Chapters

Question 1

Explain chapter 1 scenes 1-7 of OCG

Answer 1

Scene 1: 1787, sideway is flogged and dumped with the other convicts

Scene 2: aborigine reflects on his wonder of seeing the ships arrive

Scene 3: the officers are bird shooting and are deciding whether the men convicted of stealing should be hung

Scene 4: Ralph is writing to Betsey Alicia in his tent, where harry walks in and says he thinks he’s being haunted by handy baker’s ghost

Scene 5: meg long auditions for the play. Robert sideway claims to be knowledgeable about the theatre and asks to perform. Dabby, liz and Mary audition

Scene 6: the officers discuss putting on the play

Scene 7: harry and duckling go rowing where she complains that she has no one to talk to. Harry is jealous and calls her a dirty whore

Question 2

Explain chapter 1 scenes 8-11

Answer 2

Scene 8: the women are learning their lines
Scene 9: Ralph tries to kiss his dear wife’s picture but ketch enters saying how he became a convict

Scene 10: wisehammer and Mary exchange words; Mary is copying scripts when wisehammer says his passion for words

Scene 11: the first rehearsal. Ross and Campbell enter saying how liz, Caesar and wisehammer are responsible for escapes and will serve punishment

Question 3

Explain act 2 scenes 1-6

Answer 3

Scene 1: visiting hours: Liz, arscott, wisehammer and Caesar are in chains. Caesar wants to return to Madagascar, Liz says how she is bound to be hung, wisehammer claims he’s innocent and arscott says there is no escape

Scene 2: his excellency exhorts Ralph: Phillips encourages Ralph to keep carrying on with the play

Scene 3: harry brewer sees the dead

Scene 4: the aborigine

Scene 5: second rehearsal: Ross orders sideway to take off his shirt, revealing his lash scars. Dabby is ordered on all 4s

Scene 6: harry tells ketch that he needs to measures Liz but ketch objects to hanging a woman. Whilst measuring, he says he doesn’t want to hang her and will try not to hurt her.

Question 4

Explain act scenes 7-11

Answer 4

Scene 7: aborigine
Mary and Ralph are rehearsing where wisehammer believes he should marry a woman he loves. He takes Mary to the side and offers to marry her which enrages Ralph

Scene 8: duckling makes vows: realises that harry is dead and how she loves him

Scene 9: a love scene: Mary is practising her lines on the beach when Ralph joins in and asks her to bed him

Scene 10: the question of Liz: Liz didn’t defend herself at the trial but Ralph encourages her to speak up and admit she didn’t steal the food

Scene 11: backstage: dabby imagines that she can run away after the play but Mary threatens to tell Ralph this. Wisehammer wants to stay in Australia as he believes it wont matter that he’s Jewish
Sideway plans to start a theatre company