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As well as dialogue and sound effects, Sherriff also uses the lack of these for impact.

The stage directions in Act II, Scene 3 - during the tense dialogue between Stanhope and Hibbert - refer repeatedly to “silence”. This emphasises the awkwardness of the situation and - at times - Stanhope’s calm leadership skills.

At other times - during Raleigh’s death scene for example - silence is used to allow the audience to take in and reflect on the tragedy of the situation.

Foreshadowing

Sherriff gives many hints throughout the play as to what is to come. Before the play even begins, the title itself foreshadows that these men may be coming to the end of something.

Stanhope and Osborne’s discussion about the shame of men who go home when they are not really sick, foreshadows the tense situation between Hibbert and Stanhope later on in the play.

In Act II, Scene 1 their conversation about “the worms wandering about round the stones and roots of trees” may be an ominous foreshadowing of the death and decay that will come to many of the characters. Also, when Osborne takes off his wedding ring before he goes on the raid this hints that he may not be going to return.

All of these things increase tension and introduce the theme of danger and death early in the play.

Juxtaposition

Sherriff juxtaposes scenes of eating and chatting with scenes of discussions about battle and violence. This has the effect of reminding us that these are human beings.

We often talk of war and the vast numbers of men who died without really considering that each of those lives belonged to people just like us or our loved ones.

Seeing the men concerned about what is for breakfast, discussing gardening and sports, and being nervous and scared before going into battle removes the glamour and heroism sometimes associated with fighting for one’s country in the propaganda of the time.

It also belied the jingoistic works of poets like Jessie Pope.

A conversation between Raleigh and Osborne in Act III, Scene 1 shows this method of juxtaposition well:

Osborne: D’you like coffee better than tea?

Raleigh: I do for breakfast. [Pause.] Do these smoke bombs make much row when they burst?

Osborne: Not much. [Pause.] Personally, I like cocoa for breakfast.

Mundane topics like beverage preferences are discussed alongside dangerous weapons. This shows how the men have become so accustomed to danger and violence that it is just an everyday feature of their lives.

Dramatic irony

Dramatic irony is created when the audience knows something about the situation that another character doesn’t know.

In this play there are many examples, but the most striking is when Hibbert complains to Stanhope of his "neuralgia". The audience is already half aware of what Stanhope’s response will be because he has talked of his disapproval of such a tactic before.

Contrast

Sherriff uses contrasts to guide the audience’s response to characters and actions.

As discussed, there are contrasts in language and stage directions at the beginning of the play and at the end.

The characters themselves are contrasted to emphasise certain physical or personality traits.

For example, when the tall and slim Stanhope first appears on set he is with chubby red-faced Trotter. This emphasises the heroic physical attributes of Stanhope and helps us to understand the boyish love Raleigh has for him.

Hibbert’s desire to leave - and his pretence at illness to escape - is contrasted with the character of Stanhope who has “never had a rest” according to Osborne.

The contrast in Trotter’s addiction to food with Stanhope’s addiction to alcohol is used to show how everyone uses crutches to deal with the horrors of war.

They may choose different things to help them cope, but in the end everyone finds their own way of “breaking the strain”.