In Journey's End by RC Sherriff, the theme of heroism is presented primarily through the characters of Raleigh and Stanhope as well as their relationship with each other. Despite the fact that Stanhope is a much changed man now that he has been exposed to over three years on the front lines, Raleigh still maintains his strong sense of adoration towards him and admires Stanhope regardless of his signs of possible weakness and mental deterioration. Stanhope's heroism is still presented as false to some extent, as his true cowardice hides behind his honorable disguise. It could be argued that the dominant theme of hero worship is due to the fact that Sherriff wanted to underline the importance of hierarchy in war, since this appears central to the theme of heroism in the work (especially since it is clear that all those inferior to Stanhope in the hierarchical system continue to see him as a great hero). Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay The presentation of hero worship between Raleigh and Stanhope in the play suggests that it is permanent and limitless, thus creating a rather magical and boundless vision of heroism when observing Raleigh's attitude towards Stanhope. Even before Raleigh meets him after years of separation, Osborne warns him that he shouldn't "expect to find him – just the same." When Raleigh finally reunites with Stanhope, he still overlooks the rather obvious flaws in his nature that were triggered by the constant tension of war. Stanhope's aggression towards Raleigh is not enough to reduce his admiration for the man, as the audience learns that Raleigh still appreciates Stanhope as a great man when Osborne reads his letter home. Unlike Stanhope's pathetic perception of himself, Raleigh truly understands the hardships he has endured and realizes that he simply "works so frighteningly hard." Raleigh goes on to describe Stanhope as the "best officer in the battalion", which reinforces the idea that his admiration is endless, as the superlative "the best" emphasizes Stanhope's superiority and his lofty view of the commander. The presentation of Stanhope as a hero figure is further demonstrated as Raleigh states that he is "terribly proud" to think of Stanhope as his friend. The numerous compliments in Raleigh's letter embody his pure idolatry of Stanhope; to the point of not even being able to mention a single negative aspect of his character. This presentation of Raleigh as nothing more than a "boy" could be considered to be a representation of how naive young soldiers were when going to war - hence his blind fixation on Stanhope. The romantic vision that Raleigh carries with him will soon be destroyed by the events of the German raid, meaning that his belief in this ideal of heroism is diminished, however, this does not mean that his hero worship for Stanhope diminishes. However, this theory could be called into question when considering the views of Osborne, whose belief in heroism he maintains – perhaps not in the same sense as young Raleigh, but still believes that 'it goes on for life'. This idea of ​​lifelong hero worship is a more romanticized view of things, but equally, RC Sherriff may have adopted this tone for Osborne to highlight his more hopeful attitude compared to Stanhope's generally pessimistic view of life . This idea is supported by Osborne's conversation with Raleigh, as he reveals that "one must always think" of war "as romantic" because it "helps." Yes.