Martyrdom is a common and important theme that is present throughout theatre about revolution. The Irish plays “Cathleen Ni Houlihan” and “The Plough and the Stars” and the American musicals Hamilton and 1776 all show how martyrdom was admired and helps create an interest in fighting for independence from England. In Ireland during the time of the rising, people who were killed were considered not only “national heroes, but the martyrs whose blood was the seed of the present Irish Free State” [1]. People in Ireland loved their country so much that they were willing to “sacrifice themselves for the common good” [2]. They valued their country and how it would be for the future citizens of Ireland over their current life. This idea of an ideal country was worth becoming a martyr for, and while this was common in Ireland and Irish theatre around the time of the rising, it was also present in the theatre about the American Revolution as well.
[1] George Bernard Shaw in Hogan.
[2] Joy.