Explore two moments of confrontation in The Winslow Boy, commenting on what you think they contribute to the play as a whole.

Although Ronnie is the eponymous Winslow boy, much of the play is devoted to exploring the effect of the scandal and the legal case on his family.
One moment of conflict which illuminates the strain on Ronnie’s parents is when Grace confronts Arthur about the expense of the case and the strain it is putting on his health. He maintains that justice is of paramount importance, but she wonders whether he is more motivated by stubbornness and pride than the abstract concerns he professes.
Another confrontation which runs along similar lines is the argument between Catherine and John Watherstone. His father has threatened to cut him off if the Winslows do not drop the case. Catherine believes that this will make no difference to their marriage, but John cannot see the point of the case and asks how she can be so certain that Ronnie is innocent. Catherine, like Arthur, says that the point of the case is to see justice done: Ronnie must have a fair trial. John breaks off the engagement, as he cannot understand her position.
These two confrontations contribute to the play’s philosophical discussion about public and private virtue and specifically whether it is worth sacrificing private comfort and happiness for abstract public concerns such as justice.

The play The Winslow Boy by Terence Rattigan tells of a thirteen-year-old boy who has been expelled from school on the charge of stealing a Postal Order from another boy's locker. The Postal Order is only worth a very small amount of money, much less than Ronnie Winslow already has at hand. Arthur Winslow, Ronnie's father, is outraged at this accusation.
The first confrontation for Ronnie is his meeting with Arthur. Ronnie has been so frightened at the prospect of Arthur's reaction that he has stood outside in the rain for some time. He stands there dripping wet while Arthur reads the letter from the school. Arthur asks several pertinent questions in a calm manner and comes to believe his son. Ronnie is quite relieved.
Poor Ronnie has been found guilty by the school's leaders, who fully expect for this to be the end of the matter. Arthur thinks otherwise. He intends to fight this until Ronnie is proven to be innocent.
The next confrontation for Ronnie is his examination by Sir Robert Morton, the famous barrister, who is to decide whether to take on Ronnie's case against the school. He will be expensive, but Arthur feels that he is the best chance to defend Ronnie's honor. Sir Robert is in a hurry to keep another appointment, and his demeanor is curt and abrupt. He asks Ronnie many pointed questions, and the reader is disappointed to feel that Sir Robert has unmasked Ronnie as a liar. At the end of the examination, Sir Robert declares that he finds Ronnie innocent and will take on the case.
Ronnie's initial confrontation with his father sets up the condition of the relationship between father and son. Ronnie has feared his father and feared that Arthur would side with the school and further humiliate and punish him. When this doesn't happen, we see the real side of Arthur—that of an adoring parent who honestly considers and then believes his son.
The confrontation with Sir Robert is more complex. We are introduced to the barrister who is self-important, pretentious, and lacking in empathy for Ronnie. He fires pointed questions at the boy, but Ronnie stands up for himself and answers honestly. Even though the questions sound as though the lawyer finds the situation trivial and the boy guilty, Sir Robert agrees to take the case. Then we see the true cleverness that has been at work. Sir Robert explains that one question he had asked had shown that Ronnie tells the truth, because a guilty boy would have answered with a lie. Another question had offered a guilty boy a way to explain away what he had done. But Ronnie's answer was truthful—he had not used that loophole to get himself out of trouble. While we still think Sir Robert takes the case in order to keep himself in the headlines, Arthur is greatly relieved to have been able to secure the "best" defense for his son.