Johnny “Rooster” Byron Character Analysis in Jerusalem

Johnny is a radical individualist who lives on his own in the woods outside of Flintock, a fictional town in Wiltshire, England. He starts every morning with a combination of milk, booze, and a raw egg and only gets wilder as the day goes on. Johnny has a penchant for telling tall tales to the friends and acquaintances that visit him. Although Johnny’s stories are obviously fictitious, they are also highly entertaining. Despite his unusual lifestyle, Johnny knows many people in the community, and the local outcasts all gather around his mobile home when they are looking for a good time. In particular, Johnny shelters the local youth who have nowhere else to go. Although he is not the best father-figure—he often provides the teenagers who come to him with drugs and alcohol—he has a kind heart and never wants any harm to come to anyone. Johnny has a son, Marky, with his ex-girlfriend, Dawn, whom he cares for. However, Johnny isn’t a good father: he doesn’t take his son to the fair despite promising him that he would, and he gives him advice that includes dropping out of school, stealing, and never listening to anyone but himself. Although the town outcasts like Johnny, and many other people tolerate him, there are many other people who want him gone, including the local government. Johnny hates the idea of conforming to anything the local government proposes and decorates his trailer with profanity-laced signs when government representatives Fawcett and Parsons tell him he must leave. In the end, Johnny does leave his spot in the woods, but he does so on his own terms. Rather than let anyone forcibly remove him, he burns his mobile home to the ground while cursing those he holds responsible for his misfortune.

Johnny “Rooster” Byron Quotes in Jerusalem

The Jerusalem quotes below are all either spoken by Johnny “Rooster” Byron or refer to Johnny “Rooster” Byron. 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:

PHAEDRA: And did those feet in ancient time,
Walk upon England’s mountains green,
And was the holy lamb of God
On England’s pleasant pastures seen.

She beams, pulls a string and the wings flap.

And did the Countenance Divine,
Shine forth upon those clouded hills,
And was Jerusalem builded here,
Among those dark satanic—

Thumping music. She flees.

Related Characters: Phaedra (speaker), Johnny “Rooster” Byron

Page Number and Citation: 6

Explanation and Analysis:

This passage opens Jerusalem and is notable, in part, because it features Phaedra, who will not appear again until the prologue of Act II. Phaedra’s presence signifies her importance to the play even though she is absent for the majority of its runtime. This prologue, along with the title Jerusalem, suggest that the play will be invested in English myths and religious traditions. Notably, Jerusalem is the city where Jesus Christ was born and later crucified. These two stanzas formally represent the duality between the heavenly and the satanic, which perhaps have more similarities than one might think. The text Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta imped

JOHNNY: I ain’t scared of Kennet and Avon. I been running rings round that lot since before you were born. There’s council officials ten years dead, wake up in cold wet graces hollering the name of Rooster Byron. I’m in their dreams and their worst nightmares. Besides. My lawyers in New York deal with all that. Here, Davey? Did you smash my telly up?

DAVEY: No, son. You did. With a cricket bat.

Related Characters: Johnny “Rooster” Byron (speaker), Davey (speaker), Parsons, Fawcett

Page Number and Citation: 23

Explanation and Analysis:

Davey asks Johnny about Parsons and Fawcett, whom he saw walking through the woods. He presumes Johnny is in trouble with the law and thinks it is serious this time. Several times throughout the play, different characters confront Johnny with a version of Davey’s concerns, and each time Johnny’s response downplays the severity of the situation. Here, Johnny suggests that he has a better claim to the land than any bureaucratic structure ever could. However, his urge to quickly change the subject implies that he is less confident than his words would suggest. Furthermore, Davey’s response to Johnny’s question reinforces Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error.

