Cathleen ni Houlihan

Sketch the character of the old woman in the play Cathleen ni Houlihan.

Charecter sketch of old woman

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A mystical figure often portrayed as an old woman who has been evicted from her home, the title character is an allegorical representation of an impoverished and colonized Ireland. In Yeats and Gregory’s play, she arrives at the Gillane home while they are preparing for the marriage of their son Michael to the wealthy Delia Cahel. She tells her tale through evocative speech and song, which is increasingly enchanting to Michael. She lists the Irish heroes who have given their lives for her, and continues to enlist young men to her cause. At the end of the play, it is suggested that the old woman turns into a young queen, revitalized by the devotion of her countrymen.

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