Mrs Maisie Madigan
We first see Maisie Madigan in Act II, after the Boyles have been informed of their impending inheritance.
She joins in enthusiastically at the party and she is happy to enjoy the Boyles’ hospitality, accepting “a ball o’ malt” rather than tea or stout.
She is friendly and jovial and she compliments Boyle on his poem.
However, we see her angrily demanding her money from Boyle, calling him names, physically attacking him and taking the gramophone from him.
When it transpires there is no money to be had she is quick to mock Boyle’s pretensions, stating “You’re not goin’ to be swankin’ it like a paycock with Maisie Madigan’s money."
Therefore she seems to be a fickle To change an opinion you hold or your feelings rapidly without reason. character, mostly concerned with herself, like many other characters in the play.
She is also a comic presence, praising Mary to Bentham with a vulgar description, “you’re goin’ to get as nice a bit o’ skirt in Mary, there, as ever you seen in your puff”.
Her malpropismThe incorrect use of a word by mistake which sounds similar to the target word, often with humorous effect. are also humorous. She loves showing off big words such as "commensurate" and "suspicious", despite using them incorrectly.
