The Nature of Heroism

“Bravery’s a treasure in a lonesome place, and a lad would kill his father, I’m thinking, would face a foxy divil with a pitchpike on the flags of hell.”

Jimmy utters these words in Act I, just after Christy reveals that he has killed his father and Pegeen suggests Michael hire Christy as the pub’s pot-boy. Pegeen has been saying she feels afraid to be alone in the pub at night, and neither Michael nor Shawn would agree to stay with her. Jimmy’s words support Pegeen’s suggestion: if Christy was brave enough to murder his own father, he’ll be brave enough to protect Pegeen from any dangers. Rather than see Christy, who has admitted to being a murderer, as a potential threat, the men and Pegeen view him as brave and daring. Their reaction reveals that the villagers interpret defiance of someone in power as heroic rather than dangerous.

“I know well it’s the man; and I’m after putting him down in the sports below for racing, leaping, pitching, and the Lord knows what.”

When Widow Quin first enters the pub in Act II, the village girls are already there to hear Christy’s story and admire him. The girls tell Widow Quin that Christy is the man who killed his father, and with these words, Widow Quin responds that she knows and has signed him up for the village sporting events taking place that afternoon. Up to this point, Christy has not expressed interest in sports or competitions, nor does Widow Quin know anything about him except that he killed his father. Her assumption that Christy would succeed in the competitions shows how Widow Quin, and all the villagers, immediately link Christy’s act with the typical heroic qualities of strength and physical prowess.

“It’s true all girls are fond of courage and do hate the like of you.”

Widow Quin makes this statement to Shawn in Act II, after he tries and fails to bribe Christy to leave the village. While Christy is putting on the new clothes that Shawn brought him, Shawn laments that Pegeen will marry Christy if Christy doesn’t leave the village. With these words, Widow Quin points out that it’s natural for Pegeen to choose Christy over Shawn, as Shawn is not courageous like Christy. This sentiment, along with the attention Christy receives from the village girls, shows that the village women are attracted to those whom they see as a heroic figure and that they view courage as a desirable “masculine” quality.

“ . . . but I’m a decent man of Ireland, and I liefer face the grave untimely and I seeing a score of grandsons growing up little gallant swearers by the name of God, than go peopling my bedside with puny weeds the like of what you’d breed, I’m thinking, out of Shaneen Keogh.”

Michael makes this declaration to Pegeen and Christy in Act III after Shawn refuses to fight Christy to win back Pegeen. Although Michael had only moments before been completely opposed to the idea of Pegeen marrying someone who would murder his own father, he feels even more disgusted by what he sees as Shawn’s weakness in being unwilling to fight for Pegeen. Here, Michael declares that he would rather die than have grandchildren who are as weak as Shawn. Even with his concerns about Christy’s violence, he would prefer his daughter to wed someone he sees as a hero over someone who cannot stand up for himself. In this way, Michael can feel assured that even if he himself is not a hero, at least he will have a legacy of brave descendants.

“And to think of the coaxing glory we had given him, and he after doing nothing but hitting a soft blow and chasing northward in a sweat of fear.”

After finding out that Christy’s father is still alive in Act III, Pegeen marvels at how she and the other villagers could have seen Christy as a hero when he did not kill his father after all. Although Christy attempted to kill his father and truly believed he had, the revelation that his attempt was unsuccessful immediately makes the villagers lose all respect for Christy. They believe that, instead of fearing the police, Christy ran because he feared his father. Instead of a hero who committed murder in an act of defiance against authority, Christy is now viewed as a physically and emotionally weak man who fears his elderly father.

The Power of Language

“Would you have me think a man never talked with the girls would have the words you’ve spoken to-day?”

Pegeen says this to Christy in Act II, after teasing him that his story of killing his father may find its way to the police if he keeps bragging about it. Pegeen feels jealous that Christy was enjoying the attention from the village girls. Even though Christy has insisted he lacks experience talking to women, Pegeen questions how this could be true based on the poetic language he uses to flatter her. Although Old Mahon later describes Christy as a fool and a laughingstock among women, throughout the play Christy uses language adroitly to compliment and entertain the villagers. His skillful use of language allows him to present himself as someone very different from his past and true self.

“If he has, he’ll be rightly hobbled yet, and he not able to say ten words without making a brag of the way he killed his father, and the great blow he hit with the loy.”

At the beginning of Act III, Philly says this to Jimmy when the two have come into the pub after watching some of the sporting events. They discuss Christy’s performance in the competitions but also admit how annoyed they are by how often Christy talks about murdering his father. What Philly and Jimmy do not know, however, is that Old Mahon is still alive and listening nearby and suddenly realizing that Philly and Jimmy are talking about his son. Although Christy’s story has ingratiated him with the villagers, his constant bragging ultimately leads to his downfall. While language can have the power to win people over, it can also lead to destruction.

“I’ll say, a strange man is a marvel, with his mighty talk; but what’s a squabble in your back yard, and the blow of a loy, have taught me that there’s a great gap between a gallous story and a dirty deed.”

In Act III, after Christy believes for a second time that he has killed his father, the villagers prepare to bring him to the police, and a confused Christy asks Pegeen why she will not stop them when he did the exact thing they had all previously been so impressed by. Pegeen answers that, while she and the villagers were fascinated by Christy’s story, witnessing the actual crime happen in their own village has made them realize the vast difference between fantasy and reality. While Pegeen and the others were happy to be entertained by Christy’s story, even the idea of facing the consequences of covering up a murder in their community has made them see the horror in such an act.

Attitudes toward Authority

“If they’re not fearing you, itself, the peelers in this place is decent, drouthy poor fellows, wouldn’t touch a cur dog and not give warning in the dead of night.”

In Act I, Michael offers Christy the job of pot-boy, but before Christy accepts the job, he wants to confirm that he will be safe from the police or “peelers.” Here, Michael assures Christy that the police will not be a problem for him at the pub, suggesting that the police are ineffective and lack power over the village and describing them as not even willing to “touch a cur dog” without warning. This attitude shows how indifferent Michael and the other villagers are to official figures of authority at this point in the play. Not only do they not report Christy’s crime, but they are also more than willing to help him by offering a job and a safe place to stay.

“If we took pity on you the Lord God would, maybe, bring us ruin from the law today, so you’d best come easy, for hanging is an easy and a speedy end.”

In Act III, after Christy has attacked Old Mahon and the villagers believe him to be dead, Michael quickly shifts from admiring Christy’s bravery to demanding he be brought to the authorities. Here, he explains to Christy why they must take him to the police. Despite Michael’s indifference to the police when Christy first arrived, he and the other villagers actually do fear getting in trouble with the law, especially now that they believe a crime has been committed in their community. While the villagers have enjoyed the idea of defying authority throughout the play, in the end, their reality appears quite the opposite. They willingly bow down to authority, desiring the protection and sense of safety that come with someone else having authority and power over them and understanding that should they buck that authority, they will surely lose.

“Go with you, is it? I will then, like a gallant captain with his heathen slave. Go on now and I’ll see you from this day stewing my oatmeal and washing my spuds, for I’m master of all fights from now.”

Christy makes this declaration to Old Mahon at the end of Act III, once he has been freed from the ropes that the villagers tied around him to bring him to the police. Old Mahon tells the villagers that he and Christy will leave the village together, to which Christy replies that he will only go with Old Mahon on his own terms. While Old Mahon has been in control all of Christy’s life, after experiencing what it is like to be admired as an authoritative and heroic figure, Christy declares that he will be in charge going forward, showing that the power of authority can change hands and is not always static.