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IRISH LITERARY MOVEMENT AND J. M. SYNGE

Dr. Sumera Subuhi

Gulbarga, Karnataka.

ABSTRACT

The Irish movement, also known as the Celtic Revival began a new brand in Modern drama. This
movement was essentially national in character and concentrated on Irish themes and ideas. Irish
drama was not intended to expose the cause of realism or naturalism. Its aim is to bring back to
drama the mythology, legends and symbols of Irish life. John Millington Synge comes into sight
to attract audiences. He wrote down Riders to the Sea, The Playboy of the Western World, In the
Shadow of the Glen, The Well of the Saints, Deirdre of the Sorrows etc. to portray Ireland‟s
existing ethos. The presentation of Ireland‟s contemporary culture by Synge‟s appreciated by the
audience. J.M. Synge, one of the innovators of the Irish Literary Movement, got inspiration from
Yeats to describe the life of the people, who are the beautiful amalgamation of ideal and actual;
love and hatred; sorrows and ecstasies. Art for him was the expression satisfying and abiding of
the zest of life. The plays of Synge have won the appreciation from not only the Irish people but
also from the people who are aligned to the folk lore of Ireland. This paper attempts to highlight
the contribution of J.M. Synge to Irish dramatic world. Synge has created a non-English
atmosphere in his plays with the help of „chanting‟ style of the actors while delivering dialogue.
He was committed to renew the grandeur of Celtic Ireland that is quite evident in his plays.
Synge tried to restore the vanishing Celtic literature.

Key Words: Celtic, Ireland, Drama, Folklore, Mythology, Nationalism

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The literature of the twentieth century has been marked by realism-almost naturalism and

drama too is no exception. The early twentieth century drama under the influence of

Ibsen, Shaw and Galsworthy is too realistic and too involved with the contemporary

social problems. It is Henrik Ibsen, the Norwegian dramatist who popularizes the theme

of realism in modern drama. He dealt with the problem of life in a realistic way and

offers solutions to problems that has confounded the society of his time. In England also

realism gained popularity. Jones Pinero, Shaw, Granville-Barker. Galsworthy and a

number of other dramatists dealt with real life and problem that the modern society faced

in their plays. These dramatists have presented real life with all its wants and sordid

ugliness. Problems of marriage, justice, law, administration and strife between capital and

labour-all these problems are dealt. G.B. Shaw emerged as a prominent playwright. He is

best known for problem plays. In his plays he wrote about social, domestic or personal

issues. This period witnessed growth of drama of ideas. The dramatists of problem plays

exposed double standards of the society. These playwrights highlighted the realities

hidden in so called idealism of the present times.

Romanticism as a trend in Modern drama had given the preponderating trend of

realism and propaganda in modern drama a jolt which became perceptible with the

passage of time. The first new trend against realism in drama is romanticism introduced

by the Scottish dramatist J. M. Barrie. These romantic plays Mary Rose, Peter Pan,

Admirable Crichton, The Will and Dear Brutus-appear somewhat refreshing after the

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problem and propaganda plays of Pinero, Jones, Shaw, Galsworthy and Granville-Barker.

The emotions, whims, and sentimentalism implicit in the Scottish tradition are exploited

by Barrie with determination and professional assurance. Along with the development of

the nationalistic prose-drama or the drama of ideas, the revival of poetic drama also took

place. W.B. Yeats and T.S. Eliot defended poetic plays and waged on war against

realistic prose drama of the modern age. They were of the opinion that poetry is the

natural and complete medium for drama and that prose play is nothing but a kind of

abstraction: and that verse play is capable of something much more intense and exciting.

