"Plenty" by David Hare - An Interpretation

In this play Hare not only mentions how difficult it is for the establishment to give up their idealistic vision of the continuation of the Empire but he also portrays the partnership between England and America. By describing personal experiences of his characters he reflects the political mood of the time. The disillusion and the lack of direction of his characters who can’t cope with their situation is comparable to the political conditions. “Within the context of English political history these events are not extraneous, coincidental happenings; they have a direct bearing on and relationship to the characters’ actions and thoughts. We do not see the events take place, but we see their impact on English lives“ 8 .

But Hare’s work is not only a historical play but also somehow a tragedy. Critics claim that the dramas hero is destructive and that the play is “essentially tragic” 9 .

Susan belongs to one of Hare’s characters that share “a tragic sense of life …against the odds, they defy the repression and inhumanity around them even if it means self-destruction. 10 ”