Eftychia Spyridaki :

STUDENT NUMBER :20324376

The table below is an action analysis containing events of the first act according to Kattie Mitchell’s
definition of events while using the following dramatic tools/categories of events:
Sudden/gradual events
entrances/exits,
stage directions,
especially physical contacts,
beats, pauses,silences,
non semantic utterances,
disclosures in the dialogue
based on ‘’A Doll’s House’’ action analysis that was presented during our lesson.

TITLE TEXT PAGES TYPE

1. Pegeen’s Sudden, singular

introduction
2. Shawn’s entrance “looks around Gradual, cluster
awkwardly”. He
asks about her
father ‘’Where’s
himself’’
3. Pegeen complains
about her father
leaving her alone
in the night.
4. Pegeen’s father
and his
companions
entrance
5. Shawn is fearful
of God
6. Michael provokes
him to protect
Pegeen
7. He gets outside
and he returns
frightened by a
queer lad ‘’
8. Christy’ s Stage directions : p.103
entrance (“For a
perceptible
moment they
watch the door
with curiosity.
Someone coughs
outside.Then
Christy Mahon,
aslight young
man, comesin,
very tired and
frightened and
dirty.”)
CHRISTY:(in a
small voice) God
save all here!
9. Michael, Jimmy
and Philly are
trying to figure
out what his crime
was
10. Michael, Jimmy
and Philly keep
guessing and
Christy keeps
contradicting
them
11. Pegeen expresses ’’a soft lad the (p.104)
her strong like of you
disbelief that wouldn’t slit the
Christy is a windpipe of
criminal screeching sow.’’
12. Chisty
says/confesses
that he killed his
father(p.104)
13. Michael, Jimmy
 and Philly venture
guesses about the
way Christy killed
his father/Christy
narrates the
murder of his
father in a
stichomythia
between
him,Michael,Jim
my and
Philly(p.105-106)

14. Pegeen suggests

that Christy would
be a suitable pot
boy ‘’Tha’d be a
lad with the sense
of Solomon to
have for a pot-
boy, Michael
James, if it’s the
truth you’re
seeking one at
all.’’ (p.106)
15. Michael offers
Christy the job of
a pot-boy(p.107)
16. Shawn disagrees
but Pegeen
silences him,
stating that no-one
cares about his
opinion(p.107)
17. Christy decides
and states that he
will stay
18. Jimmy (stage
directions:’’jumps
up’’) and
expresses his
delight that
Christy will stay
19. Michael
respectfully asks
and learns his
 name, before he
exits the tavern
with his
companions
Jimmy and Philly.
20. Shawn suggests
that he stays with
Pegeen but she
dismisses
him(p.107-108)
21. Pegeen and Stage directions’ p.108 Gradual, cluster
Christy’ s set up: “takes off
conversation. her apron and
pins it up in the
window as a
blind,Christy
watching her
timidly. Then she
comes to him and
speaks with
bland, good
humor’’
21.a Christy’s PEGEEN: “You p.108 A small part of the
family/heritage should have had conversation within the
great people in greater gradual, cluster
your family ,I’m event n.21,of Pegeen and
thinking with the Christy’s conversation
little small feet
you have, and you
with a kind of
quality name(…)
CHRISTY:(with
pride)We were
great surely, with
wide and windy
acres of rich
Munster land.
21.b Christy and girls PEGEEN: Aye. p.108 A small part of the
Did you hear that conversation within the
from the young greater gradual, cluster
girls where you event n.21,of Pegeen and
come from in the Christy’s conversation
west or south?
CHRISTY :( with
venom) I did not
then...Oh, they’re
bloody liars in the
 naked parish
where I grew a
man.
21.c Christy’ s deed and CHRISTY :“I’ve told my p.108-109 A small part of the
his journey until now story no place till this conversation within the
night, Pegeen Mike, and greater gradual, cluster
it’s foolish I was here. event n.21,of Pegeen and
PEGEEN : You’ve said the Christy’ s conversation
like of that, maybe, in
every cot and cabin,
where you’ve met a young
girl on your way.
CHRISTYstage
directions : (going over
to her, gradually raising
his voice): I’ve said it
nowhere till this night, I
‘m telling you, for I’ve
seen none the like of
you(...)women making
laughter with the men.
21.d Pegeen and CHRISTY (drawing a p.109 A small part of the
Christy’s flert little nearer to her)Are conversation within the
you single now? greater gradual, cluster
PEGEEN: What would I event n.21,of Pegeen and
want wedding so young? Christy’ s conversation
CHRISTY(with relief)
We’re alike so.
22.Christy PEGEEN: I never killed p.109-110
confides to my father. I’d be afraid to
Pegeen about his do that, except I was the
former life his like of yourself with blind
father’s cruelty rages tearing me within,
for I’m thinking you
should have had tussling
when the end was come.
CHRISTY: stage
directions :(expanding
with delight at the first
confidential talk he has
ever had with a
woman)We had not then.
It was a hard woman was
come over the hill, and if
he was always a crusty
kind, when he’d a hard
woman setting him on, nor
 the divil himself or his
four fathers could put up
with him at all.
PEGEEN: And isn’t it a
great wonder that one
wasn’t fearing you?
CHRISTY: (very
confidentially) Up to the
day I killed my father
there wasn’t a person in
Ireland knew the kind I
was, an I there drinking,
waking, eating, sleeping,
a quiet, simple poor fellow
with no man giving me
heed.
PEGEEN: And I thinking
you should have been
living the like of a king of
Norway
CHRISTY:(laughing
piteously)The like of a
king, is it(…) , and I near
got six months for going
with a dung-fork and
stabbing a fish (…)And he
a man’d be raging all
times the while he was
waking, like a gaudy
officer you’d hear cursing
and damning and
swearing oaths.(…)
PEGGEN: I’d be well-
nigh afeard of that lad
myself, I’m thinking.(…)
CHRISTY: He a man
never gave peace to any
saving when he’d get two
months or theree, or be
locked in the asylum for
battering peelers or
assaulting men(with
depression) the way it was
a bitter life he led me till I
did up a Tuesday and
halve his skull.
23.Pegeen PEGEEN: Well, you’ll p.111 Gradual, cluster
reassures Christy have peace in this place,
 that he will find Christy Mahon, and none
peace in their trouble you and it’s near
tavern time a fine the like of you
should have your good
share of the earth.
CHRISTY: Oh, glory!It’s
late for knocking,and this
last while I’m in terror of
the peelers,and the
walking dead...
23.b Pegeen and Decisive, litteral beat p.111 Sudden, singular
Christy’ s interrupts the event:
discussion gets (Some one knocks)
interrupted