DAVEY: You know what I reckon. I reckon she’s been got by a werewolf. She’s been turned away from The ‘Rakers, wandered off into the night, in tears, whereupon a werewolf has heard her tragic sobs, and he’s followed her through the brush and he’s pounced. He’s torn her arms and legs off and eaten her virgin heart. Seriously. In a day or two, someone’ll find a bloody patch of turf in a clearing, with just these pink fairy wings flapping in the breeze.

Related Characters: Davey (speaker), Phaedra , Johnny “Rooster” Byron

Page Number and Citation: 27

Explanation and Analysis:

This moment comes from the play’s first mention of Phaedra, a teenage girl who is missing and won’t reappear until the very end of the play. Davey’s theory about a werewolf eating Phaedra plays into the play’s larger interest in how English folklore interacts with contemporary society. Before the beginning of Act II, Phaedra comes out alone on stage and sings a cover of a contemporary song about a werewolf that, while violent, deserves love. Notably, later in the play, Butterworth reveals that Phaedra has been staying with Johnny all along. As such, Johnny represents the werewolf she sings about Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciu

DAVEY: They’ve got a point, though, haven’t they? I’m not being funny, right, but if you’re sat in your brand-new house you’ve sweat your bollocks off to buy, and find out four hundred yards away there’s some ogre living in a wood…I bet it never said in the brochure: ‘Detached house, three beds with garden overlooking wood with free troll. Free ogre what loves trance music, deals cheap spliff and whizz, don’t pay no tax, and has probably got AIDS. Guaranteed non-stop aggravation and danger.’ I bet that weren’t in the brochure.

Related Characters: Davey (speaker), Lee, Ginger, Parsons, Fawcett, Johnny “Rooster” Byron

Page Number and Citation: 21

Explanation and Analysis:

After Johnny leaves to go inside his trailer, Davey, Lee, and Ginger discuss his situation with the local authorities. Here, Davey takes the side of those who want Johnny to leave—he chooses not to defend his friend and the place where he often spends his time. Davey’s position is not exactly a betrayal, though calling Johnny an “ogre” is not exactly a ringing endorsement either. Rather, Davey is more accepting and understanding of the wants and needs of regular people than someone like Johnny who could not care less. This is an important moment in the play because it places Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Ac

GINGER: He’s dead. They pronounce him stone dead. St. John’s put a blanket over him. Paperwork, everything. All the mums are crying, how they should build a statue to him in the town square, when suddenly everyone turns round and he’s gone. He’s vanished. There’s just a blanket with nothing under it. They follow this trail of blood across the field, past the whirler-swirler, into the beer tent, up to the bar, where he’s stood there finishing a pint of Tally-Ho.

Related Characters: Ginger (speaker), Johnny “Rooster” Byron

Page Number and Citation: 30

Explanation and Analysis:

Here, Ginger relates a story about a time when Johnny attempted a daredevil stunt and ended up “stone dead.” It is a notable moment because, throughout the play, Ginger goes out of his way to invalidate Johnny’s fantastical stories. More than any other character, Ginger strives to keep Johnny honest and does not allow him to self-mythologize. However, in this moment, Ginger does some mythologizing for Johnny. The story he tells is seemingly impossible according to the laws of medicine and science. The fact that Johnny survived (or was resurrected) reinforces his mythic character in its suggestion that there is Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore

JOHNNY: They’re fifteen-, sixteen-year-old kids. Course they’re bloodying drinking. It’s not like you don’t serve kids. Bloody What’s-it’s Stringer, sat at the bar, he’s fourteen year old. Orderin’ Maker’s Mark and Coke.

Related Characters: Johnny “Rooster” Byron (speaker), Wesley

Page Number and Citation: 39

Explanation and Analysis:

This quote comes from an argument between Johnny and Wesley. Wesley criticizes Johnny for allowing teenagers to drink and do drugs on his property, and, in return, Johnny calls him a hypocrite. Johnny does not believe he is endangering teenagers any more than Wesley; the only difference is that while Wesley operates a bar—a socially acceptable place to drink, albeit not for underage teenagers—Johnny’s behavior is more perverse. Johnny’s feelings reflect the play’s larger concern about what happens to society when people like Johnny, who live life on their own terms, no longer control their own destiny. Johnny’s home is Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Ve

JOHNNY: It’s true. My mother was a virgin when she bore me!

