The Plough and the Stars

by Sean O'Casey

  The Covey Whisht! I think I hear somebody movin’ below. Whoever it is, he’s comin’ up.

  A pause. Then the door opens and Captain Brennan comes into the room. He has changed his uniform for a suit of civvies. His eyes droop with the heaviness of exhaustion; his face is pallid and drawn. His clothes are dusty and stained here and there with mud. He leans heavily on the back of a chair as he stands.

  Capt. Brennan Mrs Clitheroe; where’s Mrs Clitheroe? I was told I’d find her here.

  Bessie What d’ye want with Mrs Clitheroe?

  Capt. Brennan I’ve a message, a last message for her from her husband.

  Bessie Killed! He’s not killed, is he!

  Capt. Brennan (sinking stiffly and painfully on to a chair) In th’ Imperial Hotel; we fought till th’ place was in flames. He was shot through th’ arm, an’ then through th’ lung … I could do nothin’ for him – only watch his breath comin’ an’ goin’ in quick, jerky gasps, an’ a tiny sthream o’ blood thricklin’ out of his mouth, down over his lower lip … I said a prayer for th’ dyin’, an’ twined his Rosary beads around his fingers … Then I had to leave him to save meself … (He shows some holes in his coat.) Look at th’ way a machine-gun tore at me coat, as I belted out o’ th’ buildin’ an’ darted across th’ sthreet for shelter … An’ then, I seen the Plough an’ th’ Stars fallin’ like a shot as th’ roof crashed in, an’ where I’d left poor Jack was nothin’ but a leppin’ spout o’ flame!

  Bessie (with partly repressed vehemence) Ay, you left him! You twined his Rosary beads round his fingers, an’ then you run like a hare to get out o’ danger!

  Capt. Brennan I took me chance as well as him … He took it like a man. His last whisper was to ‘Tell Nora to be brave; that I’m ready to meet my God, an’ that I’m proud to die for Ireland.’ An’ when our General heard it he said that ‘Commandant Clitheroe’s end was a gleam of glory.’ Mrs Clitheroe’s grief will be a joy when she realizes that she has had a hero for a husband.

  Bessie If you only seen her, you’d know to th’ differ.

  Nora appears at door, left. She is clad only in her nightdress; her hair, uncared for some days, is hanging in disorder over her shoulders. Her pale face looks paler still because of a vivid red spot on the tip of each cheek. Her eyes are glimmering with the light of incipient insanity; her hands are nervously fiddling with her nightgown. She halts at the door for a moment, looks vacantly around the room, and then comes slowly in. The rest do not notice her till she speaks.

  Nora (in a quiet and monotonous tone) No … Not there, Jack … I can feel comfortable only in our own familiar place beneath th’ bramble tree … We must be walking for a long time; I feel very, very tired … Have we to go farther, or have we passed it by? (Passing her hand across her eye) Curious mist on my eyes … Why don’t you hold my hand, Jack … (Excitedly) No, no, Jack, it’s not. Can’t you see it’s a goldfinch. Look at th’ black-satiny wings with th’ gold bars, an’ th’ splash of crimson on its head … (Wearily) Something ails me, something ails me … Don’t kiss me like that; you take my breath away, Jack … Why do you frown at me? … You’re going away, and (frightened) I can’t follow you. Something’s keeping me from moving … (Crying out) Jack, Jack, Jack!

  Bessie (who has gone over and caught Nora’s arm) Now, Mrs Clitheroe, you’re a terrible woman to get up out of bed … You’ll get cold if you stay here in them clothes.

  Nora Cold? I’m feelin’ very cold; it’s chilly out here in th’ counthry … (Looking around frightened) What place is this? Where am I?

  Bessie (coaxingly) You’re all right, Nora; you’re with friends, an’ in a safe place. Don’t you know your uncle an’ your cousin, an poor oul’ Fluther?

  Peter (about to go over to Nora) Nora, darlin’, now –

  Fluther (pulling him back) Now, leave her to Bessie, man. A crowd’ll only make her worse.

  Nora (thoughtfully) There is something I want to remember, an’ I can’t. (With agony) I can’t, I can’t, I can’t! My head, my head! (Suddenly breaking from Bessie, and running over to the men, and gripping Fluther by the shoulders) Where is it? Where’s my baby? Tell me where you’ve put it, where’ve you hidden it? My baby, my baby; I want my baby! My head, my poor head … Oh, I can’t tell what is wrong with me. (Screaming) Give him to me, give me my husband!

  Bessie Blessin’ o’ God on us, isn’t this pitiful!

  Nora (struggling with Bessie) I won’t go away for you; I won’t. Not till you give me back my husband. (Screaming) Murderers, that’s what yous are; murderers, murderers!

