The Sea: Reference to the Context Guide
The Sea is a tragicomedy and was published in 1973. The author of this popular drama is the British playwright, Edward Bond. Through this play, the author shows readers various social evils while centring the sea. These evils include upper-class arrogance and worldwide oppression, etc. In this article, you will learn about several important lines of the play with their references and contextual explanations. So you can understand these important lines completely.
Important Lines with References and Explanations:
The following are the important lines of the play that are presented below with their references and contextual explanations:
1. Hurrah the guns! The army knows you’re here. The whole country’s turning out. We’ll smash you.
These lines are taken from the first scene of The Sea. Hatch says the lines to Willy. A sea storm is observed in the scene. So the boat of Willy and Colin gets turned over. Willy comes out of the sea and saves his life, but his friend, Colin, remains missing. So he searches for his friend near the deep sea, but he remains unable to search and save Colin on his own. Therefore, he requests Evens and Hatch to help him. Evens is too drunk to help him, and Hatch, due to his paranoid nature, denies Willy’s plea to save Colin. Hatch believes that Willy is an alien from space, and he wants to invade the town to capture its resources and dominate the town. So Hatch says that the army knows about the aliens’ presence in the town. That’s why the military is firing the guns. According to Hatch, the whole country is forming a group against these aliens, and all of them will smash these aliens. But the army is just having a military exercise as part of its routine that Hatch misinterprets. Hatch is a paranoid or crazy person. He is shown as manic in the scene, so he doesn’t recognise the genuine plea of someone from the sea despite his duty as a coast guard on the beach. These lines tell us about the character of Hatch very well who should have saved Colin from drowning by helping Willy, but he could not save Colin due to his alien mania.
2. Most samples are sent out to deliberately deceive customers. I have no doubt about it; you could add it to the Articles of Religion.
The above lines are taken from the second scene of the play. These lines are spoken by Mrs Rafi to Hatch in his drapery shop. Mrs Rafi is an aristocratic, choosy and clever lady. She, in her domineering manner, tells Hatch that the companies send samples in the shops to deceive customers, and this statement is so true that it can be added to the Articles of Religion. These lines clearly show that Mrs Rafi is against the clergy and the public. According to Mrs Rafi, people, including the clergy, do not participate in religious activities sincerely, while they participate in deceptive schemes devotedly for their own material benefits as if these are religious rituals. The satire in her words depicts her quality of being witty. Mrs Rafi is so clever that she kills two birds with one stone. She not only suppresses Hatch with these lines but also takes one sample outside the shop with her. The matter of fact is she places an order for blue velvet for her curtains based on the sample that Hatch shows her. Therefore, she goes away with the sample so that she can match the quality of the material she has ordered with the quality of the sample for her reliable judgement that has to be passed before the payment. Through the textual lines, one can see Mrs Rafi’s personality as a strong leader for the community too.
3. You must tell me what exactly happened. I was going to complain to the chief-of-staff about the battery opening fire.
The above lines are taken from Scene 2 of the play. These lines are spoken by Mrs Rafi to Willy in Hatch’s drapery shop. She says that Willy should tell her exactly what happened on the beach the day Colin drowned. She also tells him that she was going to complain to the chief-of-staff about the army’s gun firing that happened on the day of Colin’s drowning. Actually, Mrs Rafi visited the investigator’s wife after Colin’s death, and, in response, his wife told Mrs Rafi that Willy and Colin had reached the forbidden area on the day when they were sailing. However, Willy tells Mrs Rafi that it was not due to the gun firing that they became trapped in the sea, but they drowned because their boat had been turned over by the sea storm. Through these lines, we see Mrs Rafi as a highly authoritative and influential person in the town. She is shown more concerned about the gun firing in the scene than the grief of Willy and Rose (her niece). She is shown as a powerful lady who is hollow inside and wants to control the townspeople, even the army. The army has warned against entering the forbidden area, so her complaint is unnecessary, in fact, interfering. Therefore, we can say that Mrs Rafi holds the power to exploit others like Hatch and even the army’s chief in the town. She is not only dictatorial in trivial matters, as appeared when she ordered the curtain cloth in Hatch’s shop, but also in emotional matters related to her own family.
4. Oh, we know how to handle you, Evens. This isn’t your sort of sea. This is real sea where you drown. It’s not governed by your fancy, twisted laws of gravity. You’ll find out.
