Summary Flashcards
ACT I (1/3)
The play opens at 8:30 a.m. in August 1912 in the Tyrones’ summer home.
Takes part across one whole day (based on O’Neill’s childhood).
Mary and Tyrone appear affectionate but quickly argue over real estate - Mary makes a reference to Tyrone’s lack of success at buying and selling real estate.
Tyrone is having money troubles, he’s spent a lot of money on Mary’s rehab and knows he’ll need to spend money on Edmund’s health.
Edmund’s cough worries Mary; she insists it’s just a cold. She’s in denial about his health.
ACT I (2/3)
Jamie and Edmund join, joking about Tyrone’s snoring, his tenant and one of Tyrone’s billionaire friends, irritating him.
Tension rises as Edmund coughs and leaves; Jamie hints he is seriously ill.
Tyrone claims Edmund has a mild fever.
Mary claims he has a summer cold. She distrusts doctors because of the death of their son Eugene and the fact that the doctor put her on morphine. She blames the doctor for her addiction.
Jamie accuses Tyrone of being cheap and using an inadequate doctor.
Tyrone criticizes Jamie’s lifestyle and blames him for Edmund’s decline.
Jamie defends himself and Edmund; the focus shifts to Mary’s morphine addiction.
ACT 1 (3/3)
Jamie suspects Mary is relapsing after seeing her sleep in the spare room (a sign she is relapsing because she’s being secretive).
Mary returns, behaving nervously; Jamie and Tyrone avoid telling her the truth about their concerns for Edmund’s health and belief she’s relapsed.
Edmund enters, feeling unwell; Mary resents their concern and feels isolated.
Mary complains about the house, the town, and her sons’ reputations. She claims she’s never felt at home.
Edmund fears she will relapse and asks her to take care of herself even if he does have a serious illness (he’s worried she’ll relapse from the stress).
She promises, acknowledging she has broken promises before. She says she will go upstairs and take a nap (a sign she is using morphine)
The act ends with Mary alone, trying to stay in control.
ACT 2 SCENE 1 (1/3)
It’s 12:45 p.m., same day; Edmund sits reading while Cathleen brings him whiskey.
Cathleen’s presence irritates Edmund; she goes to call Tyrone and Jamie for lunch.
Jamie enters, tops up the whiskey with water to hide their drinking from Tyrone.
Jamie reminds Edmund the doctor advised against drinking; Edmund says he’ll stop after hearing the diagnosis.
Edmund suspects malaria, but Jamie, who knows more and suspects he has consumption (tuberculosis), stays silent.
Jamie criticizes Edmund for leaving Mary alone all morning; both are uneasy about her state and suspect she’s relapsing.
ACT 2 SCENE 1 (2/3)
Mary enters, seemingly calm but emotionally detached; her eyes are unnaturally bright.
Jamie recognizes signs she has relapsed; Edmund remains in denial.
Mary defends Tyrone against Jamie’s criticisms, praising Tyrone’s rise from poverty and aging.
She blames Jamie’s cynicism on life circumstances, then complains about Tyrone’s stinginess and poor household conditions.
Jamie accuses Mary of taking morphine; Edmund defends her, unable to confront the truth.
Tyrone enters, checks the whiskey bottle suspiciously (he knows his sons are drinking the whiskey, particularly Jamie).
All three men drink whiskey, but the mood is tense and gloomy.
ACT 2 SCENE 1 (3/3)
Mary re-enters, excited but detached; accuses Tyrone of never truly supporting her or wanting a home.
Tyrone realizes she’s using morphine again; he looks tired and bitter.
Mary notices Edmund’s drink, scolds him, then dismisses it as harmless.
Jamie and Edmund go to lunch, leaving Tyrone and Mary alone.
Tyrone sadly admits he was a fool to believe she’d recover; Mary claims not to understand.
Tyrone says “it doesn’t matter now”, and they exit into the back parlor, emotionally distant.
ACT 2 SCENE 2 (1/3)
The family returns from lunch; atmosphere is tense and disconnected.
Mary is nervous and aloof; Tyrone avoids her; Edmund is upset; Jamie acts cynical.
Mary complains the house was never a true home and fusses over Edmund.
Phone call from Dr. Hardy; Tyrone hides the bad news, says only that Edmund has a 4 p.m. appointment.
Mary angrily denounces Hardy and all doctors, then detaches again and goes upstairs.
Jamie assumes she’s using morphine; Tyrone is furious.
Jamie claims there’s no hope for her addiction.
ACT 2 SCENE 2 (2/3)
Edmund and Jamie argue about Nietzsche; Tyrone criticises their loss of faith.
The brothers reject Catholicism; Tyrone says he still believes and prays.
Tyrone accepts Mary has relapsed; Edmund still hopes.
Edmund asks Tyrone for money and he gives him more than Edmund expected. He thinks this is because Tyrone thinks he’s going to die.
After Edmund leaves, Tyrone tells Jamie Edmund has tuberculosis but could recover in a sanatorium.
