DNA

by

Dennis Kelly

Teachers and parents! Our Teacher Edition on DNA makes teaching easy.

Phil Character Analysis

Phil is, in many ways, the play’s main antagonist. An intensely quiet and inscrutable presence for the first part of the play, Phil soon emerges as a kind of mastermind once the group of teens at the center of the action finds themselves in trouble—and, because Phil’s intricate plan to cover up the murder of their schoolmate Adam saves them, the group begins looking to Phil as their leader and following his orders without question. Phil, however, doesn’t let the new power he has over his so-called friends go to his head—he remains as aloof and indifferent as ever, speaking up only when he absolutely needs to. When Phil does speak, the orders he gives and the things he says are cold, calculated, and completely devoid of empathy. Phil knows what must be done to maintain the illusion of innocence and has no problem giving his friends orders to lie to the police, frame innocent individuals, and even commit cold-blooded murder—even though he himself never takes any action on behalf of the group’s well-being. Phil seems to be in a relationship with Leah, though the word “relationship” is generous. Phil sits with Leah often and serves as a sounding board for her endless musings—but he often ignores her, focusing instead on preparing snacks for himself to eat while she talks. Phil’s history, thoughts, and motivations are unknown to the audience—and, likely, to the group of classmates who are ostensibly his friends. Phil’s enigmatic personality serves to underscore the random cruelty of bullying, the willingness of young and impressionable individuals to go along with peer pressure and groupthink, and the heartless callousness of social climbing.

Phil Quotes in DNA

The DNA quotes below are all either spoken by Phil or refer to Phil. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Right vs. Wrong Theme Icon
).
Scene 1 Quotes

Do I disgust you? I do. No, I do. No don’t because, it’s alright, it’s fine, I’m not gonna, you know, or whatever, you know it’s not the collapse of my, because I do have, I could walk out of here, there are friends, I’ve got, I’ve got friends, I mean alright, I haven’t got friends, not exactly, I haven’t, but I could, if I wanted, if I wanted, given the right, given the perfect, you know, circumstances.

Related Characters: Leah (speaker), Phil
Page Number: 9
Explanation and Analysis:

You’re not scared. Nothing scares, there, I’ve said it; scared. Scared, Phil. I’m scared, they scare me, this place, everyone, the fear, the fear that everyone here, and I’m not the only one, I’m not the only one, Phil, I’m just the only one saying it, the fear that everyone here lives in, the brutal terror, it scares me, okay, I’ve said it and I am not ashamed.

Related Characters: Leah (speaker), Phil
Page Number: 10
Explanation and Analysis:
Scene 2 Quotes

No, I’m just wondering. I mean what is happy, what’s happy all about, who says you’re supposed to be happy, like we’re all supposed to be happy, happy is our natural, and any deviation from that state is seen as a failure, which in itself makes you more unhappy so you have to pretend to be even happier which doesn’t work because people can see that you’re pretending which makes them awkward and you can see that they can see that you’re pretending to be happy and their awkwardness is making you even more unhappy so you have to pretend to be even happier, it’s a nightmare.

Related Characters: Leah (speaker), Phil
Page Number: 28
Explanation and Analysis:

Everything’s much better, though. I mean really, it is. Everyone’s working together. They’re a lot happier. Remember last month, Dan threatened to kill Cathy? well yesterday I saw him showing her his phone, like they were old friends. Last week Richard invited Mark to his party, bring a friend, anyone you like, can you believe that? Richard and Mark? Yep. Everyone’s happier. It’s pouring into the school, grief, grief is making them happy.

Related Characters: Leah (speaker), Phil, Cathy, Mark, Danny, Richard
Page Number: 30
Explanation and Analysis:

No, no, yeah, no, actually, because that man, the man who, he doesn’t actually, I mean I’m not being fussy or anything, but the man who kidnapped Adam doesn’t actually exist, does he. Well does he?

Related Characters: Leah (speaker), Phil, A Boy/Adam, Brian
Page Number: 32
Explanation and Analysis:

PHIL: You’re going in.

BRIAN: No.

PHIL: Yes.

BRIAN: No, Phil –

PHIL: Yes, yes, shhhh, yes. Sorry. You have to go in. Or we’ll take you up the grille. […] We’ll throw you in.

RICHARD: Er, Phil.

DANNY: Is he serious?

LEAH: He’s always serious.

PHIL: We’ll take you up the grille now. Well get you by the arms. By the legs. And we’ll swing you onto the grille. We’ll throw rocks at you until you drop through. You’ll drop through. You’ll fall into the cold. Into the dark. You’ll land on Adam’s corpse and you’ll rot together.

Related Characters: Leah (speaker), Phil (speaker), Brian (speaker), Danny (speaker), Richard (speaker), A Boy/Adam
Page Number: 38
Explanation and Analysis:
Scene 3 Quotes

LEAH: It’s incredible. The change. This place. You’re a miracle worker. Everyone’s happy. […] Funny thing is they’re all actually behaving better as well. I saw Jan helping a first year find the gym. Mark’s been doing charity work, for Christ’s sake. Maybe being seen as heroes is making them behave like heroes.

