Resolution in Michael Gow's 'Away'

Perhaps the most obvious resolution in the play is Tom’s illness. We are left knowing that he has finally accepted his illness and its consequences. Gow finishes the play with Tom reading a passage from King Lear; “while we unburden’d crawl toward death.” I believe that Gow does this purposely to show the growth of Tom throughout the play. This is because Tom also opens the play and again he is quoting a famous Shakespeare play. However this time he is Puck from ‘A Midsummer Nights Dream’. This shows that the events that occur in the play have made Tom wise and more knowledgeable. Perhaps it is the storm which causes Tom to become more mature. In Shakespeare’s ‘A Midsummer Nights Dream’ the characters runaway to the forest to restore society. In ‘Away’ the three families travel to the coast for Christmas and similar to Shakespeare, society is turned upside down (the storm) and then the normal balance is resolved. Perhaps this is what allows Tom to accept his illness.

At the end of the play we see Coral and Roy showing affection for each other. He kisses the shells in her hands. These actions show that they have resolved their relationship or at least are agreeing to make an effort to make it work. The trip to ‘nature’ has contributed to this resolution. In contrast to Tom’s experience in ‘nature’, Coral and Roy’s relationship perhaps becomes worse. This is similar to the themes in Shakespeare’s ‘King Lear’ as the characters relationship worsens before resolving. Overall, it is the lowest point in the relationship that brings Coral and Roy