Jamie insists Edmund be sent to a good one; fears Tyrone will be cheap.
Tyrone promises he has hope and will do the right thing.
ACT 2 SCENE 2 (3/3)
Mary enters, blames Tyrone for Jamie’s failures.
She pleads not to be left alone; warns Tyrone not to give Jamie money.
They argue about money, drinking, and the car.
She recalls how she got addicted to morphine when Edmund was born, and she had to see a cheap doctor at a hotel.
She talks about Eugene, her second baby who died at age two from measles caught from seven-year-old Jamie after Jamie went into the baby’s room.
Mary believes Jamie did this on purpose. Mary now blames herself further for not staying with Eugene.
Tyrone begs her to stop taking morphine; she denies it.
She says all that matters is their love but mourns lost friendships after marriage.
She hopes one day the Blessed Virgin Mary will redeem her and give her back the faith she used to have
ACT 3 (1/3)
6:30 p.m. on the same day.
Mary talks at Cathleen, using her as an excuse to ramble; offers her whiskey and asks her to top up the bottle with water to fool Tyrone.
Mary denies Edmund’s illness and reminisces about her past: her convent education, dream of becoming a nun, and discomfort with acting life.
Cathleen reports the druggist insulted her while collecting morphine. Mary claims it’s for rheumatism and reflects on lost dreams of being a concert pianist.
She recalls meeting Tyrone—love at first sight—and forgives him his flaws because he has always been faithful.
After Cathleen leaves, Mary becomes bitter and regretful, longing for her lost faith and saying she was happier before marriage.
As she’s about to take more morphine, she hears the men return and sits instead.
ACT 3 (2/3)
Tyrone and Edmund return from drinking; they can see Mary is high again.
Mary chatters cheerfully, insults Jamie, and ignores their responses.
Tyrone and Edmund are frustrated by her denial and nostalgia, especially her idealising of Jamie’s youth.
Mary blames Tyrone for giving the boys whiskey as medicine; then says it wasn’t his fault—he was poor and uneducated.
She reminisces about their wedding and wedding dress, showing sentimental longing.
Tyrone notices the whiskey is watered down; Edmund covers for Mary, saying she gave drinks to the maids.
Tyrone goes to the cellar for more whiskey.
ACT 3 (3/3)
Mary tells Edmund not to judge his father, explaining Tyrone’s tough childhood.
Edmund tells her the doctor confirmed he must go to a sanatorium.
Mary reacts with fury and denial, accusing Tyrone of wanting to separate her from her sons.
Edmund calls her a “dope fiend” in anger but instantly regrets it and apologises. He leaves.
Mary considers taking an overdose and dying.
Tyrone returns, angry that Jamie tried to break into the locked whiskey cellar.
Mary finally accepts Edmund’s diagnosis and sobs that he will die; Tyrone insists he can be cured.
Mary sinks into guilt, wishing she had never had Edmund.
Cathleen announces dinner. Mary says she isn’t hungry and retreats, clearly going for more morphine.
Tyrone bitterly remarks that she’s taking the drug again; she denies understanding him.
ACT 4 (1/4)
Midnight, same day.
Tyrone, drunk, plays cards; Edmund returns and they argue over a light left on (symbol of Tyrone’s stinginess and fear of poverty).
Apologies are exchanged; Tyrone softens, lights more bulbs, and shares his fear of dying poor.
Discussion turns to Jamie’s absence (assumed to be at a brothel).
Edmund speaks poetically about walking in fog—a metaphor for escaping harsh reality.
They argue about literature and philosophy: Edmund quotes Baudelaire, Tyrone praises Shakespeare, and dismisses modern writers as degenerates.
ACT 4 (2/4)
Brief connection over Edmund once learning Macbeth to win a bet; they bond.
Tyrone talks about Mary’s idealised past, calling it false.
They wait for Jamie and Mary to settle before bed; play cards.
Tyrone admits Mary’s fear of Edmund’s illness; Edmund blames Tyrone’s stinginess for Mary’s addiction.
Tyrone insists he tried his best; confesses he’s always been miserly due to trauma from a poor childhood.
Edmund accuses him of sending him to a cheap sanatorium; Tyrone promises to send him anywhere he wants, within reason.
Edmund agrees to go.
ACT 4 (3/4)
Tyrone reminisces about his lost acting potential, trapped in a popular but limiting role.
Edmund shares moments of peace and clarity at sea, but says they were fleeting.
Tyrone tells Edmund he has the soul of a poet, but Edmund doubts his talent.
Jamie is drunk, talks about brothel visit, expresses shame and self-loathing.
He makes a cruel joke about Mary being a “hophead”; Edmund punches him.
Jamie confesses he deliberately tried to drag Edmund down, jealous of his success.
Still, he claims he loves him more than he hates him, but warns him to be careful—he may still try to sabotage him.
ACT 4 (4/4)
Tyrone hears Jamie’s confession, advises Edmund to be wary, but says Jamie loves him deeply.