Related Characters: Johnny “Rooster” Byron (speaker)

Related Symbols: Johnny’s Branding

Page Number and Citation: 44

Explanation and Analysis:

At the start of Act II, Johnny gives a long speech about the bizarre (and highly improbably) circumstances surrounding his birth. He starts by claiming his mother was virgin, which aligns him with Jesus Christ in the Christian tradition. It is one of many references in the play to compare Johnny to Christ, though it is the only one made directly by Johnny himself. Later in the play, Troy Whitworth brands an X on each side of Johnny’s face. X often functions as a stand-in for Christ, and the community does metaphorically sacrifice Johnny for their own benefit. Of course, Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis co

JOHNNY: Always search a Byron boy at birth. You never know what he’s got on him. A Byron boy comes with three things. A cloak and a dagger, and his own teeth. He comes fully equipped. He doesn’t need nothing. And when he dies, he lies in the ground like a lump of granite.

Related Characters: Johnny “Rooster” Byron (speaker)

Page Number and Citation: 45

Explanation and Analysis:

This moment is a continuation of the grand act of self-mythologizing Johnny performs at the beginning of Act II. Here, Johnny is literally saying that Byron boys are born with a full set of teeth, while also wearing a cloak and clutching a dagger. As is the case with most of Johnny’s tales, it is an utterly ridiculous claim, which his friends have a fun time picking apart. However, although there is no literal truth to be found in Johnny’s story, there is some metaphorical truth, which plays into his individualist philosophy. Johnny claims that Byron boys come fully equipped Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. M

JOHNNY: He said, ‘This is for you. If you ever get in any bother, or you need a hand, just bang this drum and us, the giants, we’ll hear it, and we’ll come.’

Related Characters: Johnny “Rooster” Byron (speaker)

Related Symbols: The Giant’s Drum

Page Number and Citation: 53-54

Explanation and Analysis:

This quote comes from the end of a story Johnny tells his friends about the time he supposedly met a giant. It is the most outrageous of all of Johnny’s tales as well as the most symbolically important. The story ends with the giant gifting Johnny a drum, which supposedly possesses great power. It also taps into the mythological ethos that runs throughout the play. Specifically, Butterworth is calling on another work by William Blake, Jerusalem: The Emanation of the Giant Albion, a prophetic book that describes the fall of humankind (in Blake’s mythology, Albion is the embodiment of humankind). Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis conse

DAWN: I get here and you’re sitting around, getting pissed with a bunch of kids. The police are coming. They’re going to bulldoze this place. You’re having a party.

Related Characters: Dawn (speaker), Johnny “Rooster” Byron, Marky, Ginger

Page Number and Citation: 60

Explanation and Analysis:

Dawn confronts Johnny because, rather than taking their son, Marky, to the fair, he is partying with a group of teenagers and Ginger. Although Johnny wants to avoid the question of what will happen to his home, Dawn confronts it directly and confirms it will be demolished. From Dawn’s perspective, Johnny is trying to hang on to something he has already lost—and ruining his son’s day in the process. In addition to Johnny’s illegitimate claim to the land (at least from the local council’s perspective), the people of Flintock dislike Johnny because they believe he is a negative influence on Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis.

DAWN: Marky comes home every day in floods. Scratches. Bruises. His bag-handle torn. ‘Your dad don’t pay no tax. Your dad’s a gyppo. He’s going to prison.’ ‘Not my dad, Mum. My dad’s great.’ My dad’s the best.’ ‘He is, Marky. He’s amazing. He a one-off. He can’t even take his own boy up the fair. Can’t keep a promise to a six-year-old child.’ Question: Do you have drugs in there? Where your son is.