The above lines are taken from Scene Three of The Sea. These lines are spoken by Hatch to Evens. In the scene, we see Hatch replying to Evens about what he and his companions intend to do with him. He tells Evens that they know how to handle him. Plus, he says that the sea is not the kind of sea he thinks it to be. The sea is the real sea where Evens might drown. The real sea isn’t controlled by Evens’ imaginative and twisted laws of gravity. So Evens will soon discover the truth about the sea. Then, Hatch tells Hollarcut that Willy and Evens fear the sea because they might drown in it. It can destroy them. So they are terrified of the sea. One can sense from the words spoken by Hatch that he is insane and cannot understand people properly. Before these lines, we see that Willy is crying. Willy is crying because of Colin’s death whom he remembers when he visits Evens at the beach on Mrs Rafi’s advice to inquire when Colin’s dead body can come to the shore. So when Hatch sees Willy’s weeping, he says that Willy is crying because Hatch and his companions know about Willy and the aliens’ intention to dominate the town. Through Hatch’s behaviour in the scene, one can understand how insane Hatch is at understanding people or situations. His behaviour again shows that he is facing some sort of serious psychological issue.
5. Yes, stay with us. We understand. We’ve all known pain in our time. Bereavements, lost hopes. All our lives pass through the shadows.
The above lines are taken from Scene 4 of the play. Mrs Rafi speaks these lines to Rose, her niece. Actually, Rose watches the sea through the window in the drawing room of Mrs Rafi’s house and grieves over Colin’s death with it. So her aunt orders a servant to drag the curtains on the window so that she could not see the sea that’s causing her distress and utters the above lines to console her. Mrs Rafi says that Rose can stay in the living room where Mrs Rafi and others are rehearsing for the play, Orpheus, whose performance is meant to raise some funds for the town’s coastguards. She, in her practical manner, tells Rose that everyone’s life passes through tough or dark times when they lose their loved ones, and they lose their hopes regarding some goals in life. But strong people muster up the courage to move on, so Rose should also move on to live her life to its fullest.
6. Rehearsing a play when an inquest is about to take place in our town. You see, it’s for our yearly evening in aid of the coast guard fund. Under the circumstances…
The above lines are taken from Scene 4 of The Sea and spoken by Vicar to Willy. Vicar tells Willy during a short break in the play’s rehearsal that he feels embarrassed about rehearsing for the play when Colin’s death investigation is about to take place in the town. He says that all of them are rehearsing for the yearly performance that is meant to raise some funds for the coast guards. However, under the conditions in which they are rehearsing, he feels very embarrassed about being a part of the play. We understand through the textual lines that Vicar, a priest, feels sorry for being a participant in the play that is being rehearsed when Colin’s death is recent, and even his dead body is still missing. Through the lines and the whole scene, one can say that Mrs Rafi is an overly authoritative and hypocritical lady who shows little regard for others’ feelings and wants to exercise her power over the town even under sorrowful circumstances. She is shown as a woman for whom others’ emotions, including her family members’ (e.g., Rose), have little value. But Vicar is also a hypocrite. Most probably, he could have said “no” to her when asked about his participation in the play for a role, but he avoided saying that to remain faithful to her for material gains.
7. Not a liar. No. But he was half-drowned. He couldn’t understand me. How could you expect it? The gentleman was hallucinated. Shocked. I shouted instructions to him. I tried to help.
The above lines are taken from Scene 5 of the play. These lines are spoken by Hatch to Mrs Rafi during an argument in the scene. Mrs Rafi comes into Hatch’s shop with Mrs Tilehouse to confront Hatch for his negligence in saving Colin from drowning as a coastguard. She says that if Hatch had helped Willy in saving Colin from drowning, Colin would have been alive. But Hatch refutes the accusation by saying that Willy is not telling the whole truth. He tried to help Willy save Colin, but Colin was half-drowned. So she should not expect that Willy, who was hallucinated and shocked, could have saved Colin with Hatch’s instructions. Hatch says that he shouted instructions to distressed Willy to save Colin from drowning, but Willy could not understand the instructions. Hatch asserts that he tried to help. He was not negligent as a coastguard. However, Mrs Rafi doesn’t regard any excuses from Hatch as valid and informs him that she cannot accept the order she placed a while ago from a person like him. After finishing the argument, she leaves with Mrs Tilehouse from Hatch’s shop. Through the textual lines, one can understand that Hatch, despite being paranoid, is clever too, but he is not as clever as Mrs Rafi. His argument could not save him from Mrs Rafi’s anger. Mrs Rafi leaves the shop without paying for the order and also tells him that no one under her influence will ever visit this shop because Hatch is responsible for Colin’s death. Plus, she will report his irresponsible behaviour as a coastguard to the authorities. The scene shows Hatch’s defensive approach and Mrs Rafi’s influence over the town very well.
