“There is no great literature without nationality,
no great nationality without literature” (John O’Leary)
Although the high age of imperialism is thought to have started in the late 1870s, this does not hold true for English-speaking areas. Ireland, having been colonised by the English well over seven hundred years before, is an exception as England's oldest colony. In the course of time, all native features of the Irish, above all their Celtic history, had to give way to the colonisers' equivalents.
It was not until the nineteenth century that the Irish developed a new national consciousness. It eventually enabled them to lay claim to their native history, religion and language as well as their national identity embodied in all of these aspects. In this respect, the Irish Literary Revival is particularly decisive since its writers dedicated themselves to a new way of dramatic expression. This thesis focuses on the three key writers of the literary movement William Butler Yeats (1865-1939), John Millington Synge (1871-1909) and Sean O’Casey (1880-1964). While concentrating on a revival of the Irish past, each spreading their own version of Irishness throughout the theatres, they helped Irish literature to become Irish, to become national again.
Contents
1. Introduction
1.1 The perception of Ireland abroad and within the country
1.2 Resistance: a national movement in Ireland
1.3 Decisive dramatists
2. Influential groups/persons prior to the Irish Literary Revival
2.1 Young Ireland
2.2 Standish O’Grady’s History of Ireland: Heroic Period
2.3 Charles Steward Parnell ─ a political precursor of the Irish Revival
3. The Irish Revival – the development of a cultural revolution
3.1 The Gaelic Athletic Association
3.2 The Gaelic League as promoter of the Irish language
3.3 ‘Inghinidhe na hÉireann’ ─ An Irish feminist movement
4. Yeats and the literary movement in Dublin
4.1 The Irish Literary Theatre and the establishment of the Abbey Theatre
4.2 Controversies: double reading of Irishness
5. The first national dramatic writings of the Irish Literary Theatre
5.1 Cathleen ─ the traditional female personification of Ireland
5.2 The Countess Cathleen (1899)
5.2.1 The peasants as imperfect Irish people
5.2.2 Yeats’s new, unconventional mode of writing
5.2.3 ‘Selling one’s soul’ in the literature and historical context of Ireland
5.2.4 Devils in disguise: merchants and colonisers
5.2.5 The key role of the countess
5.3 Cathleen Ni Houlihan (1902)
5.3.1 The play’s historical implication
5.3.2 Cathleen Ni Houlihan as the missionary of Irish patriotism
5.3.3 Yeats’s nationalistic message beyond the theatre
6. John Millington Synge, the enfant terrible of the Abbey
6.1 The Playboy of the Western World (1907)
6.1.1 The celebrated parricide
6.1.2 Christy, the anti-hero
6.1.3 Pegeen, the embodiment of Irish womanhood
6.1.4 The audience who performed the play
6.1.5 The Playboy in line with Cathleen Ni Houlihan?
7. Sean O’Casey, the post-war playwright
7.1 Juno and the Paycock (1924)
7.2 The male ‘paycock’ in opposition to the female goddess
7.3 O’Casey’s plea for humanity
7.4 Juno, the heroine of the domestic world
8. Conclusion: “A nation and its theatre are born out of conflict”
Objectives & Core Topics
This thesis examines the cultural struggle for a reawakening of Irish national consciousness through the dramatic works of William Butler Yeats, John Millington Synge, and Sean O’Casey. It explores how these key figures of the Irish Literary Revival utilized the medium of theatre to forge a new, distinct national identity and overcome colonial prejudices against the Irish people.
- The role of the Irish Literary Revival in re-establishing national identity.
- Yeats’s development of unifying symbols, particularly the figure of Cathleen.
- Synge’s exploration of peasant life and the controversies surrounding his anti-hero figures.
- O’Casey’s realistic depiction of urban working-class life during the Irish political upheavals.
- The power of the theatre as a tool for national and political articulation.
