Previous
Prologue
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Jerusalem, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Lies and Myths
The Destruction of the Natural World
Authority
The Individual vs. Community
Summary
Analysis
It is midnight in England. Loud music pumps out of a sizable mobile home and into a moonlit forest. People dance wildly all night until the birds start to chirp the following morning. There is junk piled all around the mobile home, including an air-raid siren, a fridge, and many records. Nearby is a chicken coop, some chopped wood, and a bunch of trash all over the ground. In the middle of everything, a smashed television lies by itself.
The beginning of Act I distances itself from antiquity by establishing a thoroughly modern setting. Although the beauty of the natural world is still present, symbols of modernity such as mobile homes, air-raid sirens, and televisions also populate the stage.
Themes
A man named Parsons, who is dressed professionally, enters the area and photographs the remains of the television. A woman named Fawcett, who is also dressed professionally, follows closely behind him, holding a clipboard. Parsons knocks on the door and begins calling out the name “John Rooster Byron.” However, he does not get answer. Parsons pulls out a digital video camera and points it at Fawcett, who states her title and purpose: she is a Senior Community Liaison Officer who has come to deal with a matter relating to the Public Health Act.
The audience’s first introduction to Johnny “Rooster” Byron reveals that he has run afoul of the local government, presumably because of the raucous party he threw the previous night. While the area around Johnny’s home is a mess, Parsons and Fawcett are prim and proper. Fawcett’s lengthy title demonstrates her commitment to a wider bureaucratic structure, which is at odds with Johnny’s lifestyle.
Themes
Fawcett and Parsons hear barking from within the mobile home. Parsons assumes it is a dog, but Fawcett says it is Johnny. The “dog” starts to howl, and then a man wearing a World War II helmet and goggles pops out of the top of the mobile home. The man (Johnny) barks again before disappearing back into the mobile home. Fawcett reads out a court order that says Johnny is not allowed on the land and therefore must vacate immediately. Then, she staples the court order to Johnny’s door. As Fawcett and Parsons leave the area, Parsons remarks upon the beauty of the area.
Fawcett and Parsons have come to Johnny’s home to punish his uncivilized behavior—an accusation Johnny responds to by acting like an animal, thus making a mockery of the whole affair. Despite the fact that Parsons dislikes Johnny, he still comments on the beautiful spot he has picked out for himself. Parsons admires the natural landscape but not the man who inhabits it.
Themes
Once Fawcett and Parsons depart, Johnny sticks his head out of the top of the mobile home again and, with a megaphone in his hand, tells the council that Fawcett and Parsons represent to “go fuck itself.” After ranting about the Council for a minute, Johnny blasts music and walks outside. There, he washes his head in a trough and makes himself a drink consisting of milk, vodka, and an egg.
Johnny’s language is regularly crass, and his behavior following the departure of Parsons and Fawcett demonstrates his refusal to conform. Johnny’s behavior is the beginning of the play’s larger commentary on what happens to individuals who live at the margins of society.
Themes
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Ginger, one of Johnny’s friends, enters the grove singing songs about summer, unity, and the Flintock Fair. Ginger suddenly stops singing when he realizes everything around the trailer is a mess. He asks Johnny what happened. Johnny is hesitant to talk about the night before and claims he had an impromptu gathering with only a few people. Ginger is upset that he did not get an invite. Johnny tries to make excuses for why he did not invite Ginger, but Ginger doesn’t believe him.
Although Johnny dislikes the trappings of society, he has managed to cultivate a small community of his own. Although he claims there were only a few people at his party, he is lying to save Ginger’s feelings. Notably, lying is Johnny’s way of talking. He almost never tells the truth—at least not directly—and instead resorts to saying the first thing that pops into his head.
Themes
Ginger switches the subject to tell Johnny he is banned from The Cooper, a local bar. Johnny doesn’t seem to know what Ginger is talking about. Ginger says that Wesley, the bar’s owner, told him that Johnny was not allowed back because of his behavior the night before. Johnny begins telling an improbable story about what might have happened, but Ginger cuts him off. According to Ginger, Johnny drank too many vodka Red Bulls and then took off all his clothes in public. Johnny starts to recall what happened and realizes Ginger is right. However, Johnny objects to Ginger’s retelling of the night because he was not fully nude—according to him, he kept his socks on.
Again, Johnny starts trying to lie. In this case, his lying acts as a defense mechanism that allows him to disregard his drunken behavior. However, Ginger holds him to what he has done, so Johnny eventually has to give in and tell the truth. Again, it seems Johnny’s unruly behavior is causing a problem for the wider community. Although he does not seem to regret his drunken antics, his behavior has drawn the ire of other people, and his excuses are not enough to protect him.
