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Click here to watch John Hodgart’s talk on Men Should Weep plus other videos from the 2016 ASLS Schools Conference.

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Ena Lamont Stewart (1912–2006) had a keen sense of the appalling poverty and deprivation suffered by the residents of Glasgow’s slum tenements in the first half of the twentieth century. A member of the radical group of young writers and artists gathered around Glasgow’s Unity Theatre in the immediate aftermath of the Second World War, she is today most noted for her play Men Should Weep, set in the East End of Glasgow in the 1930s.

John Hodgart’s Scotnote explores how the play deals with issues of poverty and sexual and social inequality. This study guide examines the roles of the individual characters and outlines the major themes in an approachable and accessible way, and also explores issues of set, dramatic technique and staging. This guide is suitable for senior school pupils and students at all levels.

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CONTENTS

• The author and her work
• Introduction to Men Should Weep
• Setting – social and political background
• Plot summary and commentary
• Character and theme
• Mood and tone
• Style, technique and staging
• Overview of themes
• Conclusion
• Recent reviews