King Hedley II

“The people wandering all over the place. They got lost. They don’t even know the story of how they got from tit to tat.”

Stool Pigeon speaks these lines. They set the tone for the play, and establish the community of which Stool Pigeon is a part as one adrift. Stool Pigeon identifies the futility of the cycle of violence in his assertions about the tit-for-tat climate of the neighborhood, and ultimately that climate will be King’s downfall.

“You ain’t going to get the phone in your name. I’ll wait until I have the 225 dollars. What that look like, having my phone in your name?”

These lines speak to King’s characterization. Honor and masculinity are important to him, and ultimately he wants little more than to do right by his family. Here, he tells his mother that he would prefer to make his own money rather than to accept charity from her, and that interest in self-determination is a key point of his character. Although life affords him few opportunities, he is determined to make something of himself and not repeat past mistakes.

“You ain’t gotta tell me about gambling with Elmore. He got all my money from last time. He sold me that watch that quit working as soon as he walked out the door.”

This passage speaks to Elmore’s characterization. Elmore is a hustler and a gambler, and according to many a man not to be trusted. And yet, his love for Ruby is true, and he shows remorse for past misdeeds and the capacity for change. Part of the