The Irish movement, also known as the Celtic Revival began a new brand in Modern

drama. This movement was essentially national in character and concentrated on Irish

themes and ideas. Irish drama was not intended to expose the cause of realism or

naturalism. Its aim is to bring back to drama the mythology, legends and symbols of Irish

life. Castle states,

“The imaginative idealism which has always characterized the Celtic race,

the love of passionate and dreamy poetry which has exercised a

fascination on the Irish mind, the belief in the fairy world which Irish

people have cherished is presented in the plays produced at the Abbey

Theatre. The object of the Irish dramatist is not to make people think, but

to make them feel; to give the audience an emotional and spiritual

uplifting such as they might experience at mass in a cathedral or at the

performance of a symphony”(51)

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The Celtic revival in Ireland is a deliberate attempt by a group of Irishmen to give

Dublin a national theatre. Ireland has provided them with stuff for their art. It is same as

they have colours but not the paper to draw their thoughts. Although they believe that

they are glorifying the Irish past. The history of Irish drama is interesting and thought

provoking. The possibility for coming out of national drama in Ireland was not realized

due to the peculiar nature of the Irish ethos. W.B.Yeats with the support of Edward

Martyn, George Moore, and Lady Gregory set up the Irish Literary Theatre. In 1903 the

Abbey Theatre came into existence with the bountiful aid of Miss. Horniman. Later, the

shaky financial state of the Abbey was restored by Fay Brothers. Frank and William Fay

were the first Irish actors who played role in an Irish Drama. They played role in George

W. Russell‟s Deirdre, and W.B.Yeats‟ Cathleen ni Houlihan. W.B.Yeats and Lady

Gregory contributed to Irish drama and they tried to arouse interest of the audiences in

their cultural past. Later, John Millington Synge comes into sight to attract audiences. He

wrote down Riders to the Sea, The Playboy of the Western World, In the Shadow of the

Glen, The Well of the Saints, Deirdre of the Sorrows etc. to portray Ireland‟s existing

ethos. The presentation of Ireland‟s contemporary culture by Synge‟s appreciated by the

audience.

It is difficult to explain precisely the reason for those sudden outpouring of talent in

Ireland but one thing is sure that the history of Irish drama is scarcely separable from the

history of English drama because of the lack of individuality. The play of Ibsen and other

imitators were in the vogue. In 1891-92, the two literary societies are founded by Yeats.

The founder members of the movement-Lady Gregory, W.B. Yeats, George Moore and

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Edwin Martyn discussed the want of a theatre separately for the Irish plays written on

Irish culture. The movement coincided with the Irish National movement for

independence, though they must not, on that account be identified with each other. With

the mixed contribution of the members (mentioned above), the Irish Literary Theatre

came into being in 1899. At this stage they felt the need of actors and a theatre not on

much expense due to the financial weaknesses. Somehow, they arranged for the

requirement and the plays are chosen for performance of Yeats‟s The Countess Cathleen

and Martyn‟s Heather Field. Moore entered the picture on Martyn‟s invitation and took

charge for the arrangements of English actors. In the meantime Edward Martyn was

granted a license to produce plays in the Ancient Concert Rooms in May. The first

production of these plays took place for the half month of May, 1899.

Moreover, even though their original manifesto announced that their theatre would

produce “Celtic and Irish dramatic literatures”. Some of the plays faced much of the

hostility from the critics, clergy and from Irish nationalists. Edward Martyn had

conceived the idea that Yeats‟s play, which is about a woman who offers her soul for her

people is heretical. A pamphlet entitled “Souls for Sale” by Frank Hugh O' Donnell

attacked Yeats‟s The Countess Cathleen. The Abbey Theatre became the home of a

distinguished drama, where Synge worked as director and William Fay was its first

manager. English actors used to perform for the Irish plays which give idea to Yeats and

Moore, for the foundation of an Irish Company of actors. Actors of London were selected

for the purposes that were trained for the Irish plays under the guidance of William and

Frank Fay. Thus the Irish National Theatre Society was founded where the actors were

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prepared with good expressions and well speaking of verse. The result of it is

praiseworthy as Deirdre by A.E. is applauded by the audience, for its well stage setting

and the style of acting.

