm of their thematic concerns: how obsession corrupts, how the past haunts, and how even the most ruthless men can be undone by their own minds.
Final Thought: Pew’s final, frantic knife-raising—aimed at an unseen Gaunt—isn’t just a physical attack, but a metaphor for his war with fate. The real horror isn’t the locked door, but the realization that he was never in control.