Questions up to the point at which Mahon reappears: 1. What is comic about the timing of Mahon’s reappearance? 2. How does Pegeen react to the news that Christy’s father is alive?
3. Why do you think the crowd turns on Christy when they learn he has not killed his father?
4. What is the diff erence between the way Christy believes Pegeen will respond when she hears that he has really killed his father and the way Pegeen actually responds?
5. Christy cannot understand why Pegeen would turn on him when it appears that he has killed his father. How does Pegeen explain her behaviour to him?
6. Comment on Shawn’s behaviour once Christy has been tied up. 7. How has the relationship between Mahon and Christy changed by the end of the play? 8. How do you think Pegeen feels at the end of the play? Writing Task:
When the crowd start betting on Christy or his father to win the fi ght, Christy turns on them and tells them they have made ‘a mighty man of me this day by the power of a lie’. How do you think Christy’s character has been changed by the local people?
Mahon crawls into the pub, unnoticed by everyone. Pegeen burns Christy’s leg with the turf and then Jimmy spots Mahon. T ey all drop Christy and he gets to his feet, asking Mahon if he wants to be killed a third time. Mahon asks why Christy is tied up and when he hears the story, admires his son for his bravery. He unties him and says they are going home to tell everyone about the villains who live in Mayo. Christy tells his father that he will go home with him but that from now on it is he, Christy, who will be master of the house. Mahon is astonished but seems happy with his newly confi dent son. T ey leave.
Michael is glad to see them gone and Shawn tells Pegeen that all has worked out for the best as they can now get married. Pegeen strikes Shawn hard on the side of his head and tells him to get away from her. She throws her shawl over her head and bursts into tears, saying she has lost the ‘only Playboy of the Western World’.