8. If I’d seen him die, it would be easier to forget him. I can see him working and not saying anything. Wet to the skin. And the noisy sea. But I can’t see him when he dies. (Pause.) He was very beautiful. He had dark eyes. I think of him as a fire.
The above lines are taken from Scene 6 of The Sea. These lines are spoken by Rose to Willy about Colin. She expresses to Willy what she feels about the death of Colin. She tells him that if she had seen Colin die, it would be easy for her to move on in life or to forget Colin’s memories. But as she didn’t see him die, it’s very difficult for her to move on in life. She feels he is a fire for her. So Rose says that she imagines the noisy sea and his struggle while he was drowning in the sea, but she is unable to imagine his death because she hasn’t seen it. Therefore, it’s very difficult for her to forget about his recent death that has left her life in a paused position. Through Rose’s lines, Bond shows his readers how human beings suffer from the death of their dear ones and how they feel depressed when their loved ones die. According to Rose, Colin had dark eyes and was very handsome overall, and she even called him a fire (highly energetic, most probably). In response, Willy urges her that she should strive to move on in life and find positivity in it through her strong efforts. Through Rose’s painful lines and Willy’s practical response, the reader learns a lesson that no matter how tragic anyone’s death is for someone, they should not pause their life for them.
9. I don’t know if you’re all ghosts or if you still have time to save yourselves. (He cries to himself.) I’m out of touch. I tried to save you from your foolishness and selfishness.
The above lines are taken from Scene 7 of The Sea. These lines are spoken by Hatch in front of the people gathered for the burial ceremony of Colin. Actually, Hatch discovered the dead body of Colin on the beach and mistook the body for Willy. Then, he jumps at the body and cuts it into pieces. He feels that he has killed Willy and saved the town from the alien invasion. However, when Hatch arrives at the burial ceremony of Colin and sees Willy alive, he becomes shocked and starts shouting. Therefore, he is taken away from the gathering at Mrs Rafi’s order. At that point, Hatch utters the above textual lines. According to him, the alien invasion can happen at any time because the townspeople are harbouring the alien agents in the town due to their selfishness and foolishness. Through his words, it is revealed that Hatch’s paranoia is getting worse day by day, and he needs immediate and serious treatment for recovery. Also, the line of Hatch about himself being “out of touch” means that he feels separated from the world based on what’s true. However, the situation is not what he thinks. There are no aliens who are trying to invade the town, but his own mental disorder has alienated him from the rest of the world. Through this scene, Bond brilliantly captures the idea of how people’s narratives are created based on their own issues rather than reality and how these issues affect the people around them.
10. I’m a wreck rotting on the beach. Past help. That’s why I live here out of people’s way. It wouldn’t help them if they lived here. We all have to end differently… Don’t trust the wise fool too much. What he knows matters, and you die without it. But he never knows enough.
The above lines are taken from Scene 8 of the play. These lines are spoken by Evens to Willy. In the scene, it is revealed that the investigation regarding Colin’s death is completed, and it is found that Colin died due to drowning. Plus, Rose agrees to go with Willy. Then, Willy meets Evens to say goodbye for the last time and to hear some words of wisdom from Evens, probably. Evens, in his usual style, tells Willy that this world is a world of violence caused by humans. Everywhere, there is suffering and oppression, but he certainly believes that life will ultimately defeat death. He believes that humans can improve the world by ending oppression and make it a better place to live in. Through the above textual lines, we see that Evens admits he is a destroyed person who is waiting to die on the beach. He cannot be helped. That’s why he lives away from other people. And other people would not have attained anything so special or useful if they permanently lived on the beach like Evens. Plus, Evens tells Willy that all humans have to end differently because everyone’s luck is different. So he advises him that he shouldn’t believe him too much because maybe Evens knows something and it matters, but he may die without it. And the old man also admits that he doesn’t know enough about the world. Based on his lines in the scene, we can say that Evens is a combination of sanity and madness. He is a person who is philosophically right, but he is living his life in a devastated manner. Perhaps, he has distanced himself from his society because he feels that the people cannot understand his philosophy. But the reader can sense the paradox through these lines. The paradox is that the words of wisdom come from a man who is a drunkard, does not do anything of high value, and is waiting for death on the beach. Anyways, his advice is solid, and Willy takes his advice seriously and goes away with Rose from the beach to ride the train to leave the town.