Jamie sobs; Tyrone threatens to kick him out.
Mary descends, lost in morphine dreams, carrying her wedding dress, playing Chopin.
She rambles about the convent and wanting to be a nun, confusing past and present.
Mentions the Virgin Mary again.
Tyrone tries to reach her—she doesn’t recognise him.
Edmund tells her about his illness—for a moment she seems to hear, but retreats into delusion again.
Mary recalls falling in love with Tyrone—a moment of joy from the past.
The curtain falls with Mary staring ahead, lost in memory.
MARY TYRONE
Based on O’Neill’s own mother.
Tragic and central figure in the play—represents emotional decay within the family.
Morphine addict—originally prescribed after Edmund’s birth; cycles of recovery and relapse.
Escapes into the past to avoid present pain—reminisces about her youth, convent life, and early love.
Denial and delusion dominate her mindset—refuses to accept Edmund’s illness or her addiction.
Lost ambitions: dreamed of being a nun or concert pianist—gave up both dreams for marriage.
Feels trapped by marriage and the demands of family life—blames Tyrone for her lost potential.
Emotionally isolated—despite loving her family, she cannot truly connect due to her addiction.
Symbol of faded hope—her wedding dress and Chopin waltz reflect lost beauty and innocence.
Torn by guilt and grief—blames herself for Edmund’s condition and feels life has passed her by.
Represents the play’s themes of memory, regret, escape, and the slow erosion of identity.
JAMES TYRONE
Based on O’Neill’s father
Head of the family; an ageing actor clinging to past success and financial security.
Obsessed with money—extremely frugal due to childhood poverty and fear of destitution.
Haunted by missed potential—once a talented Shakespearean actor, but sold out for fame in one role.
Emotionally distant—struggles to express love, especially to Jamie and Edmund.
Blames himself for Mary’s addiction—chose a cheap doctor after Edmund’s birth.
Trapped in routine—uses alcohol and card games to numb his regret and avoid emotional confrontation.
Proud yet defensive—constantly justifies his actions, especially regarding money and family choices.
Torn between love and guilt—cares for his family but fails to provide emotional support.
Resentful and nostalgic—clings to illusions of a golden past to cope with the family’s decline.
Represents the theme of self-deception, failed ambition, and the long shadow of the past.
JAMIE TYRONE
Based on O’Neill’s brother, Jamie.
Eldest son; bitter, self-destructive, and disillusioned with life.
Cynical and mocking—uses sarcasm to mask pain and disappointment.
Alcoholic—drinks heavily to escape guilt and failure.
Resentful of Edmund—jealous of his brother’s talent and promise, admits trying to make him fail.
Feels like a failure—once had potential but squandered it through drinking and aimlessness.
Love–hate relationship with family—especially conflicted about his mother and Edmund.
Brutally honest—often voices harsh truths others avoid, but sometimes goes too far.
Blames Tyrone for the family’s misery, especially Mary’s addiction.
Emotionally volatile—swings between affection and cruelty, guilt and rage.
Embodies themes of guilt, wasted potential, and toxic loyalty.
EDMUND TYRONE
Based on O’Neill himself.
Youngest son, based on Eugene O’Neill himself; sensitive, intelligent, and idealistic.
Suffers from tuberculosis—his illness adds urgency and emotional weight to the family’s struggles.
Deeply thoughtful—reflects on life, death, nature, and meaning; drawn to poetry and philosophy.
Feels isolated—trapped between loyalty to family and the need to find his own identity.
Romantic but disillusioned—has experienced beauty at sea, yet returns to a fog of despair.
Frustrated with his parents—angry at Mary’s addiction and Tyrone’s stinginess.
Victim of family dysfunction—caught in the crossfire of blame, addiction, and resentment.
Closest to Jamie but deeply hurt by his brother’s toxic influence and jealousy.
Poetic soul—writes and quotes literature, especially Baudelaire and Ibsen.
Searches for truth—yearns for meaning but struggles to hold onto it in a bleak reality.
EUGENE TYRONE
Based on O’Neill’s deceased brother, Edmund.
The eldest son of James and Mary Tyrone, who died before the events of the play.
Idealized by his parents—both James and Mary speak of him with deep affection, especially in contrast to Jamie’s destructive influence.
Represents lost potential—he is remembered fondly for his promise and the hope he offered, particularly in his academic achievements.
The “golden child”—his death leaves a gap in the Tyrone family, with James and Mary clinging to his memory and using him to contrast the failures of Jamie and Edmund.
Symbol of innocence—his untimely death is a painful reminder of the family’s tragedies and the fleeting nature of hope and success in the Tyrone household.
No voice in the play—though he is not physically present, Eugene’s memory influences the way the family behaves and their emotions throughout the play.
A source of guilt—James and Mary each harbor guilt over his death, but they are unable to confront it directly, choosing instead to focus on the “what could have been.”
Represents the family’s unspoken grief—his absence is as haunting as the morphine Mary uses to escape her reality.