PHIL considers his waffle. Decides it needs more jam.

Yeah, everyone happy. Well it’s not all roses, you know. Brian’s on medication. […] John Tate hasn’t been seen in weeks, and the postman’s facing the rest of his life in prison, but, you know, omelettes and eggs, as long as you’ve your waffle, who cares.

Related Characters: Leah (speaker), Phil, Brian, John Tate, Jan, Mark
Related Symbols: Food and Drink
Page Number: 45-46
Explanation and Analysis:

LEAH: How’ve you been living?

ADAM: In the hedge.

LEAH: No, how?

What have you been eating?

ADAM: You can eat anything. I eat things.

Nothing dead, I don’t

insects, grass, leaves, all good, but nothing, I caught a rabbit once and ate that, its fur was soft, warm, but nothing, I found a dead bird and ate some of that but it made me sick so nothing, nothing dead, that’s the rule, nothing

Beat.

What?

Related Characters: Leah (speaker), A Boy/Adam (speaker), Phil
Related Symbols: Food and Drink
Page Number: 53
Explanation and Analysis:

BRIAN: That was great!

PHIL: You just do what Cathy says.

BRIAN: I am brilliant at doing what people say.

LEAH: No! Stop, don’t, don’t, Phil, don’t, what are you doing, what are you...

PHIL: He’s dead, everyone thinks he’s dead. What difference will it make?

She stares at him.

LEAH: But he’s not dead. He’s alive.

Related Characters: Leah (speaker), Phil (speaker), Brian (speaker), A Boy/Adam, Cathy
Page Number: 58
Explanation and Analysis:
Scene 4 Quotes

Everyone’s asking after you. You know that? Everyone’s saying ‘where’s Phil?’ ‘what’s Phil up to?’ ‘when’s Phil going to come down from that stupid field?’ ‘wasn’t it good when Phil was running the show?’ What do you think about that? What do you think about everyone asking after you?

Related Characters: Richard (speaker), Phil
Page Number: 62
Explanation and Analysis:

John Tate’s found God. Yeah, Yeah I know. He’s joined the Jesus Army, he runs round the shopping centre singing and trying to give people leaflets. Danny’s doing work experience at a dentist’s. He hates it. […] Brian’s on stronger and stronger medication. They caught him staring at a wall and drooling last week. […] Cathy doesn’t care. She’s too busy running things. You wouldn’t believe how things have got, Phil. She’s insane. She cut a first year’s finger off, that’s what they say anyway.

Doesn’t that bother you? Aren’t you even bothered?

Related Characters: Richard (speaker), Phil, John Tate
Page Number: 62
Explanation and Analysis:

And in that second, Phil, I knew that there was life on other planets. I knew we weren’t alone in the universe, I didn’t just think it or feel it, I knew it, I know it, it was as if the universe was suddenly shifting and giving me a glimpse, this vision that could see everything, just for a fraction of a heartbeat of a second. But I couldn’t see who they were or what they were doing or how they were living.

How do you think they’re living, Phil?

How do you think they’re living?

Related Characters: Richard (speaker), Leah, Phil
Page Number: 63
Explanation and Analysis:
Get the entire DNA LitChart as a printable PDF.
DNA PDF

Phil Quotes in DNA

The DNA quotes below are all either spoken by Phil or refer to Phil. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Right vs. Wrong Theme Icon
).
Scene 1 Quotes

Do I disgust you? I do. No, I do. No don’t because, it’s alright, it’s fine, I’m not gonna, you know, or whatever, you know it’s not the collapse of my, because I do have, I could walk out of here, there are friends, I’ve got, I’ve got friends, I mean alright, I haven’t got friends, not exactly, I haven’t, but I could, if I wanted, if I wanted, given the right, given the perfect, you know, circumstances.

Related Characters: Leah (speaker), Phil
Page Number: 9
Explanation and Analysis:

You’re not scared. Nothing scares, there, I’ve said it; scared. Scared, Phil. I’m scared, they scare me, this place, everyone, the fear, the fear that everyone here, and I’m not the only one, I’m not the only one, Phil, I’m just the only one saying it, the fear that everyone here lives in, the brutal terror, it scares me, okay, I’ve said it and I am not ashamed.

Related Characters: Leah (speaker), Phil
Page Number: 10
Explanation and Analysis:
Scene 2 Quotes

No, I’m just wondering. I mean what is happy, what’s happy all about, who says you’re supposed to be happy, like we’re all supposed to be happy, happy is our natural, and any deviation from that state is seen as a failure, which in itself makes you more unhappy so you have to pretend to be even happier which doesn’t work because people can see that you’re pretending which makes them awkward and you can see that they can see that you’re pretending to be happy and their awkwardness is making you even more unhappy so you have to pretend to be even happier, it’s a nightmare.

