Riders to the Sea

John Millington Synge

1. What year was the play written?

 1904.
2. Synge is
 Irish.
3. The play is a/an
 Tragedy.
4. The play is set in
 one of the Aran Islands off the Coast of Ireland.
5. How many acts is the play?
 1.
6. Cathleen is
 20 Years Old.
7. What is Cathleen doing at the start of the play?
 Kneading Cake.
8. What does Nora bring into the cottage at the beginning?
 The Bundle of Clothes.
9. Who gave the clothes to Nora?
 The Young Priest.
10. The priest is always described as
 Young.
11. How do they suppose Michael died?
 Drowning.
12. What is Maurya doing at the start of the play?
 Lying down.
13. Who wants to go to the Galway Fair?
 Bartley.
14. Who is confident God wouldn't take away Maurya's sons?
 The young priest.
15. Where do the girls hide the bundle?
 In the turf-loft.
16. Maurya is best described as
 Stubborn
17. Who does Maurya think will stop Bartley?
 The young priest.
18. Where is Bartley at the start of the play?
 Seeing about the ship.
19. What is the girls' attitude toward their mother?
 Subtly derisive.
20. What is Bartley looking for when he comes home?
 Rope.
21. What animal was chewing on the rope?
 A pig.
22. What does Bartley want the rope for?
 A Halter.
23. What does Maurya want the rope for?
 The Coffin.
24. Who is the coffin initially for?

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 Michael.
25. What does Maurya think about Bartley going to Sea?
 She is adamantly against it.
26. Maurya believes the presence of a single star by the side of the moon to be
 a very bad omen.
27. The colour of the piece of the sail Bartley’s body was wrapped in to carry it to his
house was
 Blue
28. How many men did Nora hear say Bartley would go?
 Three
29. How many men does Maurya lose to the sea in total?
 Eight.
30. What were the items that the priest gives for identification purposes?
 A shirt and a plain stocking.
31. What colour are the petticoats worn by the women who come to mourn Bartley’s
death?
 Red.
32. Who was Colum Shawn?
 One of Maurya’s neighbours.
33. What does Cathleen offer Colum and Eamon in exchange for building her brother’s
coffin?
 Sewing services.
34. Whom does Maurya see riding the grey pony?
 Michael.
35. What can no man do, according to Maurya?
 Live forever.
36. Whom does Maurya see riding the red mare?
 Bartley
37. What does Colum ask Cathleen after Cathleen asks him and Eamon to build a coffin
when the sun comes up?
 Are there nails with them?
38. How many days does it take to walk to Donegal?
 Seven.
39. The young Priest foretold that
 God would never leave Maurya without a Son
40. Whose coffin will be made from the white boards?
 Bartley.
41. JM Synge was one of the major products of the
 Irish Dramatic Movement
42. The Riders to the Sea is a/an
 Poetic Drama & One-act play
43. Who of the following has lost her sons to the sea
 Maurya
44. “And what time would a man take, and he floating?” Who is the speaker here
 Nora
45. The setting of the one act play ‘Playboy of the Western World’ is
 Aran Island
46. Cathleen is a girl about....... years old.
 Twenty
47. The mother Maurya was grief stricken because

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 Her son Michael & Bartley has drowned in the sea
48. The youngest son of Maurya was
 Bartley
49. What is Cathleen doing at the start of the play?
 Kneading cake
50. Who wants to go to the Galway Fair?
 Bartley
51. Who is confident God wouldn’t take away Maurya’s sons?
 The young priest.
52. Who does Maurya think will stop Bartley?
 The young priest.
53. "Riders to the Sea" was first performed
 25th Feb. 1904 at the Molesworth hall, Dublin.
54. "Riders to the Sea" was set
 in the Aran Islands, the West Coast of Ireland.
55. Maurya had ____________children.
8
56. Cathleen was ---years old
 20
57. How many sons did Maurya have?
6
58. Name the sons of Maurya
 Stephen, Shawn, Sheamus, Patch, Michael and Bartley.
59. Who were the elder and younger daughters of Maurya?
 Cathleen and Nora
60. Who was the youngest son of Maurya?
 Bartley
61. What was Cathleen doing at the beginning of the play?
 Kneading
62. Who wants to go to the Galway Fair?
 Bartley
63. What did Nora bring at the beginning of the play?
 the bundle of clothes.
64. Who gave the clothes to Nora?
 the young priest.
65. How does Bartley die?
 the grey pony knocked him into the sea.
66. How many men did Maurya lose?
 8.
67. Michael's body was found at
 at the black cliffs of the north.
68. "Give her the stick Nora" the stick was brought by
 Michael.
69. How do Cathleen and Nora identify Michael's clothes?
 The specific stitch they used to craft his flannel shirt.
70. Who are the riders to the sea?
 All the men (husbands, brothers, sons, fathers, etc.) who never came home from the sea.
71. "I have seen the fearfulest thing" The fearfulest thing refers to
 the ghost of Michael.
72. The Riders to the Sea

