The idea that when a person dies for his country, he becomes a martyr was fairly common during times of revolution, which is why martyrdom is such a common theme throughout theatre of this time. Jack Clitheroe goes back to fight with the Irish Citizen Army, and eventually dies fighting for Irish independence. When Nora is to find out of her husband’s death, her “grief will be a joy when she realizes that she has had a hero for a husband” (231). When someone dies during a struggle for independence against England, he becomes a “martyr,” and that is something that is admires, which is why it is expected that Nora would be able to recover from her grief quickly.