Themes
Johnny tries to make excuses for his behavior, but Ginger doesn’t let him. Ginger tells him that he has finally been banned from every bar in Flintock because of his poor behavior. Ginger also rattles off some examples for why Johnny got banned, which include bar fights, smashing security cameras, and killing a pig with a flare gun in a parking lot. In response, Johnny again tries to downplay his actions and promises Ginger he will be let into the bars again as long as he apologizes.
Although Johnny can get away with lying to other people, Ginger knows what to expect and often gets the truth out of his friend. At the very least, Ginger never falls for Johnny’s lies. Still, Johnny is confident he will be able to return to The Cooper, presumably because he has found himself in similar situations before.
Themes
A man whom Ginger and Johnny call Professor arrives on the scene, calling out for Mary. His sudden appearance annoys Ginger, though Johnny tells him to be nice. Johnny asks Professor if he is on his way to the fair. In response, Professor sings a song about St. George’s Day, which the fair is meant to celebrate. Then, he asks Johnny and Ginger if they have seen Mary, his dog. Johnny says he has not seen Mary but is sure she will be okay and come back soon.
St. George’s Day is a celebration in England that typically takes place on April 23. St. George is the patron saint of England; he was a Roman soldier whom the Romans eventually put to death because he refused to recant his belief in Christianity. Like Jesus, St. George was a martyr, and Butterworth purposely sets the play on the holiday named after him to suggest that Johnny is a martyr as well.
Themes
Johnny reintroduces Professor to Ginger. Professor asks Ginger if he is in the Maths department. Ginger tells Professor that he is a DJ and then explains what a DJ does because Professor seems confused. When Ginger finishes, Professor tells him his job sounds fascinating, but he refers to Ginger as “Maureen.” Ginger goes along with Professor’s gaff and reintroduces himself as Doctor Maureen Pringle. Without hesitating, Professor asks Ginger about how funding works in his department. Again, Ginger plays along, which leads to a brief spate with Johnny, who knows Ginger is merely playing games with Professor and lying about his real identity and profession.
Although Ginger actually does fancy himself a DJ, much of what he says to Professor is obviously untrue. Professor does not catch his various lies because he has a tenuous grasp on reality, which Ginger deliberately exploits. It is unclear whether Professor was actually a professor at one point or if his nickname is ironic. Professor’s desire to talk about the university system suggests that the former night be true.
Themes
Ginger gets up and goes inside the mobile home to prepare breakfast. Johnny gives Professor a shot of scotch in a teacup, and they toast to St. George. After, Professor tells Johnny he saw some official-looking people wandering around in the woods. Johnny tells Professor the officials are employees of the Queen and that they came because the Queen wants to commission a portrait of Johnny for the National Gallery. In response, Professor asks Johnny if he is sure because the people Professor saw looked like they were attending to serious business. Johnny assures him everything is fine. Then, Professor continues on his way to the fair.
Although Professor does not know what is going on, he senses Johnny is lying to him. Johnny’s response suggests that he either does not take Parsons and Fawcett’s threat seriously, or he does not want to talk about it. The lie Johnny tells to cover up the truth makes him sound impressive, which is typical of his fabrications. Johnny’s lies are a form of self-mythologizing; every improbable story he tells cultivates his legend, though it also allows him to avoid dealing with reality.
Themes
After Professor is gone, Ginger comes out of the mobile home holding bacon rolls. He talks to Johnny about how everyone in Flintock is preparing for the fair. There are people dressed up as figures from popular and modern English culture, such as Gandalf from The Lord of the Rings, and some from English folklore, including St. George. Ginger goes on a comedic rant about all the attractions at the fair and honks a loud horn at the end.
Although Jerusalem relies on English myths and religious traditions to tell its story, it is also distinctly modern. Here, The Lord of the Rings stands side-by-side with St. George, creating an odd but nonetheless accurate depiction of contemporary English culture. In Jerusalem, past and present mix in ways that are surprising and often humorous.
Themes
The horn wakes up a young man named Lee who—unbeknownst to Ginger—was asleep on the couch Johnny placed on his mobile home’s porch. It takes a moment for Lee to realize where he is. After he gathers himself, he starts telling Ginger about how he missed a crazy party the night before. Lee says that Johnny took the television from the mobile home and smashed it to pieces with a cricket bat in front of everyone. After telling this story, Lee bursts into laughter. Johnny immediately starts trying to deny the story.
Here, Lee directly contradicts what Johnny told Ginger about the previous night’s party. Although Ginger probably knew Johnny was lying to him before, now he knows for sure. Meanwhile, Johnny’s behavior begins to settle into a pattern. He hears a story about his raucous behavior from the night before and immediately starts to deny it, even though it sounds quite believable to everyone else.
Themes
Ginger says he thought Lee was supposed to be leaving for Australia. Lee responds that he is not leaving until the following day because he wants to experience the fair one last time. Lee also tells Ginger that he is purging himself in preparation for his journey—a practice he discovered while reading about an American Indian tribe on the internet. Ginger mocks Lee and says he won’t stay in Australia for long. Lee assures Ginger that he bought a one-way ticket and plans to stay for good.
Again, Lee’s “purge” sees modern culture interacting with past traditions, although, in this case, they are the traditions of a different culture altogether. Of course, the parameters of Lee’s purge are rather loose. He wants to stick around to experience the fair, where he will presumably eat and drink, and he just spent a night partying with Johnny.
Themes
As Ginger and Lee discuss Lee’s upcoming trip, another one of Johnny’s associates, Davey, walks up to the mobile home wearing large sunglasses and holding an accordion. Davey greets Ginger and tells him he missed a great party. Davey asks Ginger why he didn’t come. Ginger explains that no one told him; he was sitting at home by himself. Johnny changes the subject, asking Davey if he is playing at the fair. Davey says he plans to play, though he hasn’t played his accordion since last year’s fair. He claims his musical abilities will come back to him once he is drunk.
Here, people telling Ginger he missed a great party becomes a running gag that emphasizes the extent of Johnny’s lie. Not only was the party larger than Johnny suggested, but seemingly everyone was invited except Ginger. Although the moment is played for laughs, it also suggests that there is a deeper problem between Ginger and Johnny than either of them has let on thus far.
Themes
Davey asks Johnny about Parsons and Fawcett, who he spotted in the woods. Johnny lies and says they are agents who came to ask him to join MI6. Ginger turns around and spots the notice Parsons and Fawcett left on Johnny’s door. Johnny tries to distract him from the document, but it is no use. He assures Ginger that he is not scared of the council, explaining that he’s been fighting them for years and they have not managed to get rid of him yet.
Again, Johnny avoids talking about the real reason Parsons and Fawcett came to visit him. However, Ginger sees through his lie and brings the conflict to everyone’s attention. Given that everything that comes out of Johnny’s mouth seems to be a lie, his attempts at reassuring the others ring hollow. Although he does not want to admit it, the council poses a serious threat to his lifestyle.
Themes
Johnny quickly changes the subject and asks Davey if he smashed the television. Davey says that it was Johnny who destroyed the television. He pulls up a video on his phone as proof. After watching the video, Davey and Lee realize it was much funnier in the moment. Moments later, two 16-year-old girls named Pea and Tanya crawl out from underneath Johnny’s mobile home. Pea takes a moment to get her bearings. Tanya immediately tells Ginger that he missed a great party.
Johnny is a man out of time. He acts without considering that someone will document his actions, making it difficult for him to self-mythologize the way he wants to. Already, cameras have proven to be Johnny’s downfall, and yet another recording of him will emerge later in the play.
Themes
Pea and Tanya notice that they have animal feces on their backs from sleeping under Johnny’s mobile home. Everyone argues about the source of the feces, eventually settling on badger. Johnny tells them it serves them right for not going home with everyone else. Then, Lee asks the girls if they have seen Phaedra. Pea says the no one has seen Phaedra since she got turned away from a bar about a week ago. Ginger asks Lee why he cares about Phaedra. Lee responds that he just wanted to say goodbye before he left. Pea thinks Phaedra will come to the fair later because she is the reigning May Queen. It is May Queen’s job to show up to the fair so she can crown the new May Queen.
Although Phaedra appears in the play’s prologue, this is the first time a character mentions her. In the prologue, she appears near Johnny’s trailer, suggesting she could be nearby. Although Johnny’s friends are a group of rebels, they also care for one another and worry about what has happened to Phaedra. Though they may behave poorly half the time, they have created a supportive and caring community of their own, even if it is a bit rough around the edges.
Themes
Johnny tells everyone to stay away from his home from now on unless they get permission. Then, he heads inside the mobile home. When he closes the door, the notice once again draws Ginger’s attention. Lee and Davey talk about how a new housing development is going up near Johnny’s mobile home, which is why the local council wants him gone. Lee wonders aloud whether Johnny has anything special (or crazy) planned for the fair.
Earlier, Parsons commented on the natural beauty of Johnny’s grove. However, a new housing development will surely destroy much if not all of that beauty, and Johnny will go down with it. As such, Johnny appears like he is denying the inevitable. He might be able to withstand the community’s complaints about his behavior, but a new housing development with significant bureaucratic force behind it is a different animal altogether.
Themes
Ginger tells Lee that Johnny used to be the main attraction at the Flintock Fair: he used to perform daredevil stunts and was a local celebrity. His biggest stunt took place at the Flintock Fair in 1981 when he tried and failed to jump 20 18-wheelers. Ginger watched the stunt go awry. An ambulance arrived on the scene and pronounced Johnny dead. However, before anyone had time to grieve, Johnny somehow sprung back to life and made his way over to the beer tent. Davey accuses Ginger of making up the story, but Ginger assures him it is true.