Related Characters: Dawn (speaker), Marky, Johnny “Rooster” Byron, Parsons, Fawcett

Page Number and Citation: 60

Explanation and Analysis:

This quote is part of Dawn and Johnny’s conversation about how Johnny is failing Marky as a father. In Dawn’s reenactment, Marky looks up to his father and wants to see the best in him, even though everyone else mocks him for doing so. Johnny’s relationship with Marky demonstrates the flaw in Johnny’s desire to live according to his own whims without worrying about anything else. Because he lived wildly, Johnny ended up with a son he did not want and doesn’t know how to care for. Now, it seems, he has little to no desire to accept his responsibility Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus volupta

DAWN: Just make sure there’s nothing in there when the police get here. Just do that for your son. Me, I don’t care. I don’t want him growing up on the bus to and from prison.

Related Characters: Dawn (speaker), Johnny “Rooster” Byron, Marky

Page Number and Citation: 64

Explanation and Analysis:

As Dawn and Johnny are wrapping up their conversation about what to do with Marky, Dawn appeals to Johnny’s position as a father one final time. If Johnny wishes to follow his individualist philosophy to its logical extreme, he will end up in jail, and Marky will no longer have an active father figure in his life (if one can even call Johnny “active” to begin with). Notably, Dawn is not asking Johnny for much. All he has to do is remove the drugs from his trailer before the authorities arrive. Dawn’s concern that he will not do so suggests Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde

LEE: Ley lines is lines of ancient energy, stretching across the landscape. Linking ancient sites. Like this one, the one you’ve got her goes…(Thinks.) Avebury Standing Stones, through Silbury Hill, right down to Stonehenge, and on to Glastonbury. That ley line comes clean through here. We’re standing on it right now. Seriously. If you was a Druid, this wood is holy. This is holy land.

Related Characters: Lee (speaker), Tanya, Johnny “Rooster” Byron

Page Number and Citation: 66

Explanation and Analysis:

This quote comes from a conversation between Lee and Tonya about ley lines—longitudinal and latitudinal lines that link various natural and historical sites. While one could certainly draw such lines on a map, people using the term typically espouse pseudohistorical or pseudoscientific beliefs, as Lee is doing here. Regardless of the claim’s veracity, Lee’s discussion of ley lines plays into the play’s larger interest in the mythical history of England. Because Johnny’s grove sits on a ley line, Lee suggests that it is a magical place akin to Stonehenge and the Avebury Standing Stones. Lee’s language and his references also Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Expl

TROY: And, you know what they done? They undone their flies and they pissed on you too. All overs you. On your face. In your hair. In your mouth. Took photos with their phones. Sent it to everyone. I bet Lee there’s got it on his phone. Pea. Tanya. I know Davey has. He filmed it. Show him, Davey. Show Rooster what you done. They told me all the stories, Rooster. Took me right back. Nothing changes up here.

Related Characters: Troy Whitworth (speaker), Lee, Phaedra , Johnny “Rooster” Byron, Davey

Page Number and Citation: 75

Explanation and Analysis:

This moment comes at the end of Act II, as Troy and Johnny get into a fight about Phaedra. After Johnny humiliates Troy by implying that he sexually abuses his stepdaughter, Troy humiliates Johnny in return by telling a story about how two men urinated on him while he was passed out. While the story itself is not particularly surprising—Johnny’s drinking and partying has led to all manner of questionable situations—Johnny interprets his friends’ knowledge of the situation as a major betrayal. As much as he likes to think of himself as an individualist, Johnny fancies himself the leader of Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt.

FAWCETT: This land belongs to Kennet and Avon Council.

JOHNNY: Says who?

FAWCETT: The law, Mr. Byron. The English law. I am showing the recipient a legally recognised petition of local complainants concerning the illegal encampment and activities hereabouts.