11. No. Go away. You won’t find any more answers here. Go away and find them. Don’t give up hope. That’s always silly. The truth’s waiting for you. It’s very patient, and you’ll find it. Remember, I’ve told you these things so that you won’t despair. But you must still change the world.
The above lines are taken from Scene 8 of the play. These lines are spoken by Evens to Willy in the scene. So Willy comes to meet Evens to say goodbye for the last time after the investigation of Colin’s death is completed and Rose agrees to go with Willy. He probably goes to meet Evens to get some words of wisdom from him. Anyway, during the conversation, Evens suggests Willy to go away from the town and find more answers about life during his exploration of the world. Willy asks the old eccentric man whether he should become a mayor or not in the town to change the townspeople’s lives in a positive way. In response, Evens says that he shouldn’t become a mayor to bring positive changes here. Instead, Evens suggests Willy to go away from the town and become an explorer of the world to find more answers related to life and positive changes because he would not find any more answers in the town. So he should move to more developed parts of the world. Evens also suggests the young boy to never give up hope at any time because it’s always a stupid idea to become hopeless. And the truth is waiting for Willy, and it is patient, so he’ll find it if he strives to find it. Plus, according to the old man, he has told his philosophy to Willy so that he could not become disappointed. In the end, Evens suggests him to strive to change the world in a positive manner to end the oppression and suffering. Through these textual lines and Evens’ overall philosophy in the scene, the reader can sense that Evens has a great philosophical mind despite being a destroyed man living on the beach. So one can say that Evens motivated Willy to strive to change the world because he’s a young, deep, and sensible man who can do wonderful things to bring positive changes in the world.
12. Then, create room. Don’t you aspire to be an artist? Think of the miners who spend their lives crawling through darkness so that you may have light.
The above lines are taken from Scene 4 of the play. These lines are spoken by Mrs Rafi to Mrs Tilehouse during the rehearsal of the play, Orpheus, in her living room. The issue is that there is no extra character assigned to the darkness scene during the play’s rehearsal. So Mrs Rafi suggests that Mrs Tilehouse should perform the role for the darkness scene. Mrs Tilehouse responds that there is no space left for more characters in the play as the play’s cast is already full. After hearing this, Mrs Rafi speaks authoritatively to her and says that if there is no space left for the character, then it should be created. She tries to add Mrs Tilehouse to the play forcefully through her emotional arguments. Mrs Rafi says that Mrs Tilehouse should perform the role for the darkness scene by thinking of the miners who spend their lives while crawling through darkness so that others may have light. She means to say that the play’s rehearsal is being conducted so that the play’s performance could raise some funds for the coast guards in the town. Therefore, the play is highly valuable for the welfare of their society. In this way, Mrs Rafi emotionally pressures Mrs Tilehouse for her participation in the play. She also tells Mrs Tilehouse that she might be an artist in the future if she plays the role in the play. Through the textual lines and the scene overall, the reader can infer that Mrs Rafi is a highly authoritative or dominating lady. She does not have much regard for others’ emotions or choices. She wants to control others in her own way. The play’s rehearsal is being conducted in the scene when Colin’s death is recent, and his dead body is missing. So the play’s rehearsal indicates how careless Mrs Rafi is when it comes to other people’s feelings, even her own family’s feelings. For example, Rose, her niece, was engaged to Colin who died by drowning in the sea. But Mrs Rafi doesn’t regard her emotions much by rehearsing for the play in her home where Rose is already present. And most probably, Mrs Rafi intends to have an annual performance of the play in the town to not only raise funds for the coast guards but also to prove herself a charitable lady in front of the townspeople.
Conclusion:
So that is all what I have to share with you regarding The Sea’s reference to the context article. I hope you found my content quite useful. If you really find it useful, then please share my post with others. In this way, they can also learn the important lines with their references and explanations. And if you have anything to share with me about the post, then please comment below as well.