"The Pot of Broth" and "Cathleen Ni Houlihan"

    The very first similarity I noticed about both "Cathleen Ni Houlihan" and "The Pot of Broth" is that both are centralized around guests in the homes of the Irish folk. In the former, an old woman weary of traveling from thieves and sadness; in the latter, an unwelcome tramp in search of food. It is important to note that the woman is welcome in the home of the Gillanes, while the tramp is in the house of the Coneely's unbeknownst to them and unwelcome. However, what they represent is something quite opposite. Although there is something supernatural about Cathleen, it soon becomes clear that she is meant to represent Ireland itself, and that she and her people have been robbed and pillaged by strangers of foreign rule. Her songs speak of the lives lost and the lives soon to be lost in the unending fight towards freedom. The tramp, on the other hand, I had a harder time placing what he may symbolize. At first I thought he might symbolize the government coming to collect things he has no right to. But then I began to think that maybe this tramp symbolizes England and it's rule over Ireland by conning the lower class out of their food by telling lies and stealing. His first song is much more malicious and selfish in tone and shows the true nature of the tramp's stories.
      After writing that first paragraph, the second thing I noticed in both plays is the use of songs by the weary travelers. Historically in theater, the use of songs in choruses is meant to show the truth of what is happening on the stage to the audience, sort of like a narrator that is not seen but knows more than the characters. I think the same principle applies here, in that the songs of the guests reveal to us as readers what their actual intentions are. Even if the characters think that they're  just songs, the audience knows that mood and intentions are being hinted at in their lyrics.
       Another thing I noticed after I had read both plays, is the differences in the way the scenes are set. The first page of "Cathleen Ni Houlihan" describes to us a normal family scene at the Gillanes, where they hear cheering from their window as they prepare for their son's wedding the next day. This is a relatively normal scene, full or curiosity and hopes for the future. This is much the way the rest of the play goes, until the old woman begins singing of all the people that are going to answer her call to battle but will eventually die as the rebellion is squashed. What makes the opening so interesting is when we compare it to the opening of "The Pot of Broth." As this play opens, the Coneely's are not even in the same room as the tramp, let alone aware of his presence there. And his actions as he rummages through their limited food supplies suggest a much more malevolent and bleak situation. The irony of it all is that the Coneely's only end up with their food tricked away from them, with no way to feed the expected  priest. But the story that started to so hopeful, ended with a promising son running from his own bride to fight in rebellion where his death is all but guaranteed.