  Bessie S-s-sh. We’ll bring Mr Clitheroe back to you, if you’ll only lie down an’ stop quiet … (Trying to lead her in) Come on, now, Nora, an’ I’ll sing something to you.

  Nora I feel as if my life was thryin’ to force its way out of my body … I can hardly breathe … I’m frightened, I’m frightened, I’m frightened! For God’s sake, don’t leave me, Bessie. Hold my hand, put your arms around me!

  Fluther (to Brennan) Now you can see th’ way she is, man.

  Peter An’ what way would she be if she heard Jack had gone west?

  The Covey (to Peter) Shut up, you, man!

  Bessie (to Nora) We’ll have to be brave, an’ let patience clip away th’ heaviness of th’ slow-movin’ hours, rememberin’ that sorrow may endure for th’ night, but joy cometh in th’ mornin’ … Come on in, an’ I’ll sing to you, an’ you’ll rest quietly.

  Nora (stopping suddenly on her way to the room) Jack an’ me are goin’ out somewhere this evenin’. Where I can’t tell. Isn’t it curious I can’t remember … Maura, Maura, Jack, if th’ baby’s a girl; any name you like, if th’ baby’s a boy! … He’s there. (Screaming) He’s there, an’ they won’t give him back to me!

  Bessie S-ss-s-h, darlin’, s-ssh. I won’t sing to you, if you’re not quiet.

  Nora (nervously holding Bessie) Hold my hand, hold my hand, an’ sing to me, sing to me!

  Bessie Come in an’ lie down, an’ I’ll sing to you.

  Nora (vehemently) Sing to me, sing to me; sing, sing!

  Bessie (singing as she leads Nora into room)

  Lead, kindly light, amid th’ encircling gloom,

  Lead Thou me on.

  Th’ night is dark an’ I am far from home,

  Lead Thou me on.

  Keep Thou my feet, I do not ask to see

  Th’ distant scene – one step enough for me.

  So long that Thou hast blessed me, sure Thou still

  Wilt lead me on …

  They go in.

  (Singing in room)

  O’er moor an’ fen, o’er crag an’ torrent, till

  Th’ night is gone.

  An’ in th’ morn those angel faces smile

  That I have lov’d long since, an’ lost awhile!

  The Covey (to Brennan) Now that you’ve seen how bad she is, an’ that we daren’t tell her what has happened till she’s betther, you’d best be slippin’ back to where you come from.

  Capt. Brennan There’s no chance o’ slippin’ back now, for th’ military are everywhere: a fly couldn’t get through. I’d never have got here, only I managed to change me uniform for what I’m wearin’ … I’ll have to take me chance, an’ thry to lie low here for a while.

  The Covey (frightened) There’s no place here to lie low. Th’ Tommies ’ll be hoppin’ in here, any minute!

  Peter (aghast) An’ then we’d all be shanghaied!

  The Covey Be God, there’s enough afther happenin’ to us!

  Fluther (warningly, as he listens) Whisht, whisht, th’ whole o’ yous. I think I heard th’ clang of a rifle butt on th’ floor of th’ hall below. (All alertness) Here, come on with th’ cards again. I’ll deal. (He shuffles and deals the cards to all.) Clubs up. (To Brennan) Thry to keep your hands from shakin’, man. You lead, Peter.

  As Peter throws out a card.

  Four o’ Hearts led.

  The door opens and Corporal Stoddart of the Wiltshires enters in full
war kit: steel helmet, rifle and bayonet, and trench tool. He looks round the room. A pause and a palpable silence.

  (Breaking the silence) Two tens an’ a five.

  Corporal Stoddart ’Ello. (Indicating the coffin) This the stiff?

  The Covey Yis.

  Corporal Stoddart Who’s gowing with it? Ownly one allowed to gow with it, you know.

  The Covey I dunno.

  Corporal Stoddart You dunnow?

  The Covey I dunno.

  Bessie (coming into the room) She’s afther slippin’ off to sleep again, thanks be to God. I’m hardly able to keep me own eyes open. (To the soldier) Oh, are yous goin’ to take away poor little Mollser?

  Corporal Stoddart Ay; ’oo’s agowing with ’er?

  Bessie Oh, th’ poor mother, o’ course. God help her, it’s a terrible blow to her!

  Fluther A terrible blow? Sure, she’s in her element now, woman, mixin’ earth to earth, an’ ashes t’ ashes an’ dust to dust, an’ revellin’ in plumes an’ hearses, last days an’ judgements!

  Bessie (falling into chair by the fire) God bless us! I’m jaded!

  Corporal Stoddart Was she plugged?

