Jerusalem: style

The Style of Jerusalem

Utilises vernacular language which not only augments the characterisation process, but also invokes the authenticity of rural England.
Vivid and visceral dialogue is used to depict the lives of the characters which contributes to the realistic portrayal of middle class and working-class life.

“Jerusalem” employs a linear narrative. However, the play’s structure contains a significant amount of flashbacks and stories, which allows the audience to gain in-depth knowledge about the past of the characters, particularly Johnny.
The play starts with a traditional Shakespearean fool or jester, followed by the arrival of the hero. Butterworth then skilfully weaves narrative elements from both comedy and tragedy to engage his audience.
Butterworth makes use of Monologues to delve into Johnny’s psyche. Notably, Johnny’s concluding speech serves to highlight his desperate resistance, hinting at his tragic downfall.

Butterworth uses various Symbols throughout the play; the mobile home represents Johnny’s nonconformist lifestyle, while the New Estate stands for the encroachment of modernity on traditional rural life.
The forest is another key symbol, serving as a metaphor for a world in which nature and wildness still prevails, running in direct opposition to the civilised, institutionalised modern world.

Butterworth uses vivid imagery and metaphors, such as when Johnny Byron describes his trailer as a ship or the English council houses as ‘tin town’.
The recurring motifs of nature and wildlife populate the play and reinforce its pastoral setting. These also highlight the tension between the modern and traditional ways of living.

The use of detailed and specific stage directions are an integral part of Butterworth’s play, informing crucial character actions and plot progressions. This helps to visualise the world within the play.

Butterworth’s use of magic realism blurs the line between reality and myth, notably through Johnny’s questionable abilities and supposed interactions with mystical beings. The inclusion of these fantastical elements lend a theatrical, larger-than-life quality to the play.