The purpose of this paper is to analyze various comedic elements and their function in the
drama “Cripple of Inishmaan”. First, there will be a closer look on the author Martin
McDonagh, who is known for his individual style and also for other comedies, like
“Behanding in Spokane” of “The Pillowman”. Later, it will be focused on the play itself;
what is the plot, which role play setting and characters. It will be also discussed, how the
“Cripple of Inishmaan” fulfills the aspects of an Irish national drama. But the main question
to analyze is, if the play can be considered as a dark comedy. For this purpose, the term
“comedy” will be defined and it will be analyzed how the terminology of Frye and the three
theories of humour can be applied to the the play ”Cripple of Inishmaan”. It is to show that
the drama fulfills the elements of a comedy. In the main part there will be a closer look on the
drama itself; especially on the funny characters and their behaviour.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. About the author
3. About the play
3.1.Plot
3.2. Reference to “Men of Aran”
4. What is comedy?
4.1. Humour Theories – Incongruity, Superiority and Release/Relief Theory
4.2. Ethnic Humour
4.3. Structure of a comedy
4.4. Stock characters
5. Humour in the Cripple of Inishmaan
5.1. characters
5.1.1. Johnnypateenmike
5.1.2. Mammy
5.1.3. Kate and Eileen
5.1.4. Bartley
5.1.5. Helen
5.1.6. Billy
5.2. Style
5.2.1. Language
5.2.2. Repetitions
6. The cripple of Inishmaan – an Irish national drama?
7. Conclusion
Objectives and Research Focus
This paper aims to analyze the comedic elements and their functions within Martin McDonagh's play "The Cripple of Inishmaan". The central research objective is to determine whether the play can be classified as a dark comedy by applying established humour theories and literary terminology to its plot, setting, and character dynamics.
- Application of humor theories: Incongruity, Superiority, and Relief/Release theory.
- Deconstruction of Irish national drama stereotypes through character analysis.
- Examination of the play's structure and its relation to Ancient Greek stock characters.
- Analysis of the interplay between the fictional "Aran myth" and the depicted reality of rural Irish life.
- Exploration of how stylistic devices, such as repetition, contribute to the comedic tone.
Excerpt from the Book
3.2. Reference to “Men of Aran”
The play also refers to the fictional documentary “Men of Aran”. In 1934 the US director Robert Flaherty went on Inishmore to make a film about the hard life at the Irish coast. Flaherty shows a family living in premodern conditions. The film documents their ordinary life which consists of fishing, farming and hunting huge sharks to get liver for the oil lamps. The film creates a romantic and stereotypical picture of Ireland by showing the stormy ocean, bare rocks and a landscape without trees. The life is potrayed as very hard, because for example farming is only possible on the recovery of soil. And also the fishing is very difficult, because on the stormy weather conditions. Some of the content of the film might be true, but it is known, that sharks had not been hunted on the Aran Islands for over 50 years since the film was made. So the most exciting part of the film is based on fiction.
McDonagh criticizes this picture of the Aran Islands in his play. This becomes clear in scene eight, when the habitants of Inishmaan watch the film and laugh about it.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: Presents the background of modern Irish drama and outlines the research objective of analyzing comedic elements in McDonagh's work.
2. About the author: Provides biographical context on Martin McDonagh and his relationship with the Irish literary tradition.
3. About the play: Details the plot of "The Cripple of Inishmaan" and analyzes the play's critical reference to the documentary "Men of Aran".
4. What is comedy?: Defines the genre of comedy and introduces the three core theories of humour used for the analysis.
5. Humour in the Cripple of Inishmaan: Examines specific characters and stylistic elements to demonstrate how the play functions as a comedy despite its tragic undertones.
6. The cripple of Inishmaan – an Irish national drama?: Discusses the play's status as a national drama and how it successfully dismantles persistent Irish stereotypes.
7. Conclusion: Summarizes findings, concluding that while the play uses comedic structures to entertain, it ultimately serves as a critique of simplistic, romanticized representations of Ireland.
Keywords
Martin McDonagh, The Cripple of Inishmaan, Irish Drama, Comedy, Humour Theories, Incongruity Theory, Superiority Theory, Relief Theory, Stereotypes, Aran Islands, Character Analysis, National Drama, Dark Comedy, Literary Criticism, Folk Culture.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary subject of this paper?
The paper focuses on the comedic aspects of Martin McDonagh's play "The Cripple of Inishmaan" and evaluates its classification as a comedy through the lens of established humour theories.
What are the central themes discussed in the work?
Key themes include the subversion of Irish national stereotypes, the distinction between reality and the "Aran myth", and the transformation of characters within a comedic framework.
What is the core research objective?
The primary goal is to analyze whether the play fulfills the criteria of a comedy and a dark comedy, specifically by applying the humour theories of Schopenhauer, Kant, Hobbes, and Freud.
Which methodology is employed in this research?
The research applies a qualitative literary analysis, utilizing Frye’s typology of stock characters and the three main psychological theories of humour to interpret scenes and character behaviors.
What does the main part of the analysis cover?
The main section investigates the specific roles of the play's characters—Johnnypateenmike, Mammy, the aunties, Bartley, Helen, and Billy—and discusses the stylistic use of language and repetition.
Which keywords best characterize this academic work?
The work is characterized by terms such as Irish Drama, Dark Comedy, Incongruity Theory, and the deconstruction of national stereotypes.
How does the play treat the concept of the "Aran myth"?
McDonagh uses the film "Men of Aran" as a foil, showing his characters mocking the documentary's artificial and romanticized portrayal of their lives.
Why is Billy Claven considered a tragic figure despite the play's comedic tone?
Billy is described as a tragic figure due to his physical disability, his struggle for respect, and the revelation of his illness at the end, which complicates the expectation of a "happy ending".
- Arbeit zitieren
- Maren Tanner (Autor:in), 2010, Comic Elements in the Drama "Cripple of Inishmaan" by Martin McDonagh, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/231030