  The Covey Ah, no; died o’ consumption.

  Corporal Stoddart Ow, is that all? Thought she moight ’ave been plugged.

  The Covey Is that all? Isn’t it enough? D’ye know, comrade, that more die o’ consumption than are killed in th’ wars? An’ it’s all because of th’ system we’re livin’ undher?

  Corporal Stoddart Ow, I know. I’m a Sowcialist moiself, but I ’as to do my dooty.

  The Covey (ironically) Dooty! Th’ only dooty of a Socialist is th’ emancipation of th’ workers.

  Corporal Stoddart Ow, a man’s a man, an ’e ’as to foight for ’is country, ’asn’t ’e?

  Fluther (aggressively) You’re not fightin’ for your counthry here, are you?

  Peter (anxiously to Fluther) Ay, ay, Fluther, none o’ that, none o’ that!

  The Covey Fight for your counthry! Did y’ever read, comrade, Jenersky’s Thesis on the Origin, Development, an’ Consolidation of th’ Evolutionary Idea of the Proletariat?

  Corporal Stoddart Ow, cheese it, Paddy, cheese it!

  Bessie (sleepily) How is things in th’ town, Tommy?

  Corporal Stoddart Ow, I fink it’s nearly hover. We’ve got ’em surrounded, and we’re clowsing in on the bloighters. Ow, it was only a little bit of a dawg-foight.

  The sharp ping of the sniper’s rifle is heard, followed by a squeal of pain.

  Voices (to the left in a chant) Red Cr … oss, Red Cr … oss! Ambu … lance, Ambu … lance!

  Corporal Stoddart (excitedly) Christ, that’s another of our men ’it by that blawsted sniper! ’E’s knocking abaht ’ere, somewheres. Gawd, when we gets th’ bloighter, we’ll give ’im the cold steel, we will. We’ll jab the belly aht of ’im, we will!

  Mrs Gogan comes in tearfully, and a little proud of the importance of being directly connected with death.

  Mrs Gogan (to Fluther) I’ll never forget what you done for me, Fluther, goin’ around at th’ risk of your life settlin’ everything with th’ undhertaker an’ th’ cemetery people. When all me own were afraid to put their noses out, you plunged like a good one through hummin’ bullets, an’ they knockin’ fire out o’ th’ road, tinklin’ through th’ frightened windows, an’ splashin’ themselves to pieces on th’ walls! An’ you’ll find that Mollser, in th’ happy place she’s gone to, won’t forget to whisper, now an’ again, th’ name o’ Fluther.

  Corporal Stoddart Git it aht, mother, git it aht.

  Bessie (from the chair) It’s excusin’ me you’ll be, Mrs Gogan, for not stannin’ up, seein’ I’m shaky on me feet for want of a little sleep, an’ not desirin’ to show any disrespect to poor little Mollser.

  Fluther Sure, we all know, Bessie, that it’s vice versa with you.

  Mrs Gogan (to Bessie) Indeed, it’s meself that has well chronicled, Mrs Burgess, all your gentle hurryin’s to me little Mollser, when she was alive, bringin’ her somethin’ to dhrink, or somethin’ t’eat, an’ never passin’ her without liftin’ up her heart with a delicate word o’ kindness.

  Corporal Stoddart (impatiently, but kindly) Git it aht, git it aht, mother.

  The Covey, Fluther, Brennan, and Peter carry out the coffin, followed by Mrs Gogan.

  (To Bessie, who is almost asleep) ’Ow many men is in this ’ere ’ouse?

  No answer.

  (Loudly) ’Ow many men is in this ’ere ’ouse?

  Bessie (waking with a start) God, I was nearly asleep! … How many men? Didn’t you see them?

  Corporal Stoddart Are they all that are in the ’ouse?

  Bessie Oh, there’s none higher up, but there may be more lower down. Why?

  Corporal Stoddart All men in the district ’as to be rounded up. Somebody’s giving ’elp to the snipers, and we ’as to take precautions. If I ’ad my woy, I’d make ’em all join hup, and do their bit! But I suppowse they and you are all Shinners.

  Bessie (who has been sinking into sleep, waking up to a sleepy vehemence) Bessie Burgess is no Shinner, an’ never had no thruck with anything spotted be th’ fingers o’ th’ Fenians; but always made it her business to harness herself for Church whenever she knew that God Save the King was goin’ to be sung at t’end of th’ service; whose only son went to th’ front in th’ first contingent of the Dublin Fusiliers, an’ that’s on his way home carryin’ a shatthered arm that he got fightin’ for his King an’ counthry!

