Act 1, Scene 1 Summary

Winterset intertwines the stories of three people struggling to escape their unhappy ties to a past crime. Written in a combination of prose and blank verse, the play develops a tragic love story at the same time as it explores thematic questions about the natures of both justice and death.

This scene is set on the banks of a river under a bridge. Two Young Men lean against the struts of the bridge. Trock appears, accompanied by Shadow. Trock tells the Young Men to watch his car, and they go out. In poetic language, Trock shouts at the city, referring to the stupidity and empty lives of the people who live there. Conversation with Shadow reveals that Trock has just been released from prison, that Shadow is concerned that bad behavior like shouting in public will put Trock back there, and...