Although Ginger doubts all of Johnny’s unlikely stories, he knows that there is some truth behind the mythology of Johnny “Rooster” Byron. Here, Ginger tells what sounds like a made-up story, but Ginger’s track record of skepticism lends it credibility. Ginger’s story also reveals that the broader community once celebrated Johnny’s reckless behavior, even though they have now cast him aside.
Themes
Ginger says that Johnny stopped performing his daredevil stunts after the local council made it illegal in the early 1990s. Collectively, the group laments the fact that the fair isn’t as fun as it used to be. As everyone mocks what the fair has become, Johnny comes back outside. Lee tells Johnny that the local council had a meeting about him. Johnny says he knows all about the meeting because he attended it so he could listen to everyone complain about him.
Johnny and his friends are people who refuse to change with the times because they feel that changing would constitute the loss of an identity they cherish. However, Lee’s reminder regarding the council meeting suggests they will soon have to change with the times whether they like it or not because everyone else is sick of them.
Themes
Wesley, the barkeep who most recently banned Johnny for his bad behavior, walks up to the mobile home dressed as a morris dancer. Wesley asks Johnny for a word in private. Realizing they are not wanted, everyone else makes plans to see one another later at the fair. One by one, they say their goodbyes and then go home to get ready for the festivities.
Morris dancing is a type of English folk dance performed outside. The dancers wear elaborate costumes with bells attached. Morris dancing groups still exist in England, though usually morris dancers—or people dressed up like them—only show up for festivals.
Themes
Davey and Lee stick around for a moment and ask Johnny for speed. Johnny claims he is out and does not want to give them any regardless because they won’t pay him back. Lee comes up with a complicated scheme to pay Johnny back, which involves sending Ginger money from Australia. However, Johnny still refuses to give them any drugs. Lee and Johnny depart, leaving only Ginger, Johnny, and Wesley.
Davey and Lee don’t believe Johnny does not have drugs in part because he always lies—but also because he always has drugs. Given their expectations, it sounds as though Davey and Lee have done drugs with Johnny many times and that he is usually open to sharing. However, the issue with the council has soured his mood.
Themes
Wesley asks Johnny about what is going on with him. Johnny acts like he does not know what Wesley is talking about and waves off his concerns. Wesley chastises Johnny for spending his time partying with young people, many of whom are underage. Johnny says that he would prefer they hang around him than spend time in more dangerous areas. Wesley asks Johnny if he has seen Phaedra, who he knows often comes by Johnny’s place. Johnny says he has not seen her and suggests asking Troy Whitworth, her stepfather.
Johnny’s dismissal of Wesley’s concerns suggests that he could care less about what other people think regarding his behavior with and around young people. However, unfortunately for him, the broader community cares very much: it is the reason, along with the new housing development, that the community wants to get rid of Johnny. They see him as a bad influence on the local youth.
Themes
Wesley again starts criticizing Johnny for allowing teenagers to drink on his property. Johnny tells Wesley that he knows Wesley serves underage teenagers at his bar all the time, so he should not be so quick to judge. Wesley and Johnny briefly think back on their own teenage years, especially the trouble they got into on fair days.
Johnny’s point is that he and Wesley engage in the exact same type of behavior, except when Wesley does it, people don’t care because a bar is considered a socially acceptable place to drink. While Johnny’s point is true to some extent, Wesley is only serving booze in his bar whereas Johnny deals in harder drugs, as well.
Themes
Wesley changes the subject and warns Johnny that the government will come the following morning to remove his mobile home from the area. Johnny takes the warning lightly, but Wesley assures Johnny he’s being serious. He reads the notice on Johnny door aloud to prove his point, though Johnny still doesn’t believe it. Johnny says that he has lived in the area since before everyone else was born, and no one is going to be able to remove him. Wesley gives up trying to convince him and says goodbye.
Even though Johnny is not the legal owner of the property, he claims ownership over the land because of how long he has inhabited it. Although his claim is unlikely to hold up when put against the community’s concerns, it does feel as though Johnny is being pushed out of his home. Although Johnny refuses to accept that the council has any power, the repeated warnings from everyone he knows suggest otherwise.
Themes
As music plays from the village, Johnny takes the notice off his door and reads it. At the same time, Ginger walks up with a schedule for the fair and starts reading it to Johnny. Johnny cuts Ginger off to tell him he does not plan to attend. Ginger asks Johnny what’s wrong. Rather than answer, Johnny sets the notice on fire and blares his siren. Meanwhile, in town, the Flintock Fair begins.
Johnny’s refusal to attend the fair suggests that something is wrong. Perhaps he has finally realized that the council poses a genuine threat to his lifestyle. Alternatively, he may not want to be around the community that has effectively shunned him.
Themes
