After Mena and Mike leave the stage in a hurry, Nanna is seen on stage alone, smoking her pipe, which she has to hide from Mena. While alone, a man named Liam Scuab enters. He is described as ‘good looking and manly.’
He tells us that he saw Thomasheen running away from the house and shortly after he saw Mike running away in anger with Mena behind him. Nanna tells him that he must not get caught by Mike in the house, telling him, ‘Mike Glavin has no liking for you or any of yours, Liam. (Cultural Context/Social Setting)
It is clear that Nanna likes Liam but it is also clear that Mike hates the young man. Sive is scared that Liam will be caught, telling us, ‘my uncle Mike, he’ll have a fit, Liam.’ Nanna tells them to keep an eye out for Mike but leaves the two of them, showing that she has no issue with Liam.
While alone on stage, it is clear that Sive and Liam are in a secret relationship. Liam asks Sive if she would be able to sneak out and meet him and Sive tells him she will try but not to wait if she is not there. Liam replies, ‘I’ll wait till the crack of dawn, anyway.’ This shows that he is in love with Sive urges a note of caution, when she says, ‘Be careful. Uncle Mike hates you.’
The pair continue talking and Liam tells Sive that he saw Thomasheen leaving the house earlier, and Sive responds by wondering, ‘what did that devil want?’ They then discuss what he does for a living with Liam saying, ‘imagine making a marriage between two people who never saw each other before,’ to which Sive replies, ‘it’s horrible Liam.’ The playwright uses dramatic irony here as the two are unaware that Sive is being lined up for a match. We also see that Liam wants to marry Sive.
Mike enters in a fit of rage, roaring, ‘Liam Scuab? How dare one of your breed cross my door in! He describes Liam like a rat and it is clear that he hates Liam and his entire family. Mike orders Sive to her room and Liam and Mike argue, with Liam admitting that he wants to marry Sive, saying that he loves her. We finally see why Mike has such hatred towards Liam when he says, ‘like your snake of a cousin that tricked her mother with the promise of marriage and left her a child with no name.’ Here we see how Liam is judged on the actions of his family. ‘It was the fault of your cousin and ye’re the one breed.’ We also see that someone born out of wedlock was described as having no name, as they had to take their mother’s name. Note also how people were willing to marry cousins.
Liam defends his cousin saying that he went to England, unaware that Sive’s mother was pregnant and drowned, never knowing that he had a daughter. Mike does not believe this story and tells Liam, ‘I want for you to leave here and keep away from Sive.’ He banishes Liam from the house, with Liam telling him, ‘we shall see.’ Mike runs off stage shouting for Mena.
Questions:
- What is Sive’s reaction to the idea of Thomasheen and his match-making? Is Keane using dramatic irony here?
- Why does Mike hate Liam? What does this tell us about the world of the text?
- Keane has created a contrast between Liam and Sean Dota. How does he do this?
- Why do you think Mike shouts Mena at the end of the scene?