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 is based on the writer’s experience.
73. Michael, one of the sons of Maurya was drowned in
 Donegal
74. Nora gets Michael’s belonging from
 the young priest.
75. In Synge’s play entitled, Riders to the Sea Bartley goes to the fair of
 Galway
76. The Riders to the Sea opens on 9th day of the death of
 Michael.
77. Just before leaving for Galway fair Bartley advises Cathleen to sell ....... If the jobber
happens to come.
 The pig with black feet
78. Riders to the Sea, a play by J. M. Synge opens on the I background of the death of
 Michael
79. Who of the following had bought a stick for Maurya for support from Connemara?
 Michael
80. Bartley goes to the Galway fair wearing Michael's shirt because
 Bartley’s shirt had become heavy with the salt.
81. By seeing........ Nora confirms that the stocking and shirt definitely belonged to
Michael.
 Three score stiches on the stocking.
82. Which of the following is true to Michael?
a) the play opens on the 9th day of his death;
b) he was a great rower and fisher;
c) his dead body was found far in the north.
83. The dead bodies of Stephen and Shawn were found in
 Bay of Gregory.
84. Which of the following son of Maurya had died by boat turning upside down?
 Patch.
85. Which of the following son of Maurya dies due to grey pony’s Knocking down in the
sea?
 Bartley.
86. In J. M. Synge’s play entitled, Riders to the Sea the dead body of ____ is brought in.
 Bartley.
87. Bartley goes to the Galway fair to sell
 a horse.
88. Which of the following instruction Bartley gives to Cathleen just before leaving for
the Galway fair?
a) see the sheep are not jumping in open rye,
b) sell the pig with black feet if the jobbers come,
c) get the enough weed.
89. Who of the following goes to the spring well to hand over the cake to Bartley?
 Maurya.
90. Who of the following sees the ghost of Michael in the play entitled, The Riders to the
sea at the spring well?
 Maurya.
91. What is the full name of Synge?
 The full name of Synge is Edmund John Millington Synge.
92. What is the nationality of J. M. Synge?
 J.M. Synge is an Irish playwright.
93. What kind of play is “Riders to the Sea”? [NU 2016]
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 “Riders to the Sea” is a one-act tragedy.
94. What is one- act play?
 One- act play is a play that has only one act.
95. How many acts does 'Riders to the sea' have?
 'Riders to the sea' has only one act.
96. Where did the action of Riders to the Sea take place?
 The action of Riders to the Sea took place in the kitchen of Maurya.
97. What is oilskin in 'Riders to the Sea'?
 In Riders to the Sea, 'oilskin' is a sheet dipped in oil and dried to be used as water proof
cover.
98. What does the spinning wheel indicate?
 The spinning-wheel indicates that the women folk of the Aran Islands used to supplement
the family income with income generating activities at home.
99. What is 'kneading'?
 'Kneading' is the way of blending flour with eggs, milk and resins to make a cake.
100. What is Donegal?
 Donegal is a county of North Ireland where the dead body of Michael was discovered.
111. Who are the sons of Maurya? [NU 2013, 2016]
 The sons of Maurya are Stephen, Shawn, Sheamus, Patch, Michel and Bartley.
112. Who were the surviving children of Maurya at the beginning of the play? [NU 2015]
 Bartley, Nora and Cathleen were the surviving children of Maurya at the beginning of the
play.
113. What is Galway fair? [NU 2014]
 The Galway fair is the fair held in Galway where animals can be sold or purchased. Bartley
wanted to go to the fair for selling two horses.
114. What is the Galway fair known for? [NU 2018]
 The Galway fair is known for selling horses. It is situated in the main land of Galway.
115. Where was Bartley going that day?
 Bartley was going to the Galway fair that day for selling horses.
116. Why did Bartley want to go to the Galway fair? [NU 2011]
 Bartley want to go to the Galway fair to sell two horses: his red mare and Michael’s grey
pony.
117. What is Connemara?
 Connemara is a cultural region in country Galway, Ireland.
118. Why doesn't Maurya want Bartley to sail to the main land? [NU 2017]
 Maurya doesn’t want Bartley to sail to Connemara, the main land, because she is afraid
that the boat journey to the main land may turn very perilous in the stormy atmosphere.
119. Why doesn't Bartley want to miss the boat to Connemara?
 Bartley does not want to miss the boat to Connemara because no boat will be available for
two weeks.
120. What is a 'jobber'?
 'jobber' is a broker engaged in selling cattle and horses.
121. What is the meaning of the wish, "God speed you"?
 The meaning of the wish, “God speed you” is ‘May God speed you’ or, ‘May you have good
speed on your journey’. It is a wish that God should help somebody on his / her way.
122. Why does Cathleen say "God help her"?
 Cathleen says “God help her” so that she can sleep.
123. What was the colour of Michael's horse and what colour was Barley's mare?
 The colour of Michael's horse was grey and Bartley’s mare was red.
124. How does Maurya rate the worth of a son?

