The Lieutenant of Inishmore

Imagine that you are working on a contemporary production of The Lieutenant of Inishmore in a country other than Ireland. How would you make the play relevant to current audiences? What do you think audiences need to know in order to understand the play?

Research The Troubles and the history of paramilitary groups in Northern Ireland. Do you think McDonagh’s portrayal is fair? Why or why not?

Reread the end of the play from the moment when Wee Thomas returns. Analyze the action that follows. How does the rest of the play inform the way Davey and Donny react? Why do you think they respond the way they do?

Consider the three cats in the play. How does each serve a different purpose? What do they reveal about the characters and the narrative? What larger meaning or symbolism might they represent? Use examples from the text to support your argument.

Read through the text for references to real people and events and choose five to research. Why do you think McDonagh chose these examples? Why are they significant? How do they inform the point of the play?

How are gender and sexuality important in the play? What are social expectations and how are they enforced? What do gender and sexuality mean to Padraic, Mairead, and Davey? Cite examples from the text.

What is the significance of blinding and shooting out eyes? Why do you think that is Mairead’s main tactic, and what does it mean that Padraic once accidentally shot out Christy’s eye?

In the text, find three examples of when characters reference freeing Ireland. Why do they bring up this idea, and how do they use it? How does this comment on the objectives of the nationalist movement as a whole?