  Her head sinks slowly forward again. Peter comes into the room; his body is stiffened and his face is wearing a comically indignant look. He walks to and fro at the back of the room, evidently repressing a violent desire to speak angrily. He is followed in by Fluther, the Covey, and Brennan, who slinks into an obscure corner of the room, nervous of notice.

  Fluther (after an embarrassing pause) Th’ air in th’ sthreet outside’s shakin’ with the firin’ o’ rifles an’ machineguns. It must be a hot shop in th’ middle o’ th’ scrap.

  Corporal Stoddart We’re pumping lead in on ’em from every side, now; they’ll soon be shoving up th’ white flag.

  Peter (with a shout) I’m tellin’ you either o’ yous two lowsers ’ud make a betther hearse-man than Peter; proddin’ an’ pokin’ at me an’ I helpin’ to carry out a corpse!

  Fluther It wasn’t a very derogatory thing for th’ Covey to say that you’d make a fancy hearse-man, was it?

  Peter (furiously) A pair o’ redjesthered bowseys pondherin’ from mornin’ till night on how they’ll get a chance to break a gap through th’ quiet nature of a man that’s always endeavourin’ to chase out of him any sthray thought of venom against his fella-man!

  The Covey Oh, shut it, shut it, shut it!

  Peter As long as I’m a livin’ man, responsible for me thoughts, words, an’ deeds to th’ Man above, I’ll feel meself instituted to fight again’ th’ sliddherin’ ways of a pair o’ picaroons, whisperin’, concurrin’, concoctin’, an’ conspirin’ together to rendher me unconscious of th’ life I’m thryin’ to live!

  Corporal Stoddart (dumbfounded) What’s wrong, Daddy; wot ’ave they done to you?

  Peter (savagely to the Corporal) You mind your own business! What’s it got to do with you, what’s wrong with me?

  Bessie (in a sleepy murmur) Will yous thry to conthrol yourselves into quietness? Yous ’ll waken her … up … on … me … again. (She sleeps.)

  Fluther Come on, boys, to th’ cards again, an’ never mind him.

  Corporal Stoddart No use of you gowing to start cawds; you’ll be gowing out of ’ere, soon as Sergeant comes.

  Fluther Goin’ out o’ here? An’ why’re we goin’ out o’ here?

  Corporal Stoddart All men in district to be rounded up, and ’eld in till the scrap is hover.

  Fluther An’ where’re we goin’ to be held in?

  Corporal Stoddart They’re puttin ’em in a church.

  The Covey A church?

/>   Fluther What sort of a church? Is it a Protestan’ church?

  Corporal Stoddart I dunnow; I suppowse so.

  Fluther (dismayed) Be God, it’ll be a nice thing to be stuck all night in a Protestan’ church!

  Corporal Stoddart Bring the cawds; you moight get a chance of a goime.

  Fluther Ah, no, that wouldn’t do … I wondher? (After a moment’s thought) Ah, I don’t think we’d be doin’ anything derogatory be playin’ cards in a Protestan’ church.

  Corporal Stoddart If I was you I’d bring a little snack with me; you moight be glad of it before the mawning. (Sings.)

  I do loike a snoice mince poy,

  I do loike a snoice mince poy!

  The snap of the sniper’s rifle rings out again, followed simultaneously by a scream of pain. Corporal Stoddart goes pale, and brings his rifle to the ready, listening.

  Voices (chanting to the right) Red Cro … ss, Red Cro … ss! Ambu … lance, Ambu … lance!

  Sergeant Tinley comes in rapidly, pale, agitated, and fiercely angry.

  Corporal Stoddart (to Sergeant) One of hour men ’it, Sergeant?

  Sergeant Tinley Private Taylor; got ’it roight through the chest, ’e did; an ’ole in front of ’im as ’ow you could put your fist through, and ’arf ’is back blown awoy! Dum-dum bullets they’re using. Gang of hassassins potting at us from behind roofs. That’s not playing the goime: why down’t they come into the owpen and foight fair!

  Fluther (unable to stand the slight) Fight fair! A few hundhred scrawls o’ chaps with a couple o’ guns an’ Rosary beads, again’ a hundhred thousand thrained men with horse, fut, an’ artillery … an’ he wants us to fight fair! (To Sergeant) D’ye want us to come out in our skins an’ throw stones!

  Sergeant Tinley (to Corporal) Are these four all that are ’ere?

  Corporal Stoddart Four; that’s all, Sergeant.

  Sergeant Tinley (vindictively) Come on, then; get the blighters aht. (To the men) ’Ere, ’op it aht! Aht into the streets with you, and if a snoiper sends another of our men west, you gow with ’im! (He catches Fluther by the shoulder.) Gow on, git aht!