In the play Foreskin’s Lament by Greg McGee, three types of conflict take place. The first is internal conflict, where players are in conflict with themselves. Examples of which are Ken and Foreskin. The second type is external conflict, between two or more characters. Foreskin and Tupper, Clean, Ken, Larry and Foreskin, as well as characters dealing with the issues of homosexuality verses heterosexuality, and educated verses non-educated. The third type of conflict is literal conflict, the major example being the rugby game. There is also literal conflict between Ken and Clean, and Foreskin, Tupper, Clean and Larry. Many of these conflicts illustrate the theme of the play, how do New Zealanders define their national identity when the old myths and the Lore, playing the game, are no longer relevant.

Ken is the captain of the rugby team in the play. When the play begins, Ken is being carried off the rugby field after he “got dizzy and fell over.” We learn that in last week’s game he knocked out with a kick to the head. Ken is torn between the doctor’s orders “The doctor…said not to even train for a while.” and his obligation to the team, to play the game on Saturday,

The second type of conflict is external conflict. Foreskin and Tupper come in conflict over the ‘old myths’ and lore of rugby, and Tupper’s “kick shit out of everything” philosophy. Tupper is the aging coach of the rugby team. He puts forward the traditional ‘kiwi’ value system, “the town is the team”, and the “sense of comradeship”, which were taken on after the Second World War. Tupper thinks that everyone is good at heart, “salt of the earth.” In Tupper’s world, rugby is a test, of going through “the dangers with your mates, and come out stronger for it”. Tupper represents the old myths and rugby lore which as we continue through the play, we realise is quickly becoming obsolete.

The final example of literal conflict has been building up throughout the play, though external conflicts, and finally explodes into actual conflict at the end of the play. Foreskin reveals to a drunken Tupper the nature of Ken’s injury. Tupper accosts Clean who brazenly denies the act “Accident!” Tupper realises what a “fool” he has been not to see the truth in Clean all along, and in anger swings at Clean. Tupper is about to get smashed in the face when a “terribly distressed” Larry intervenes, and catches a blow to the jaw and is knocked out. Foreskin rushes in, having just heard the news that Ken is dead, is also in a state of distress, and is about to throw an empty bottle at Clean and Tupper, but changes his mind and smashes the television instead. Now he has silence, and he beings his lament, the opening of which is a mimic of Clean’s captain speech. His emotions are of “anger, sorrow and anguish.”

Some topics in this essay:
Foreskin Ken, Moira Foreskin, Clean Tupper, Clean Irish, Clean Larry, Foreskin’s Lament, War Tupper, Foreskin Tupper, Tupper Moira, Clean Foreskin, myths lore, national identity, myths rugby, identity myths, rugby lore, national identity myths, external conflict, myths rugby lore, identity myths lore, literal conflict, game relevant, playing game, lore playing, myths lore playing, playing game relevant,