Related Characters: Johnny “Rooster” Byron (speaker), Fawcett (speaker), Parsons

Page Number and Citation: 87-88

Explanation and Analysis:

Fawcett and Parsons return to Johnny’s home to remind him that time is running out and that they will soon evict him. This time, Johnny actually answers the door and confronts them because he knows there is nowhere left to hide. Their interaction directly stages the conflict that Johnny has been running from since the start of the play. He knows the answer to his question before he asks it but feels the need to ask it anyway. No matter how many times Johnny hears that “the law” requires him to move, he refuses to comply. Johnny wants a person—or Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut a

JOHNNY: How many houses are you building? Who gets the contract? Who gets the kickback? You’re right. Kids come here. Half of them are safer here than they are at home. You got nowhere else to go, come on over. The door’s open. You don’t like it, stay away. What the fuck do you think an English forest is for?

Related Characters: Johnny “Rooster” Byron (speaker), Phaedra , Parsons, Fawcett, Troy Whitworth

Page Number and Citation: 89-90

Explanation and Analysis:

This quote comes from Johnny’s conversation with Parsons and Fawcett, who have warned him to vacate his property immediately. Johnny is skeptical about whether the upcoming construction is as beneficial to society as Fawcett and Parsons claim. He seems to suspect that someone is undertaking it to line their pockets rather than supply the residents of Flintock with the housing they need. Also, for the first time, he defends his grove in moral terms, claiming that he is providing a valuable service for the community’s youth, who otherwise have no place to go. In particular, he is surely thinking about Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde

GINGER: I thought we were mates.

JOHNNY: Mates.

GINGER: I thought we were. Friends and that.

JOHNNY: I see. I see. Well. Listen to me now. Listen very careful. (Beat.) We’re not friends. I’m not your friend. I’m Johnny Byron. I’m nobody’s friend. Is that clear? Now get. You and all these rats. Just leave me alone. Or yours is what’s coming.

Related Characters: Johnny “Rooster” Byron (speaker), Ginger (speaker), Phaedra

Page Number and Citation: 96-97

Explanation and Analysis:

This conversation is the last time Johnny and Ginger speak to each other in the play. Throughout the play, it seems that Ginger is the person who knows Johnny best: he is around the most, and he has known Johnny for a long time. Although Ginger tends to give Johnny a hard time, he also appears to have genuine respect from him and is hurt when Johnny tells him they are no longer friends. This moment is a major turning point for Johnny’s character because, with the possible exception of Phaedra (who is still hiding inside his trailer), he has Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commo

JOHNNY: School is a lie. Prison’s a waste of time. Girls are wondrous. Grab your fill. No man was ever lain in his barrow wishing he’d loved one less woman. Don’t listen to no one and nothing but what your own heart bids. Lie. Cheat. Steal. Fight to the death. Don’t give up. Show me your teeth.

Related Characters: Johnny “Rooster” Byron (speaker), Marky

Page Number and Citation: 98

Explanation and Analysis:

This moment comes from the last conversation Johnny has with Marky before burning his home to the ground. He speaks to Marky as if it is the last time they will ever talk, suggesting that he plans to do something radical. Rather than give Marky good advice about how to advance in society, Johnny takes the logic of his individualist philosophy to its extreme and passes all of its worst features on to his son, encouraging Marky to do things on his own terms with no regard for how his actions affect others. The speech comes from a place of Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corru

JOHNNY: Come, you drunken spirits. Come, you battalions. You fields of ghosts who walk these green plains still. Come, you giants!

Relentlessly he beats the drum. Faster. Faster. Staring out. He pounds on and on until the final blow rings out and…

Blackout

Curtain.

The End.

