Do you think that Murmuring Judges is a hopeless play?

David Hares aim to paint a portrait on some of the chronic wrongs within the dysfunctional, corrupt Justice system has definitely shown. As throughout this play we start to come to realise critical issues, and situations that often occur in real life such a prejudice, racism, sexism and stereotypes. However the ending of the play gives us a blurry light at the tunnel because although Sandra gives us a glimpse of hope as she says, ‘I want the chief Superintendant. I wonder. Could I have a word?’, some people would have predicted the ending to of had a larger impact of justice. This can be distressing and slightly worrying as it causes the reader to feel unsafe as we have to rely on the odd moral characters such as Irina, and Sandra. If Hares intensions were to reveal what goes on in the system, then he definitely portrayed that, but if his intentions were to reassure the audience that there is always hope then he didn’t for fill that as it only made us feel worse.

Hare also underlines the issues that the system were facing in England in the 8o’s and early 90’s such as the increased levels of immigration and terror of the (IRA), and highlights the prejudge situations against the Irish within the system. Such as when Barry’s showing a slight hatred towards the Irish which he says to Sandra, ‘He was kind of Irish as well. He may happen to Hail form the north, but he did stand with a load of Micks outside the pub on Clampham Common every evening. I think we can guess his primary allegiance’. Barry also threatened Travis and Fielding which the semtex plantation, here Hare is showing elements of the terror attacks of the 80’s and 90’s.

The play is not hopeless in the respect that is has taught us not to automatically believe the high status of the people in the high courts, as we have been blinded by there qualifications, there wealthy life’s and there high hierarchy in this world. We have learnt to respect and believe the image of powerful authority through social learning and we all forced to believe that there right. But most of these judges and barristers have never seen the real world, and have never considered the backgrounds of there clients, they think they know everything. Such as when Sir Peter makes up his own language towards criminals as ‘the sub-average human’, and says ‘I have represented dozens of people like him. He’s an ordinary, slightly sub-average human being who has landed himself in a dam stupid mess’.

In this play Irina also says, ‘A lawyer should never be emotionally involved’, this makes the audience feel that maybe there should be some sort of relationship between the lawyer and the client, because otherwise why would the client trust the lawyer with there problems or the truth? The lawyer will never be able to find justice if they never know the truth behind there clients.

An allegory of the justice system being portrayed as a factory of workers, as in each section of the justice system everything is everything is being passed on up the chain. Such as a manufactory chain from the prison (primary work), the police force (secondary work) then the judiciary (tertiary work).

I think the overall message is not hopeful as there is still a innocent man (Gerrard) as he reminds in prison and only to people Irina and Sandra trying to revolutionising the system against a whole battery of lawyers, police and prison officers.