In O’Casey’s ‘Juno and the Pay

How is the tragedy developed and presented?

At first sight ‘Juno and the Paycock’ looks rather the conventional ‘naturalist’ family drama of drunkenness and defeat. At a second look it is indeed this but in a sinister, tragic and comic way. ‘An unwillingness to face reality and grapple with it ’. This is really what leads to the tragic consequences.

In terms of tragedy, this play is built up just as one should be. It has the five key specifications for a traditional tragedy: - Firstly The change in Status Quo comes at the end of the first scene where the family thinks that they are going to receive a large amount of money through inheritance which changes there lives and the way they live. Secondly Hubris, which can be predominantly seen in the male characters, Boyle and Johnny in particular. Thirdly self-recognition, which comes late in the play in the penultimate scene where Juno realises that she, should have realised her son’s problems before his death. ‘Why didn’t I remember that then he wasn’t a Diehard or a Stater, but only my poor dead son’. Unfortunately for Johnny and Juno, Juno realises too late. Fourthly reconciliation, which also comes in the pe

3. O’Casey. Dublin Trilogy. Case book Studies. Published in 1985.

1. Three Plays: Sean O’Casey. Paper Mac published in 1957.

The ending shows us the extent of which the play is built up around the women of the play and how they are the people who are most affected by the tragedy and are the sufferers. Mary and Juno leaving shows how, like a lot of the time, the men of the play are left in ignorance and for once are going to suffer their consequences. The person we have ultimate respect for is of course Juno for she has to undergo all of Boyle’s rash and unfair actions and really holds the family together. We also like Mary for she also has to undergo Boyle and Johnny’s selfish ways. Not only this but Bentham abandons her with an illegitimate child, which would be highly frowned upon in those times. For this we feel sorry for her. Although Boyle holds numerous terrible qualities we do actually quite like him because of the comic nature of the play. It is because Boyle entertains us and that his ignorance and stupidity is so funny that we do actually like him. If the play was not a Tragic-comedy I don’t think we would actually like Boyle and I honestly don’t think that the play would be nearly as successful. This is because the play would be so heavy and long-winded but the comedy seems to have the affect of breaking up the play through its seriousness, making it a bit more light-hearted and resultantly successful.

Boyle is not the only one, however, to have a miss-placed sense of pride, for on pg 27 Johnny boasts ‘I’d do it agen

Some topics in this essay:
Paper Mac, Boyle Johnny’s, Juno Mary, , Mary Juno, Boyle Johnny, Status Quo, Juno Juno, Secondly Hubris, Stars’ Dublin, play built, sean o’casey, set war, juno mary, mary juno, boyle’s character, successful play, juno realises, paper mac, dublin trilogy,