24.Widow Quin’ s WIDOW QUIN: I’m after p.111-112 Gradual, cluster

entrance. meeting Shawn Keogh and
24.a Widow Quin Father Reilly
explains why she is there below(...)they fearing by
this time he was maybe
roaring, romping on your
hands with drink(...)I’ve
their word to lead that lad
forward for to lodge with
me.(…)
It isn’t fitting says he the
priesteen, ‘to have his
likeness lodging with an
orphaned girl(...)

25.’’Agon’’ PEGEEN: Walk on from p.112 Gradual, cluster

between Pegeen this, for I’ll not have him
and Widow tormented and he
Quin/the destroyed travelling since
antagonize each Tuesday was a week.
other for whom WIDOW QUIN: We’ll be
Christy should waking surely when his
lodge with supper’s done,and you’ll
find we’re agreat company
young fellow,(...)
25.a Pegeen CHRISTY: Did you kill p.112-113 Gradual, cluster
reveals to Christy your father too?
Widow Quin’ s PEGEEN: She did not.She
past hit himself with a worn
pick, and the rusted
poison did corrode his
blood the way he never
 overed it and died after.
(…)
PEGEEN: Doesn’t the
world know you reared a
black ram at your own
breast, so that the Lord
Bishop of Connaught felt
the elements of a
Christian, and he eating it
after in a kidney stew?
WIDOW QUIN: Do you
hear her now, young
fellow? Do you hear her
the way she’ll be rating
you at your own self when
a week is by?

Seed: The people’s Messiah vs the people’s Pariah

Theme: The basic right of a human being should not be susceptible to the raw human
instincts that prevail when a parish transforms into a crowd with a constantly changing
double-standard code of ethics.
Trigger event: When Christy decides to pause his journey because of his exhaustion,
walking 11 days and nights straight.
Three climaxes:
Inciting incident (ACT2: The appearance of Old Mahon.
Midway point -Crux: The donkey race-Christy’ s public castigation after the revelation
of his living father
Climax: Christy’ s third failed patricide.
End/denouement: Pegeen’s burning of Christy’ s leg is followed by the sudden
dynamics’ reverse between Christy and Old Mahon. Christy(the slave) becomes the
Master (“I will then , like a gallant captain with heathen slave. Go on then 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.’’)
Line of Action/Logline: A patricide far way from the West is enough to transform a
slave a hero overnight and overthrow him in less than 24 hours due to the power of the
mob, where human condition returns to its raw nature.
JOURNAL:
What do I notice about people’s reaction:
The audience laughs from the start of the play and I understand it is a comedy.
What do I see:
• Realistic-almost naturalistic set design
• Dirt on everyone’s faces, people without shoes, province, strong presence of
nature
• Loud people’s
• Irish idioms I do not understanding
• Pegeen is older than the text dictates. (Her age comparing to the young girls of
Mayo provides her with higher status over them)
• Christy is a young man with traits of a clown :
he is gullible, litteral, naive at times,behaves like a child and not an adult until he
becomes a beast inn ACT 3.
How do I feel:
• I don’t understand the Irish idioms and I feel like I am losing half of the text
• I am feeling pitty about Christy and I am not sure that Pegeen is falling in love
with him or the murder’s edge.
• I am fascinated and shaken by the mod scenes(the Mayo girls that transform to a
judging mob along with the rest of the mob)
What do I remember :
• I have no recollection of seeing a play like this before. I only remember the greek
play that contain idioms and how they are aimed specifically to the greek
audience.
What do I take:
• My last statement triggers the idea that it is a challenge to give those kind of plays
a universal appeal as the contain a strong national identity, but it is worth the
endeavor as in the end they talk about universal truths. I would love a chance to
direct such a magnificent play.