Prompt 01
Essay task
AP LiteratureIB Language & LiteratureAQALeaving Cert English
In The Plough and the Stars, Seán O'Casey explores the everyday lives of Dublin's tenement residents to critique romantic nationalism and the glorification of war. In a well-structured essay, argue how O'Casey uses dramatic irony, symbolism, and character conflict to challenge the idealized image of the 1916 Easter Rising and highlight the human cost that falls most heavily on ordinary women and the working class.
Requirements
- Develop a clear, debatable thesis that takes a position on O'Casey's critique.
- Support your argument with at least three specific textual examples (dialogue, stage directions, or dramatic action).
- Address at least one counterargument: for instance, the perspective that the play dishonors the sacrifice of the Rising's participants.
- Consider the significance of the title — the Plough and Stars flag of the Irish Citizen Army — and what O'Casey suggests by placing it in contexts of chaos and tragedy.
- Conclude by reflecting on the play's enduring relevance to discussions about nationalism, sacrifice, and the civilian experience of political violence.
Suggested length
800–1,200 words