Serjeant Musgrave's Dance

by John Arden

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Act I: Scene i

"Serjeant Musgrave’s Dance" begins on a wharf in northern England in 1880. Three British Army soldiers—Hurst, Attercliffe, and Sparky—are anxiously awaiting the arrival of their commanding officer, Serjeant Musgrave. The Bargee (barge driver) appears first, prepared to transport the soldiers to their destination. Musgrave arrives, and the group departs.

Act I: Scene ii

At a public house in a small mining town, the Bargee enters to announce the soldiers’ arrival to the pub’s owner, Mrs. Hitchcock, and the Parson. The Parson assumes the soldiers have been sent to intervene in the local miners' strike, but the Bargee clarifies that they are there to recruit soldiers.

After the Parson leaves, the Bargee informs Mrs. Hitchcock and her barmaid, Annie, that the soldiers will be staying at the pub or a nearby barn. Annie is uneasy about the soldiers' presence.

The soldiers enter the pub. As they unwind, the Mayor (who also owns the mine), the Constable, and the Parson arrive. The Mayor decides to use the soldiers to recruit men who have been causing trouble in his mine. The Constable wants to use the soldiers against the strikers, but the Mayor disagrees.

After the officials leave, Musgrave asks Mrs. Hitchcock if she knew Billy Hicks. She reveals that Hicks had impregnated Annie before joining the military and going overseas, and that the baby eventually died. Musgrave and his men then leave to explore the town.

Act I: Scene iii

The four soldiers reconvene in the churchyard to discuss their impressions of the town. They agree that the townspeople are hostile and fearful of them. Three colliers (coal miners) confront the soldiers, accusing them of coming to break the miners' strike. Musgrave reassures them that this is not their intention.

After the colliers leave, Musgrave begins to disclose his true plan—to avenge Hicks’s death and highlight the hardships of military life. The soldiers fear they will be arrested before they can accomplish their mission. Musgrave draws a parallel between their cause and the corruption in the town.

After explaining the plan, he instructs them to stay relatively sober during their recruiting party that night. The Bargee overhears the real purpose behind Musgrave’s mission.

Act II: Scene i

At Mrs. Hitchcock’s pub, the recruiting party is in full swing. Sparky flirts with Annie, but she rebuffs him; his fellow soldiers warn him that he has had enough to drink. Hurst arrives, still uncertain about their mission. Annie showers him with attention, offering herself for the night, and he accepts.

The Constable shuts down the party, but the colliers resist the bar's closure. One of the colliers assaults the Constable. The soldiers step in, and the colliers along with Bargee are ejected from the pub. Sparky's drunken behavior irritates the other soldiers, leading to a quarrel among them. Sparky pleads with Annie to spend the night with him. Musgrave instructs Annie to stay away from his men.

Act II: Scene ii

On the street, Bargee attempts to lead the drunken colliers in military drills while Musgrave observes. Walsh, a collier leader, mocks the soldiers as he passes by. Bargee informs Walsh that he knows where to find weapons.

Act II: Scene iii

Inside the barn, Annie tries to share a bed with Hurst, but he rejects her, causing her to become angry. When Attercliffe appears, she seeks his affection. Although Attercliffe kisses her several times, he ultimately rejects her too, leaving Annie in tears.

Sparky tries to console her, but she is uninterested until he admits his fear. She tells him about Hicks and their baby. As they share their...

(This entire section contains 988 words.)

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fears, they become passionate.

Sparky confides in Annie about the true reason they are in town and tries to persuade her to run away with him. Hurst overhears them and confronts Sparky. As the argument intensifies, Attercliffe intervenes and accidentally kills Sparky with his own bayonet. Attercliffe is horrified by what he has done.

Musgrave and Mrs. Hitchcock enter the barn. Musgrave orders Attercliffe and Hurst to bury Sparky in the backyard. He instructs Mrs. Hitchcock to lock Annie up in a secure place.

The Bargee arrives and informs Musgrave that someone is breaking the windows of the coachhouse where their weapons are stored. Alarmed, the soldiers leave and return with Walsh. The soldiers plead with Musgrave to change the plan due to Sparky’s death, but he refuses.

The Mayor and Parson arrive. The Mayor announces that the telegraph has been repaired and the dragoons will arrive in twelve hours to quell the violence. Musgrave suggests holding a recruitment rally in the streets to divert everyone's attention.

Act III: Scene i

The next morning, the rally begins with Musgrave taking the stage to discuss the life of a soldier. He displays a Gatling gun and instructs Attercliffe to load it. Musgrave describes the harsh conditions soldiers endure and emphasizes that duty comes before all else. In a dramatic moment, Billy Hicks's skeleton is revealed, hanging by a noose from a flagpole, shocking everyone present.

Musgrave tells the crowd they must stay or his men will shoot them. He recounts the story of how Hicks was killed by civilians, leading to the retaliatory killing of five civilians. Musgrave invites Walsh to speak, expecting him to be sympathetic, but Walsh is not. The town fails to grasp Musgrave’s message.

Musgrave declares that executing twenty-five villagers will serve as rightful retribution for Hicks’s murder. Attercliffe is horrified by Musgrave’s statement—this was never part of their initial plan. Only Annie seems to understand Musgrave’s intentions, as she discloses the details surrounding Sparky’s demise.

Dragoons kill Hurst. Musgrave and Attercliffe are taken into custody.

Act III: Scene ii

While in prison, Musgrave refuses to eat. He remains tormented by the deaths of Hicks and the five civilians. Mrs. Hitchcock reassures him that the townspeople will not forget his message.

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