Excerpt from the Book
Devils in disguise: merchants and colonisers
The merchants appear as devils in disguise. The stage directions describe their arrival as follows: “A man dressed as an Eastern merchant comes in carrying a small carpet. He unrolls it and sits cross-legged at one end of it. Another man dressed in the same way follows, and sits at the other end […]” (scene 1. stage directions following line 187). The evil embodied in the merchants can be interpreted in various ways. Since the two men are depicted as “Eastern merchants” it is possible that they come from the eastern part of the world, meaning the Orient. The fact that they carry a carpet stresses this image and thus it could be an allusion to Islam, i.e. the Muslim religion. Such an interpretation, however, is a non sequitur, as there is no further evidence to substantiate it.
Rather, it is probable that the merchants are a symbol of the English, as alluded to in the previous chapter, for obviously England, too, is situated East of Ireland. The English had particular, negative connotations for the Irish because of the relationship between the colonisers and the colonised. At the time when the play was written and performed, that is at the end of the nineteenth century, Irish people had been under English dominion for about seven centuries and thus had had to endure the colonisers’ power and superiority for an incredibly long time.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: This chapter contextualizes the cultural struggle for Irish identity against the backdrop of British colonialism and negative stereotyping.
2. Influential groups/persons prior to the Irish Literary Revival: It analyzes historical inspirations such as the Young Ireland movement and the political influence of Charles Steward Parnell.
3. The Irish Revival – the development of a cultural revolution: This section covers non-literary organizations like the Gaelic Athletic Association and the Gaelic League that fostered national consciousness.
4. Yeats and the literary movement in Dublin: It focuses on W.B. Yeats's role as the central figure and the founding of the Irish Literary Theatre.
5. The first national dramatic writings of the Irish Literary Theatre: This chapter analyzes Yeats's plays, specifically how they transformed the Cathleen symbol into a national icon.
6. John Millington Synge, the enfant terrible of the Abbey: It explores Synge's unique approach to peasant drama and the public outcry caused by his works.
7. Sean O’Casey, the post-war playwright: This part examines O’Casey's realistic portrayal of Dublin working-class life and his critique of war-torn Irish politics.
8. Conclusion: “A nation and its theatre are born out of conflict”: The final chapter summarizes the enduring impact of the Irish Literary Revival on national identity and history.
Keywords
Irish Literary Revival, National Identity, W.B. Yeats, John Millington Synge, Sean O’Casey, Abbey Theatre, Cultural Nationalism, Cathleen Ni Houlihan, Gaelic League, Colonialism, Irish Drama, Peasant Life, Political Independence, Folklore, Irishness.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this thesis?
This work explores how the Irish Literary Revival and its key dramatists, Yeats, Synge, and O’Casey, helped reconstruct Irish national identity through the medium of theatre at the turn of the 20th century.
What were the main cultural movements influencing the writers?
The writers were influenced by organizations such as the Young Ireland movement, the Gaelic Athletic Association, and the Gaelic League, which sought to revive Irish language, sport, and traditions.
What is the core research goal of this document?
The research aims to show how these dramatists overcame colonial stereotypes and established a distinct, nationalistic literary tradition that significantly influenced Ireland’s struggle for independence.
Which scientific methodology is applied here?
The author uses a literary and historical analysis, examining plays in the context of their contemporary social and political environment to interpret their impact on national consciousness.
What topics are covered in the main section of the book?
The main part analyzes the works of Yeats, Synge, and O’Casey, focusing on their different artistic approaches to representing "real" Irishness versus idealist notions, their use of language, and their reactions to societal controversies.
Which keywords best characterize this work?
Key terms include Irish Literary Revival, National Identity, Cultural Nationalism, and the specific names of the playwrights and their major contributions to Irish drama.
How does the work interpret the figure of "Cathleen"?
Cathleen is presented as a traditional female personification of Ireland, which Yeats transformed into a strong, defiant nationalist icon rather than a passive, grieving figure.
How did Synge’s approach differ from Yeats’s?
While Yeats focused on Celtic legends and myths, Synge utilized his empirical studies of the Aran Islands to present a more realistic, and often controversial, portrayal of peasant life and language.
What role does the "Dublin Trilogy" play in O’Casey’s work?
The Dublin Trilogy serves to highlight the harsh realities of urban working-class life, providing a realistic contrast to the idealized heroic narratives found in earlier nationalist literature.
- Quote paper
- Magistra Artium Inken Schulze (Author), 2006, National identity in the dramatic works of Yeats, Synge and O'Casey, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/74757
