Previous
Act 2
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Juno and the Paycock, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Class and Poverty
Escape and Denial
Gender Expectations
Political Betrayal and the Cost of Idealism
Religion and Superstition
Summary
Analysis
Two months have passed. It is a November evening, and the Boyle household, once filled with signs of wealth, now feels dimmer and more subdued. Mary sits by the fire, anxious and withdrawn. Bentham has vanished to England without leaving an address, and Mary is heartbroken over his sudden disappearance. She confides in Juno that, despite everything, she still loves him—even if Jerry might have been the steadier choice. Juno, concerned about her daughter’s health, urges Mary to visit a doctor. Mary reluctantly agrees, blaming her condition on stress and disappointment.
The act opens in a darker, quieter version of the Boyle household. The once-gaudy decorations have lost their luster, and the atmosphere feels tense and drained. Mary’s posture and silence suggest emotional exhaustion, while her conversation with Juno reveals a deep sense of betrayal. Her continued attachment to Bentham, despite his disappearance, shows how emotionally invested she was in the future he seemed to offer.
Themes
As Juno gets ready to take Mary to the doctor, she scolds Jack for his laziness and worsening drinking habits. The family’s debts are piling up, and the promised inheritance has still not arrived. From his bed, Jack groans about leg pains and demands stout and a newspaper. Juno reminds him sternly that creditors are growing impatient and warns him not to cause any trouble while she is out. He ignores her concerns, fixated only on his comforts.
Jack has retreated even further from reality. He lounges in bed, grumbling about his aches and asking for comforts while ignoring Juno’s pointed warnings about their worsening debts. His refusal to take responsibility stands in sharp contrast to Juno’s increasingly forceful presence. She is managing the household while Jack clings to the fiction that everything will work itself out.
Themes
Once Juno and Mary leave, Joxer and Nugent enter quietly. Nugent reveals that Jack’s inheritance is lost—Bentham’s will was carelessly written, leaving the money open to other relatives. Neighbors are furious, having lent Jack money under false assumptions. Disgusted, Nugent demands his suit back. Meanwhile, Joxer is glad he did not lend anything and jokes about how others were fooled. The two speculate that the neighborhood already suspects the truth about the inheritance.
Jack enters, angry to see his suit missing. He accuses Nugent of theft, but Nugent brushes him off and storms out. Joxer pretends to sympathize, but as soon as Jack looks away, he steals Jack’s last bottle of stout. Mrs. Madigan bursts in next, demanding repayment for money she lent Jack. Jack says he cannot repay her until the inheritance arrives, so she seizes the gramophone in return. As she exits, she mocks him and claims she is just taking what is owed. Joxer again feigns outrage before hinting that maybe people have heard the money is not coming. Jack and Joxer begin to argue, and Joxer finally leaves after Jack accuses him of being dishonest.
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Johnny enters, disturbed by the noise. Soon after, Juno returns alone, visibly shaken. She sits everyone down and explains that Mary is pregnant. Jack explodes, cursing Bentham and shouting about the shame and gossip this will bring on him. Juno defends Mary, telling Jack bluntly that their daughter needs support—not scorn. She warns Jack that if he dares mistreat Mary, she will take Mary and leave him for good. Jack storms out, blaming the women for ruining his life and worrying about what the neighbors will say.
Jack returns shortly after and admits the truth: the inheritance is gone. Bentham wrote the will improperly, and now the money will be split among many cousins, leaving the Boyles with nothing. Johnny is furious. He accuses Jack of plunging the family into debt just so he could drink every day. Juno tries to calm her son, but Johnny lashes out at her too, blaming both parents for their failure to protect the family. Jack storms out in a fury to spend his last bit of money on alcohol.
Themes
Soon after, two furniture men arrive to repossess household items bought on credit. Johnny begs them to wait until Jack returns, but they ignore him and begin removing things. Juno rushes out to try to find Jack, and a confused Mary walks in just as the men are dismantling the home. Johnny turns on her immediately, blaming her for their disgrace and insisting she has ruined their family’s name. The house, once full of false hope and borrowed splendor, is falling apart around them.
Themes
Jerry enters, still holding on to the idea of forgiveness. He tells Mary that, despite the fact she briefly left him for Bentham, he still wants to marry her. Mary is hesitant, unsure whether his offer comes from love or pity. However, when Jerry learns she is pregnant, he falters. Despite trying to stay supportive, he cannot bring himself to go through with the proposal. Quietly, awkwardly, he apologizes and leaves. Before he goes, Mary recites part a poem Jerry told her about the world being both beautiful and cruel—a message that now hits painfully close to home.
As more furniture is taken out, Johnny’s anxiety worsens. He becomes visibly shaken and starts muttering about omens and death. The votive candle beneath the picture of the Virgin flickers, then suddenly goes out. Terrified, Johnny cries out, saying he feels as if he has been shot in the chest. At that moment, two IRA men burst in. They order the furniture movers to stand aside, and they demand Johnny come with them. Johnny pleads for his life, reminding them of the injuries he suffered for the cause, but they show no mercy. They claim he betrayed Robbie Tancred, which led to Robbie’s death. The men drag Johnny away as he screams in fear, and the home is left in silence and ruin.
Themes
A short time passes. Most of the furniture is gone. Juno and Mary sit quietly by the fire, waiting for news. Mrs. Madigan enters and says that the police have found a body—likely Johnny’s. In despair, Mary questions the existence of a just God, but Juno answers bitterly: “What can God do agen the stupidity o’ men?” Juno decides firmly that she and Mary will not return to the tenement. Instead, they will stay with her sister and together raise the child. She speaks calmly and clearly, finally done with Jack and his chaos now that she has lost her son. They leave together with quiet determination.
Shortly after, Jack and Joxer return to the apartment, completely drunk. Neither knows about Johnny’s death or Juno’s decision to leave. The room is nearly bare, but Jack barely notices. He mumbles about patriotism, the missing chairs, and what the policemen might have wanted with Juno. He considers joining the IRA as a last resort. He has only one coin left. Oblivious to everything that’s happened, he slurs his way to a phrase he has used several times in the past: “I’m telling you…Joxer…th’ whole worl’s…in a terr…ible state o’…chassis!”