Related Characters: Leah (speaker), Phil
Page Number: 28
Explanation and Analysis:

Everything’s much better, though. I mean really, it is. Everyone’s working together. They’re a lot happier. Remember last month, Dan threatened to kill Cathy? well yesterday I saw him showing her his phone, like they were old friends. Last week Richard invited Mark to his party, bring a friend, anyone you like, can you believe that? Richard and Mark? Yep. Everyone’s happier. It’s pouring into the school, grief, grief is making them happy.

Related Characters: Leah (speaker), Phil, Cathy, Mark, Danny, Richard
Page Number: 30
Explanation and Analysis:

No, no, yeah, no, actually, because that man, the man who, he doesn’t actually, I mean I’m not being fussy or anything, but the man who kidnapped Adam doesn’t actually exist, does he. Well does he?

Related Characters: Leah (speaker), Phil, A Boy/Adam, Brian
Page Number: 32
Explanation and Analysis:

PHIL: You’re going in.

BRIAN: No.

PHIL: Yes.

BRIAN: No, Phil –

PHIL: Yes, yes, shhhh, yes. Sorry. You have to go in. Or we’ll take you up the grille. […] We’ll throw you in.

RICHARD: Er, Phil.

DANNY: Is he serious?

LEAH: He’s always serious.

PHIL: We’ll take you up the grille now. Well get you by the arms. By the legs. And we’ll swing you onto the grille. We’ll throw rocks at you until you drop through. You’ll drop through. You’ll fall into the cold. Into the dark. You’ll land on Adam’s corpse and you’ll rot together.

Related Characters: Leah (speaker), Phil (speaker), Brian (speaker), Danny (speaker), Richard (speaker), A Boy/Adam
Page Number: 38
Explanation and Analysis:
Scene 3 Quotes

LEAH: It’s incredible. The change. This place. You’re a miracle worker. Everyone’s happy. […] Funny thing is they’re all actually behaving better as well. I saw Jan helping a first year find the gym. Mark’s been doing charity work, for Christ’s sake. Maybe being seen as heroes is making them behave like heroes.

PHIL considers his waffle. Decides it needs more jam.

Yeah, everyone happy. Well it’s not all roses, you know. Brian’s on medication. […] John Tate hasn’t been seen in weeks, and the postman’s facing the rest of his life in prison, but, you know, omelettes and eggs, as long as you’ve your waffle, who cares.

Related Characters: Leah (speaker), Phil, Brian, John Tate, Jan, Mark
Related Symbols: Food and Drink
Page Number: 45-46
Explanation and Analysis:

LEAH: How’ve you been living?

ADAM: In the hedge.

LEAH: No, how?

What have you been eating?

ADAM: You can eat anything. I eat things.

Nothing dead, I don’t

insects, grass, leaves, all good, but nothing, I caught a rabbit once and ate that, its fur was soft, warm, but nothing, I found a dead bird and ate some of that but it made me sick so nothing, nothing dead, that’s the rule, nothing

Beat.

What?

Related Characters: Leah (speaker), A Boy/Adam (speaker), Phil
Related Symbols: Food and Drink
Page Number: 53
Explanation and Analysis:

BRIAN: That was great!

PHIL: You just do what Cathy says.

BRIAN: I am brilliant at doing what people say.

LEAH: No! Stop, don’t, don’t, Phil, don’t, what are you doing, what are you...

PHIL: He’s dead, everyone thinks he’s dead. What difference will it make?

She stares at him.

LEAH: But he’s not dead. He’s alive.

Related Characters: Leah (speaker), Phil (speaker), Brian (speaker), A Boy/Adam, Cathy
Page Number: 58
Explanation and Analysis:
Scene 4 Quotes

Everyone’s asking after you. You know that? Everyone’s saying ‘where’s Phil?’ ‘what’s Phil up to?’ ‘when’s Phil going to come down from that stupid field?’ ‘wasn’t it good when Phil was running the show?’ What do you think about that? What do you think about everyone asking after you?

Related Characters: Richard (speaker), Phil
Page Number: 62
Explanation and Analysis:

John Tate’s found God. Yeah, Yeah I know. He’s joined the Jesus Army, he runs round the shopping centre singing and trying to give people leaflets. Danny’s doing work experience at a dentist’s. He hates it. […] Brian’s on stronger and stronger medication. They caught him staring at a wall and drooling last week. […] Cathy doesn’t care. She’s too busy running things. You wouldn’t believe how things have got, Phil. She’s insane. She cut a first year’s finger off, that’s what they say anyway.

Doesn’t that bother you? Aren’t you even bothered?

Related Characters: Richard (speaker), Phil, John Tate
Page Number: 62
Explanation and Analysis:

And in that second, Phil, I knew that there was life on other planets. I knew we weren’t alone in the universe, I didn’t just think it or feel it, I knew it, I know it, it was as if the universe was suddenly shifting and giving me a glimpse, this vision that could see everything, just for a fraction of a heartbeat of a second. But I couldn’t see who they were or what they were doing or how they were living.

How do you think they’re living, Phil?

How do you think they’re living?

Related Characters: Richard (speaker), Leah, Phil
Page Number: 63
Explanation and Analysis: