▁in ▁Two ▁Act s , ▁by ▁W . ▁H . ▁Aud en ▁and ▁Christopher ▁I sh er wood , ▁was ▁the ▁second ▁and ▁most ▁successful ▁play ▁in ▁the ▁Aud en - I sh er wood ▁collaboration , ▁first ▁published ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 6 . ▁It ▁was ▁a ▁major ▁contribution ▁to ▁English ▁po etic ▁drama ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 3 0 s . ▁It ▁has ▁been ▁seen ▁as ▁a ▁par able ▁about ▁will , ▁leadership ▁and ▁the ▁nature ▁of ▁power : ▁matters ▁of ▁increasing ▁concern ▁in ▁Europe ▁as ▁that ▁de cade ▁progress ed . ▁ ▁Plot ▁ ▁The ▁play ▁tells ▁the ▁story ▁of ▁Michael ▁R ans om , ▁a ▁clim ber , ▁who , ▁against ▁his ▁better ▁jud g ement , ▁accepts ▁the ▁offer ▁of ▁the ▁British ▁press ▁and ▁government ▁to ▁spons or ▁an ▁expedition ▁to ▁the ▁peak ▁of ▁F 6 , ▁a ▁mountain ▁on ▁the ▁border ▁of ▁a ▁British ▁col ony ▁and ▁a ▁col ony ▁of ▁the ▁fict ional ▁country ▁of ▁Ost nia . ▁R ans om ▁is ▁destroyed ▁by ▁his ▁has te ▁to ▁complete ▁the ▁expedition ▁ahead ▁of ▁the ▁Ost n ian ▁clim bers . ▁ ▁Background ▁ ▁The ▁play ▁is ▁widely ▁regarded ▁as ▁an ▁alleg ory ▁of ▁Aud en ' s ▁own ▁tempt ation ▁to ▁be ▁a ▁public ▁figure ; ▁this ▁interpretation ▁was ▁first ▁offered ▁by ▁R . ▁G . ▁Col ling wood ▁in ▁The ▁Princi ples ▁of ▁Art ▁( 1 9 3 8 ). ▁ ▁The ▁play ▁was ▁published ▁in ▁three ▁slightly ▁different ▁versions : ▁the ▁first