Question...
ive put this question to a few people, and had different answers, i'm curious to see what everyone on here thinks.
how does the first act of the play establish the basis on which the remainder of the drama can unfold?
The first act introduces us to the main characters and reveals some of their personality traits and their backgrounds.
We learn that Captain Boyle is lazy, selfish, doesn't care about his family and would rather spend the day in the pub with Joxer than try to get a job. His uncaring and selfish attitude sets in motion some of the events later on in the play, such as spending all the inheritance money before thay get it, which eventually lead to the total disintegration of the family.
Juno is presented as the glue of the family. She holds them all together and works hard to keep food on the table while Boyle lazes around. She is presented as a realistic and practical character. She has no time for fantasising and dreaming of a better life. Her approach is to make the best of what you've got now.
Mary is the daughter of the family. She is going out with Charles Bentham, a school teacher. She reads a lot and has educated herself in the hope of finding a brighter future and sees Bentham as away of escaping the poverty stricken tenemants of Dublin
Johnny is a nervous and withdrawn character. We learn that he betrayed his friend Tancred who was then killed which gives the basis for the guilt which haunts him throughout the play.