The Plough and the Stars is a four-act play by the Irish writer Seán O'Casey that was first performed on 8 February 1926 at the Abbey Theatre. It is set in Dublin and addresses the 1916 Easter Rising. The play's title references the Starry Plough flag which was used by the Irish Citizen Army. It is the third play of O'Casey's well-known "Dublin Trilogy" – the other two being The Shadow of a Gunman (1923) and Juno and the Paycock (1924). Plot The first two acts take place in November 1915, looking forward to the liberation of Ireland. The last two acts are set during the Easter Rising, in April 1916. Characters Residents of the tenement house: Jack Clitheroe: a bricklayer and former member of the Irish Citizen Army. Nora Clitheroe: housewife of Jack Clitheroe. Peter Flynn: a labourer, and uncle of Nora Clitheroe. The Young Covey: a fitter, ardent socialist and cousin of Jack Clitheroe. Bessie Burgess: a street fruit-vendor, and Protestant. Mrs Gogan: a charwoman. Mollser Gogan: daughter of Mrs Gogan, dying of tuberculosis. Fluther Good: a carpenter, and trade-unionist. Additional characters: Lieutenant Langon: a civil servant, and lieutenant of the Irish Volunteers. Captain Brennan: a chicken butcher, and captain of the Irish Citizen Army. Corporal Stoddard: a corporal of the Wiltshire Regiment of the British Army. Sergeant Tinley: a sergeant of the Wiltshire Regiment of the British Army. Rosie Redmond: a daughter of "the Digs," and a prostitute. A Bartender. The Figure In The Window: Unnamed but uses quotes attributed to Patrick Pearse. Act I The first act is a representation of normal working-class life in early twentieth century Dublin. The majority of major characters are introduced. The act opens with gossip from Mrs Gogan, a Catholic charwoman. Some other characters introduced are: Fluther Good, a trade unionist and carpenter; "the Young Covey", an ardent communist and fitter; Jack Clitheroe, the Covey's cousin and a former member of the Irish Citizen Army, at that time led by James Connolly. There is also Nora Clitheroe; Jack Clitheroe's wife. Later in this act, Captain Brennan knocks on the door of the Clitheroes' home and asks to see "Commandant Clitheroe", which surprises Jack Clitheroe, as he was not aware he'd been promoted. Nora begs him not to answer the door, but he does, and meets Captain Brennan, a chicken butcher and a member of the Irish Citizen Army. Captain Brennan