The Abbey Theatre Company had established itself and performed in London,

Cambridge, Oxford, Manchester, Glasgow and other British cities. The plays familiarized

people with the life of the simple, unspoiled peasants of Ireland with all their

superstitions and customs. But the plays were attacked for the subject matters and the use

of language, which was developed by Lady Gregory and John Millington Synge because

the old Gaelic is too difficult and too rarely understood. The new plays showed a

collision of views between the enlightened artists and Irish nationalists on the one hand

and clergy class on the other. Production of The Playboy of the Western World, led to the

hostile reception of it not only in Ireland, but also in America where he Irish Nationalists

showed fierce resentment over the performance. But the directors remained determined

and soon the names of the leading playwrights Yeats and Synge became household

names and their plays got space in the books of Universities. Yeats‟s The Countess

Cathleen and Synge‟s The Shadow of the Glen also received same hostility and many

times it looked as though the theatre would be closed due to continuous rebels against

their satiric vision. Yet somehow it was able to withstand the opposition. The plays

written by the Abbey dramatists reflected the artistic fervour which has sustained the

movement. Their mission was not only to create good plays, different from the traditional

stuff but also to change the taste of the audience. These dramatists aimed at two things: to

draw the emotional experiences undergone by Irish people and to use the Irish language

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which later conceived as difficult for the foreign audiences so modified to some extent

which became popular in Irish dramatists. In the drama of Yeats‟s dramatic gifts are

limited to mostly with Irish legends or are simply morality plays in verse. They are

probably more satisfying to read than to see. George Russell (A.E.) produced the play

Deirdre which marks the beginning of the Irish Theatre Movement. Lady Gregory wrote

a number of slight peasant comedies, some noteworthy plays such as The Rising of the

Moon and Gods and Fighting Men but her contribution in the establishment of new

literary movement is exemplary.

It was W.B. Yeats who advised Synge when he was in a Paris to go to the Ireland

and to work on the region ignored i.e. penetrate to the beliefs and half hidden secrets and

the customs and superstitions of the folk. Yeats started his dramatic career with The

Countess Cathleen which was a great controversy when it was performed in the Abbey

Theatre. Joint works of Yeats and Lady Gregory contain; Deirdre, The Hour Glass, King

Oedipus, The King's Threshold on Baile’s Strand, The Pot of Broth, The Unicorn from

the Stars and Where there is nothing. The poetic drama gave much satisfaction to Yeats‟s

soul, thus rendering amazing expressions to his work. He looked towards the Greek

dramatists for the inspiration to write Irish legends and myths, which inherited all the

symbols from the Greek sources and the output is of eternal value.

J.M. Synge, one of the innovators of the Irish Literary Movement, got inspiration from

Yeats to describe the life of the people, who are the beautiful amalgamation of ideal and

actual; love and hatred; sorrows and ecstasies. Art for him was the expression satisfying

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and abiding of the zest of life. The last of his plays Deirdre of the Sorrows, deals with the

old legend of a beautiful lady who causes the destruction of the island. In doing so he

tried to follow the Greek tragedians but the work was the least satisfactory as the

playwright had used to make ordinary men into heroes but here he had attempted to turn

the heroes into ordinary men. Other plays of Synge have won the appreciation from not

only the Irish people but also from the people who are aligned to the folk lore of Ireland.

If the success of Synge is considered only due to his subject chosen from the land

which is full of myths and folk tales then it would be unfair because his sympathetic

observation of the material, his sensitiveness and his creative imagination has rendered a

remarkable design to his work embodied with the universal appeal. Synge visited the

Aran Islands. Infact, these islands are a group of three islands—Aranmor, Inishmaan,

and Inisheer. Many customs and old-traditions have disappeared from the Island except

Aran. When he visited Aran, it was still glorious with all its primitiveness. The women

had worn red flannel skirts and plain Shawls, whereas the men used to wear blue

turtleneck sweaters, homemade trousers and vests. Closeness with the villagers provoked

Synge to write :

“The peasants are pure and spiritual, yet have all the healthy animal blood

of a peasant and delight in broad jests and deeds. The young men are

simple and friendly, never specking however, to strangers till they are

addressed. The old men are chatty, cheerful and inquisitive. The girls are

inclined to deride me when they are a handful together. Singly they are at

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first shy, or pretend to it, but show exquisitely bright frankness when the

ice is crushed. Old women full of good fellowship but have mostly little

English and my Gaelic does not carry me beyond a few comments on the

weather and the island. (46)

Not a single play of Synge could be written without the description of nature. Synge‟s

sensitive mind and receptive heart instinctively responded to the nature, he observes in

The Aran Islands, in Wicklow and West Kerry, where the inhabitants make no distinction

between the natural and supernatural and who constantly struggle for existence against

the sea and the vagaries of the weather. In his famous plays The Shadow of the Glen and

Riders to the Sea, the nature play vital role, whereas in The Tinkers Wedding and The

Well of the Saints, it is described as a kind comforter; a source of energy, it is present in

The Playboy of the Western World whereas Deirdre of the Sorrows possesses it as a chief

actor in drama. Synge found the people of the Islands, with unparallel capacity to

stimulate his imagination and the work was the output of a nature mystic dramatist. Thus

the themes taken by Synge were a part of nature itself.

Riders to the Sea, in fact, is a one-act drama, depicting the conflict between Man and

Nature where nature is too immense and formidable power to cope with. Sea, in the play,

is the main cause of the sufferings and ill-fates of the islanders who are helpless and even

admitting the changing moods of the sea cannot avoid it, because actually, the destroyer

is the sustainer too, as all their occupation except kelp making is fishing. The victory of

the sea over the victims is inevitable as its power is unquestioned. Synge gives us the

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varieties of nature so as to make assessment how the man responses the all aspects of

nature. Mostly, it is the nature, who is giver and the man is the taker and this relationship

of give and take, goes on without any complaints or compliments. It is quite illustrious in

The Well of the Saints where the beggars, who are blind, feel the nature through their

other senses which are working and are quite happy.

J. M. Synge whose contribution lies mainly in the drama and basically it was Synge

who is regarded as the eminent playwright of the Irish dramatic world. Synge has created

a non-English atmosphere in his plays with the help of „chanting‟ style of the actors while

delivering dialogue. He was committed to renew the grandeur of Celtic Ireland that is

quite evident in his three plays. Synge tried to restore the vanishing Celtic literature. For

this purpose he made plentiful use of the Irish history, mythology and folklore in his

exclusive manner. It is noteworthy that the plays of Synge reflect rural way of life that he

encountered during his visits to Aran Islands or experienced during his childhood.

His one-act play Riders to the Sea depicts the islanders‟ way of life that Synge

experienced himself on Aran, while The Tinker’s Wedding and The Playboy are centered

on folk tales that Synge came to know from the islanders. Synge presented different

settings for his plays just to expose diverse portrayals of the rural Irish community. It can

be asserted that Riders to the Sea and The Playboy of the Western World represent the life

of peasants living exactly in the West of Ireland. The renewal of cultural tradition was the

prime aim in Irish society. There was need of revival of an indigenous culture in Ireland

to construct a national identity. J.M. Synge may be considered among the architects of

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cultural and social reconstruction of the nation. There is no denying the fact that Synge

influenced Irish drama to a large extent. He played major role in formation of Irish

nationalism. In his own way he promoted a national literature by portraying Irish rural

life and community.

WORKS CITED

Arensberg, Conrad M. and Solon T. Kimball. Family and Community in Ireland.

Cambridge: Harvard UP, 1968. Print.

Castle, Gregory. Modernism and the Celtic Revival. Cambridge: Cambridge University

Press, 2001.Print.

Kiberd, Declan. Inventing Ireland: The Literature of the Modern Nation. London:

Vintage, 1996. Print.

---. Synge and the Irish Language. London: Macmillan, 1993. Print.

Saddlemyer, Ann. Introduction. The Playboy of the Western World and Other Plays.

Oxford: Oxford UP, 1995. Print.

Synge, J. M., The Aran Islands. Dublin : Maunsel and Co., 1907. Print.

---. Collected Plays. Penguin Books: Harmondsworth, 1952. Print.

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---. Plays. Dublin: Maunsel and Roberts, 1922. Print.

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