Men Should Weep - Charactors Flashcards
What are all the characters in the play?
Maggie - John’s wife
John - maggies husband + granny’s son
Granny - John’s mum
Lilly - maggies sister
Lizzie - maggies sister in-law
Alec, jenny, Eddie, Ernest - the family
Marina, Christopher - the babies ( voice only )
Mrs Wilson, mrs Harris, mrs bone - the neighbours
Maggie
The play charts her journey towards finding her strength and role as leader of the family and as an individual.
In act 1, she faces the challenge of being a working class housewife in the east end of Glasgow in the 1930s. She attends to her kids, husband and granny as she acts like a mother to all. She still loves her eldest son despite his poor behaviour showing her love.
Burdened by the weight of her family maggie brakes down.
When the play Begins despite the hardship she must face she still puts in all her effort into raising her ‘bairns’ the language of the play reinforces this.
Whenever lily tries to tell her to realise that she has sacrificed herself for her husband she defends the situation and counts herself as luncky as there is still love in her relationship.
In act 2 she is disappointed in her sons dishonesty and her husbands lack of support and leaves the house to return ‘stones eyed’
Maggie begins to recognise her life for what it is so in act 3 she begins to take action and manages her husband so that she can live her dream.
Lily
Her character provides an interesting parallel to Maggie. She is independent and without kids and keeping a family home.
She has the feminist views and not affried to speak her mind. Lily looks out for Maggie and gets her gifts of food and meds for Bertie.
She does not understand maggies tolerance of John and often reveals her disapproval. Lily loves her sister and wants to see her living a better life.
She is very cynical and refuses to slave away to men which she feels is the consequence to marriage.
John
Living in poverty, unable to find work, John cannot provide for his family and has an awareness of his responsibility and as a consequence the whole family has to suffer.
Concerned by his softness towards a character like is an and the fact he does not accompany Maggie whilst in hospital with Bertie which is the one place she fears the most.
At the end of the play he suffers a threefold humiliation:
His inrepressed sexual desire is exposed by his wife.
Lily reveals the truth about how much financial assistance she has given his family over the years.
He is forced to step back as Maggie takes control.
Unlike Maggie, john is not strong enough to actively confront his true self and at the close of act three he is left slumped and speechless.
Jenny
Jenny feels trapped within the oppressive family home’ reminding us on the way lily and perhaps even Maggie was when younger.
Jenny has drams and motivation to move beyond the financial restrictions of her upbringing.
She is John’s favourite and provokes his anger when she leaves ad he is horrified at her liberal behaviour. He also feels guilty about not being able to provide for his family her properly.
Jenny departs in act 3 as the attitudinal and rebellious daughter returns regretful ready to make amends. Her promise of a new home and new life gives the play its optimistic ending and sets the scene for maggies transformation
Alec and isa
They provide contrast to john and Maggie. Alec embodies John’s weaker qualities, he is lazy and feeble and lashes out when provoked by his wife
Alec has dedicated his whole life to isa and cannot handle the thought of her leaving him.
Essentially he is spoilt and takes advantage of his mother’s love for him.
Although she is strong and is by no means controlled by her husband isa is an almost grotesque character.
Granny
Granny represents the plight of the elderly sh is shunted between Maggie and lizzies house.
Maggie treats her like one of her kids whilst isa treats her with disrespect and lizzie is only interested for her money.
Granny also offers monuments of comic relief when Maggie is hurt lilys reaction to her new hat granny provide a distraction by dropping her biscuit into her tea.
The neighbours
Mrs Wilson, Mrs bone and Mrs Harris act as a green chorus in the play. They are not part of the marriosons household and yet they flit in and out helping granny, giving comments on the events whilst also bringing the outside world into the setting.
They represent the community of the tenements and how folk would lend a hand one minute and gossip about you the next.
