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Act Two, Scene Five
Themes
and Colors
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Our Country’s Good, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Punishment and Rehabilitation
Theater, Liberation, and Unity
Love, Sex, and Power
Governance and Justice
Guilt, Regret, and Forgiveness
Summary
Analysis
Later, Harry summons Ketch to take Liz’s measurements in preparation for her hanging the next day. Apologetically, Ketch tries to measure Liz, saying all the while how much he doesn’t want to hang her. He also promises to make sure the rope is the perfect length so that she won’t dangle in the air and suffer as she dies a slow death. This, apparently, is what happened to Thomas Barrett. Turning to Harry, Ketch says that he can’t measure Liz unless she stands up, adding that it’s difficult to hang a woman, since women are lighter and—because of this—their necks might not break when the rope catches them. “You’ve hung a boy,” Harry says in Thomas Barrett’s voice. Finally, Harry grabs Liz and forces her to her feet. As Ketch determines her height, Harry sporadically makes accusatory pronouncements in Thomas’s voice.
It’s not hard to see why Ketch would have such a hard time measuring Liz for her hanging; she’s not only a fellow convict, but a fellow actor, too. However, it’s worth noting that Harry seems to be the one who feels the most guilt, as evidenced by his inability to block out Thomas Barrett’s voice. The difference between Ketch and Harry’s reactions has to do with the kind of forgiveness they each need. Ketch wants his peers to forgive him for taking the role as the hangman. Since he knows that someone else would do the job if he didn’t, though, he doesn’t necessarily feel the need to forgive himself for what he’s done. Harry, on the other hand, is involved in an internal struggle to forgive himself for playing a part in Handy and Thomas’s deaths—an internal struggle he just can’t seem to overcome.
Active
Themes
After measuring Liz, Ketch apologizes again, telling her that if he doesn’t hang her, someone else will. At least, he says, he can make sure that she feels as little pain as possible. As he and Harry are about to leave, Liz finally speaks, asking Harry to tell Ralph that she didn’t steal any food. “Why didn’t you say that before?” Harry asks, but she doesn’t answer. At this point, Thomas Barrett’s voice completely takes control of Harry and describes the sensation of hanging, saying, “First fear, then a pain at the back of the neck. Then nothing.” Suddenly, in his own voice, Harry says, “I can’t see. It’s dark. It’s dark,” and collapses.
Active
Themes