Related Characters: Johnny “Rooster” Byron (speaker), Marky

Related Symbols: The Giant’s Drum

Page Number and Citation: 99

Explanation and Analysis:

These lines mark the end of the play, as Johnny burns his property to the ground and bangs on the giant’s drum. Earlier in the play, Johnny’s suggested that the giant’s drum was an object of great power that would summon giants to help him. However, in reality, its power is merely symbolic, as no giants are coming to help him. As such, Johnny bangs on the drums as an act of a desperate man who has nothing to his name and no one left to support him. The play ends on an ambiguous note, as it is unclear what Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omni

Johnny “Rooster” Byron Character Timeline in Jerusalem

The timeline below shows where the character Johnny “Rooster” Byron appears in Jerusalem. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

...holding a clipboard. Parsons knocks on the door and begins calling out the name “ John Rooster Byron .” However, he does not get answer. Parsons pulls out a digital video camera and... (full context)

The Destruction of the Natural World Theme Icon

...within the mobile home. Parsons assumes it is a dog, but Fawcett says it is Johnny. The “dog” starts to howl, and then a man wearing a World War II helmet... (full context)

Once Fawcett and Parsons depart, Johnny sticks his head out of the top of the mobile home again and, with a... (full context)

Ginger, one of Johnny’s friends, enters the grove singing songs about summer, unity, and the Flintock Fair. Ginger suddenly... (full context)

Ginger switches the subject to tell Johnny he is banned from The Cooper, a local bar. Johnny doesn’t seem to know what... (full context)

Johnny tries to make excuses for his behavior, but Ginger doesn’t let him. Ginger tells him... (full context)

A man whom Ginger and Johnny call Professor arrives on the scene, calling out for Mary. His sudden appearance annoys Ginger,... (full context)

Johnny reintroduces Professor to Ginger. Professor asks Ginger if he is in the Maths department. Ginger... (full context)

Ginger gets up and goes inside the mobile home to prepare breakfast. Johnny gives Professor a shot of scotch in a teacup, and they toast to St. George.... (full context)

...is gone, Ginger comes out of the mobile home holding bacon rolls. He talks to Johnny about how everyone in Flintock is preparing for the fair. There are people dressed up... (full context)

...horn wakes up a young man named Lee who—unbeknownst to Ginger—was asleep on the couch Johnny placed on his mobile home’s porch. It takes a moment for Lee to realize where... (full context)

As Ginger and Lee discuss Lee’s upcoming trip, another one of Johnny’s associates, Davey, walks up to the mobile home wearing large sunglasses and holding an accordion.... (full context)

Davey asks Johnny about Parsons and Fawcett, who he spotted in the woods. Johnny lies and says they... (full context)

Johnny quickly changes the subject and asks Davey if he smashed the television. Davey says that... (full context)

Pea and Tanya notice that they have animal feces on their backs from sleeping under Johnny’s mobile home. Everyone argues about the source of the feces, eventually settling on badger. Johnny... (full context)

Johnny tells everyone to stay away from his home from now on unless they get permission.... (full context)

Ginger tells Lee that Johnny used to be the main attraction at the Flintock Fair: he used to perform daredevil... (full context)

Ginger says that Johnny stopped performing his daredevil stunts after the local council made it illegal in the early... (full context)

Wesley, the barkeep who most recently banned Johnny for his bad behavior, walks up to the mobile home dressed as a morris dancer.... (full context)

Davey and Lee stick around for a moment and ask Johnny for speed. Johnny claims he is out and does not want to give them any... (full context)

Wesley asks Johnny about what is going on with him. Johnny acts like he does not know what... (full context)

Wesley again starts criticizing Johnny for allowing teenagers to drink on his property. Johnny tells Wesley that he knows Wesley... (full context)

Wesley changes the subject and warns Johnny that the government will come the following morning to remove his mobile home from the... (full context)

As music plays from the village, Johnny takes the notice off his door and reads it. At the same time, Ginger walks... (full context)

Davey, Pea, and Lee are outside Johnny’s trailer creating profanity-filled signs to ward off the city council. Professor arrives with a bunch... (full context)

Johnny begins telling everyone fake stories about his father and his childhood. No one believes a... (full context)

Johnny bangs on a table and starts a lengthy speech about how he plans to take... (full context)

