“Juno is a strong woman, a survivor, but she is no heroine”

“Juno is a strong woman, a survivor, but she is no heroine”

The dictionary definition of the word ‘heroine’ is “a woman with the attributes of a hero”. The literary definition of a heroine is “leading female character in a play, novel etc”, but readers and audiences expect more from their heroines. Connotations of the word suggest strength, self-sacrifice and victory. We also expect our heroines to understand more than those around her, with this in mind; I would contend that Juno is indeed the heroine of the play.
In this essay I hope to explore Juno’s character and illustrate precisely why I disagree with the stimulus quotation.
Throughout “Juno and the Paycock”, Juno is linked to the Virgin Mary. The Virgin Mary is an archetypal mother figure. O Casey likens Juno to the Virgin Mary especially with reference to her relationship with Johnny; the link is strengthened when, at the end of the play, Johnny is murdered, just like the Virgin Mary’s son.
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