the cause.

Behan implies that the impact of the Irish celebration of sacrifice on Irish identity is significant. This cultural glorification ensures that Republicans will always find individuals ready to lay down their lives for the cause. Additionally, the "eye for an eye" mindset is deeply rooted in Irish culture; he illustrates that the IRA is entirely serious when threatening Leslie’s retaliatory killing. Above all, this valorization of sacrifice and suffering suggests that the conflict could persist indefinitely, as Irish Republicanism can draw strength from past and present acts of violence and suffering to fuel its ongoing struggle against British rule.

Irish identity is deeply rooted in unique myths, symbols, and historical events specific to Ireland. Unlike the Irish, the British do not share a connection to themes like blood sacrifice or the passionate remembrance of past suffering. The Irish identity is also shaped by its opposition to Britain, just as Britain's identity is influenced by its disdain for the Republican movement and its stereotypes of the "drunken and unruly Irish." In many ways, each nation's identity is partially defined by its relationship with the other. When Behan decided to translate his play into English and present it in London, he aimed to engage with a British audience. As a result, he dedicated substantial stage time to examining the concept of British identity in the Littlewood production.

Behan's perception of British identity is vividly illustrated through the contrast of three songs. In Act Two, characters Mulleady, Miss Gilchrist, and Ropeen join Leslie to celebrate British values, which they see as synonymous with the royal family. Behan's satirical portrayal of Mulleady "savoring and drooling" over a sensational tabloid story about "the true pattern of the Queen’s life," along with his other disdainful comments about the monarchy throughout the play, suggest that he views the royal family as insignificant. However, for lower-middle-class individuals like Miss Gilchrist and Mulleady, who attempt to emulate the upper-middle-class lifestyle, the royal family embodies the glamour, wealth, and refinement they aspire to achieve. For Mulleady, these values are akin to a "Bible."

Social snobbery, religious devotion, and class hierarchy are values that Mulleady and Miss Gilchrist associate with British identity, specifically with the "British Empire." They consider themselves, as Irish people, to have once been part of this empire and lament its loss. Behan, however, strongly opposes such nostalgic snobbery. Through his satirical song, he conveys his belief that the "Empire" exploits while deceiving its loyal followers: "Us lower middle classes... Employers take us for a set of asses/ The rough, they sneer at all attempts we make/ To have nice manners and to speak correctly/ And in the end we’re flung upon the shelf/ We have no unions, [no] cost of living bonus."

Brehan's portrayal of Monsewer enriches his depiction of British identity in the play. Monsewer is a multifaceted character: he has a French name, an Irish mother, and an English father. He praises the joys of English upper-class life while also professing loyalty to the Irish Republic. In Act Two, his six-verse song reminisces about the “memories of summers long past.” Although the British lost in the Irish War of Independence, they can still do "thrilling things" on the "playing-fields of Eton." Enjoying tea on the lawn, playing cricket, and drinking port are some of the harmless pleasures that Mulleady cherishes. However, the song soon takes a darker turn. In the third verse, it exposes the racist foundation of the British Empire: "in many a strange land . . . all bear the white man’s burden." The fourth verse reverts to Mulleady’s romanticized view of Britain, but the fifth and sixth verses return to the Empire's corruption, highlighting lost innocence ("an apple half-bitten") and racism ("praise God that we are white").

This harsh critique of British racism and imperialism is reiterated in Leslie's song at the conclusion of Act Two. Confronted with the imminent threat of death and hearing the IRA Officer assert that he is living proof of Ireland's ongoing struggle, the soldier launches into a patriotic song. Similar to Mulleady’s song, it pledges loyalty to King and Country and references well-known hymns celebrating British identity, such as "Jerusalem." The impact comes in the final verse when Leslie, saluting to a bugle call, proclaims his wish that "the Irish and the niggers and the wogs/ Were kicked out and sent back home." Brehan's portrayal of British identity strongly condemns British imperialism and racism, urging the audience to critically examine their allegiance to Britain.

The thematic heart of The Hostage lies in its profound rejection of nationalism. This stance is deeply informed by the life of its author, Brendan Behan, whose personal history intertwined with the Irish nationalist movement. A member of the IRA from a young age, Behan's fervor for the cause landed him in an English reform school at just seventeen, following his arrest for possession of explosives in 1940. His early release and subsequent deportation back to Ireland did little to temper his radical activities. By 1942, his commitment to the nationalist cause led him to fire shots at an Irish detective during the Easter Sunday commemoration of the 1916 Rising, an action for which he was sentenced by an Irish court to fourteen years in prison, though he served less than five of those years.

