Shadow of a Gunman / Sean O'Casey and Context

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Created by: emilydea
Created on: 15-05-16 12:12

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Sean O'Casey
- Who
  - An Irish playwright born 1880, died 1964
  - Controversial writing
    - Often received bad press due to either 'sexual' or political thoughts
  - His goal was to express the vitality of life through the actions and dialogue of his characters
  - Shadow of a Gunman was O'Caseys first play to be accepted by the Abbey Theatre
  - The first Irish playwright to write about the Irish working class
- Women
  - The play represents the cowardice of the men as opposed to the fortitude and bravery of the women (especially Minnie Powell)
    - This is due to his personal life - he was bought up by his mother alone
- The Abbey Theatre
  - "National Theatre of Ireland"
  - Opened in 1904
  - Shadow of a Gunman was first performed in 1923
- Dates
  - 1916
    - The Easter Rising
      - Followers of the Irish Republican brotherhood and citizens of Ireland were attacked
  - 1920
    - Auxiliaries
      - 1900 men were recruited but were ill trained and known for their drunk brutality
  - early 1921
    - More than 700 people were killed - 75% were Black and Tans or the RIC
  - late 1921
    - Peace was finally made as Ireland accepted the British proposal of the 'Irish Free State'
- Genre
  - Tragi-Comedy
    - The tragedy is masked by the comedy until the ending
  - Naturalistic
  - Set in 1920, Dublin
- His Quotes
  - "Every character, every life (has) something to say, comic or serious, and to say it well (is) not an easy thing to do."
  - "The first thing I try to do is make a play live: live as a part of life, and life in its own right is a work of drama."