Johnny gives another speech about how later he plans to storm Flintock and burn it to... (full context)

...After wishing Lee well, Wesley admits that he also came to score some speed from Johnny. Johnny tells him that he will give him three grams if Wesley will dance around... (full context)

While Wesley is inside, Tanya asks Johnny if he used to be a daredevil and if he ever jumped Stonehenge. Johnny responds... (full context)

Johnny says he chatted with the giant about the weather. The giant predicted what the weather... (full context)

When Johnny finishes his story, Ginger begins to pick apart the logic of his story. He says... (full context)

Ginger asks Johnny to show him the drum to prove that it is indeed real. Johnny tells Ginger... (full context)

After hitting the drum a few times, Lee goes silent and looks at something behind Johnny. Johnny turns around to find his six-year-old son, Marky, standing there. Johnny shoos everyone away... (full context)

...Dawn tells Marky to go play in the mobile home so she can talk to Johnny alone. Once Marky is gone, Dawn chastises Johnny for his behavior. She knows the government... (full context)

Dawn asks Johnny to borrow his cellphone. Then, she calls an unidentified person and asks them if they... (full context)

As Dawn snorts the cocaine, Johnny reaches into her purse and pulls out a pair of knitted booties. He asks Dawn... (full context)

Then, Johnny asks Dawn to come over and look into his eyes. She does as he asks.... (full context)

...begins asking them trivia questions. Pea and Tanya don’t know any of the answers, so Johnny starts yelling them from inside of his home. After a few questions, Johnny comes back... (full context)

Pea starts asking questions. Johnny answers all of them before she can even finish asking, which makes Ginger angry. He... (full context)

Just then, Troy Whitworth, Phaedra’s stepfather, shows up, interrupting the trivia game. Johnny invites Troy to join the party. Troy says he does not plan to stay. He... (full context)

Troy tells Johnny to shut his mouth. However, Johnny continues insinuating that Troy has a sexual interest in... (full context)

Johnny looks around at his friends to see if the story is true. When nobody says... (full context)

After returning from the fair, Davey and Lee knock on Johnny’s door. Lee is wearing his new T-shirt and holding a goldfish in a bag. Johnny... (full context)

Ginger asks Lee if Johnny is around. Lee says he is unsure. Davey tells Ginger that he just got a... (full context)

...weather and leave. Lee leaves the goldfish in a bag behind as a present for Johnny. From the trees, Johnny watches Davey and Lee leave. Wesley shows up and tells Johnny... (full context)

Fawcett and Johnny get into a fight over who owns the land Johnny’s mobile home sits on. Johnny... (full context)

Fawcett and Parsons leave Johnny with the signed petition ordering him to vacate. Once they are gone, Johnny lights the... (full context)

Phaedra steps out of Johnny’s trailer and asks him about Fawcett and Parsons. Johnny says they came to make him... (full context)

Phaedra asks Johnny why he continues to hang around Flintock when he has the option of going anywhere.... (full context)

At 5:55 p.m., Phaedra tells Johnny that she will only be the May Queen for five more minutes before turning back... (full context)

...are dancing, Troy appears with two other men. Phaedra runs away, but the men grab Johnny, violently beating him as Troy stands guard. Ginger shows up as the men are beating... (full context)

Ginger returns to Johnny and asks what happened. Johnny does not give a clear answer, though he does tell... (full context)

Once Ginger leaves, Johnny turns around and sees Marky behind him. Marky tells Johnny that he got lost. Johnny... (full context)

After Marky leaves, Johnny takes a can of gasoline and splashes it all over his home and the surrounding... (full context)

Johnny “Rooster” Byron Character Analysis

Johnny “Rooster” Byron Quotes in Jerusalem

Prologue Quotes

Act 1 Quotes

Act 2 Quotes

Act 3 Quotes

Johnny “Rooster” Byron Character Timeline in Jerusalem