Throughout his life, Behan's involvement with the IRA persisted, resulting in multiple incarcerations in both England and Ireland. This intimate exposure to the militant nationalist struggle provided Behan with a unique vantage point, enabling him to critically examine and articulate the movement's internal contradictions. His experiences and observations are deftly woven into The Hostage, where he challenges the ideals and often romanticized notions of nationalism, inviting audiences to reconsider the legitimacy and consequences of such fervent ideological adherence.

The intricate connection between England and Ireland is a narrative that defies the boundaries set by nationalism, which often seeks to underscore division over unity. In the 1920s, the Irish Republic famously declined to join the British Commonwealth under the Crown, a decision rooted in the desire for distinct national identity. Yet, this political stance does not entirely reflect the sentiments of many individuals who inhabit regions like Pat’s lodging house. Among its residents, there exists a genuine affection for the British royal family, which they embrace as their own.

The interplay of sentiments is further highlighted in a conversation between Teresa and Leslie, where Teresa attempts to make a nationalist argument by questioning the presence of the English in Northern Ireland. Leslie adeptly counters by questioning the presence of the Irish in London, illustrating the deeply intertwined nature of the two nations. Despite theoretical separations, England and Ireland remain irrevocably linked through shared sentiments and, often, familial bonds. This complicated tapestry of connections underscores the reality that despite political divides, the lives and loyalties of people across both nations are intricately woven together, reflecting a unity that transcends borders.

Amidst the historical tapestry of Ireland's nationalist movement, entrenched antipathies reveal themselves as both potent and recent phenomena, leaving a bitter aftertaste. The civil war that erupted in southern Ireland post the British departure serves as a poignant backdrop for understanding these internal conflicts. Figures like Pat, who endured the turbulence of this war, faced not just external adversaries but also persecution from the newly established Irish government, akin to the experiences of Brendan Behan. Within the Irish Republican Army (IRA), divisions splintered the unity, revealing rifts even among those striving for a common cause.

Pat reflects on a particularly telling incident: the eviction of Kerry peasants by the IRA. These peasants had seized land from an absentee landlord, believing it was a step toward liberation. However, the IRA's justification for this harsh action was that the liberation of the Six Counties in Ulster needed to be prioritized. Ironically, this goal remained unfulfilled, and the Kerrymen, instead of gaining freedom, were left landless. This tragic event did not serve the English nor the Irish government but rather underscored the internal conflicts within the nationalist movement itself. The episode encapsulates the complexity and irony of nationalist struggles, where the quest for freedom sometimes led to unintended oppression among those who sought to liberate their own lands.

Class tensions underscore the narrative, with nearly every character in the play belonging to the lower class. In Dublin, this societal positioning carries implications, particularly concerning language and culture. The inability to speak Irish, a traditional marker of national identity, exposes the characters' disconnection from their ancestral roots. This cultural gap is ironically bridged by Monsewer, an outsider who acquired his knowledge of the Irish language not locally but at the prestigious University of Oxford. This situation amplifies the characters' struggle with identity, as they are compelled to have their "native" traditions imparted not by kin but by someone with an academic, rather than a lived, connection to their heritage.

Beneath a web of ironies, the play unfolds with characters ultimately realizing their disenchantment with politics. Central to this narrative is Leslie, who finds himself as an unwilling agent of the British government, much like Teresa, who is similarly disengaged from her supposed allegiance to the Irish cause. Their stories highlight a pervasive sentiment: if only governmental forces would cease their interference, the violence could be spared, replaced instead by harmless, even humorous, interactions among people simply trying to enjoy their lives.

As the drama reaches its climax, the deaths of Leslie and the Irish boy imprisoned in Belfast underscore the tragic futility of their entanglement in political conflicts that mean little to them personally. This poignant moment is amplified by Pat’s observation that both the Englishman and the Irishman lie dead, yet they harbor no personal animosity. Leslie’s final musings offer a glimmer of hope—perhaps, in death, they will share a laugh about the absurdity of it all, freed from the burdens that politics imposed upon their lives.