Three Dublin Plays

Synopsis

Three early plays by Sean O'Casey--arguably his three greatest--demonstrate vividly O'Casey's ability to convey the reality of life and the depth of human emotion, specifically in Dublin before and during the Irish civil war of 1922-23, but, truly, throughout the known universe.

In mirroring the lives of the Dublin poor, from the tenement dwellers in The Shadow of a Gunman and Juno and the Paycock to the bricklayer, street vendor, and charwoman in The Plough and the Stars, Sean O'Casey conveys with urgency and eloquence the tiny details that create a total character as well as the terrors, large and small, that the constant threat of political violence inevitably brings.

As Seamus Heaney has written, "O'Casey's characters are both down to earth and larger than life . . . His democratic genius was at one with his tragic understanding, and his recoil from tyranny and his compassion for the oppressed were an essential--as opposed to a moral and thematic--part of his art."

Summary

Chapter 1: Riders to the Sea

This chapter introduces the play's protagonist, Maurya, an elderly woman living on a remote island off the coast of Ireland. Maurya has lost her husband and six of her sons to the sea. As the play opens, her youngest son, Michael, is preparing to go to sea, despite his mother's pleas.

Real-world example: The chapter's themes of loss and the power of the sea are reflected in the real-life story of the Aran Islands, a group of remote islands off the coast of Ireland that have been plagued by shipwrecks and drowning throughout history.

Chapter 2: The Shadow of the Gunman

This chapter tells the story of Donal Davoren, a young Irish Republican Army (IRA) member who is disillusioned with the violence and brutality of the Irish revolution. Davoren becomes involved in a love triangle with Minnie Powell, the daughter of a wealthy English landowner, and Seumas Shields, a fellow IRA member.

Real-world example: The chapter's themes of political violence and divided loyalties are reflected in the real-life events of the Irish War of Independence, a bloody conflict between Irish nationalists and British forces that took place from 1919 to 1921.

Chapter 3: Juno and the Paycock

This chapter follows the fortunes of the Boyle family, a working-class family living in Dublin during the Irish Civil War. Jack Boyle, the patriarch, is a lazy and irresponsible alcoholic. His wife, Juno, is a strong and resourceful woman who tries to hold the family together. Their son, Johnny, is a sensitive and intelligent young man who dreams of a better life.

Real-world example: The chapter's themes of poverty, unemployment, and the destructive effects of war are reflected in the real-life experiences of many working-class families in Ireland during the Irish Civil War, a bloody conflict between pro- and anti-treaty factions that took place from 1922 to 1923.