It's Wednesday again, which means another installment of Shakespearean Imagination!
On this day in 1916, the Easter Rebellion, an armed uprising against British rule in Ireland, began under the leadership of Patrick Pearse. In less than a week, the British had responded in force and crushed the rebellion, eventually executing fifteen nationalist supporters (including Pearse) for their roles in the uprising. The Easter Rebellion is often referred to as a key turning point in the fight for Irish independence, although it would take another five years before the Irish Free State was declared, encompassing twenty-six of Ireland’s thirty-two counties, and it would not be until 1949 that Ireland became an independent republic.
Many of us remember the guerilla tactics of the Irish Republican Army pre-2005 (certainly last week’s events in Boston brought back memories of such events as the Hyde Park bombing in 1982).
Regardless of one’s politics or stance on these issues, one might say that such tactics are a modern-day version of the:
noun
- A robber or outlaw belonging to a gang and typically operating in an isolated or lawless area.
- An enemy aircraft.
Synonyms: brigand - robber - gangster - outlaw - highwayman
First seen in Shakespeare's King Henry VI, Part II (written 1590 - 1591). The full text of the play may be found here.