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 Maurya rates the worth of a son above any amount of money. According to her, the worth
of a son is more important that money.
125. Why did Maurya go to the spring well?
 Maurya went to the spring well to give bread to Bartley and say him “God speed you”.
126. Name the first two sons of Maurya who died in the sea?
 Maurya’s first two sons who died in the sea are Stephen and Shawn.
127. Who is the youngest daughter of Maurya?
 Nora is the youngest daughter of Maurya.
128. Who was Cathleen?
 Cathleen was the elder daughter of Maurya. She was a superstitious girl, careful about her
family.
129. Who is the older of the two girls?
 Cathleen is the older of the two girls.
130. Who gave stick to Maurya?
 Nora gave stick to Maurya.
131. Where did Michael buy the stick from for his mother? [NU 2015]
 Michael bought the stick from Connemara for his mother.
132. Who is the last to die in Riders to the Sea?
 Bartley, the youngest son of Maurya, is the last to die in Rider to the Sea.
133. How long has Maurya been waiting for Michael?
 Maurya has been waiting for Michael for 9 days.
134. How could Nora and Catherine be sure of the death of Michael? [NU 2013]
 Nora and Catherine could be sure of the death of Michael through identifying the stiches of
the stockings of Michael.
135. Where does the young priest get a shirt and plain stocking?
 The young priest gets a shirt and plain stocking in Donegal.
136. Where was Michael drowned?
 Michael was drowned in Donegal.
137. Where was Michael's dead body found? [NU 2017]
 Michael's dead body was found in Donegal.
138. How was Michael's dead body found?
 The dead body of Michael was found by a boatman.
139. Who are the first to die in Riders to the sea?
 The first to die in Riders to the sea are Maurya’s sons Stephen and Shawn.
140. What is curragh?
 A curragh is a type of small boat covered with water-tight material used for fishing on the
west coast of Ireland and the island nearby.
141. What is Samhain?
 Samhain is a Gaelic festival marking the end of the harvest season and the beginning of
winter or the "darker half" of the year.
142. Who is the last to die in “Riders to the Sea”?
 Bartley, the youngest son of Maurya, is the last to die in "Riders to the Sea"
143. How did Bartley die? [NU 2013]
 On his way to the Galway Fair, Bartley was riding the red mare while the gray pony which
was running behind him knocked him over into the strong high waves where he crashed with
the rocks and died.
144. What does the 'Holy Water' signify in Riders to the Sea? [NU 2018]
 The "Holy Water" in Riders to the Sea signifies the act of spiritual cleansing.
145. What premonition of Bartley's death did Maurya have?

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 Maurya had seen the ghost of Michael riding on the grey pony behind Bartley who was riding
on the red mare. This “fearful thing” is a premonition of Bartley’s imminent death.
146. Who are the "Riders" in "Riders to the Sea"? [NU 2011, 2014]
 In "Riders to the Sea", the riders are Maurya’s husband, six sons and her father in law. But
on broader sense all the fishermen of the Aran Islands are the ‘riders’
147. Who is the antagonist in “The Riders to the Sea”?
 The sea or nature is the antagonist in The Riders to the Sea.
148. Who is the first speaker and who is the last speaker in Riders to the Sea?
 Nora is the first speaker and Maurya is the last speaker in Riders to the Sea.
149. What were Maurya's last words? [NU 2012]
 Maurya's last words are "No man at all can be living for ever, and we must be satisfied"
150. How does Maurya console herself at the end of the play? [NU 2011, 2017]
 Maurya consoles herself at the end of the play by saying that “No man at all can be living
forever”.
151. What message do you find in the play Riders to the Sea? [NU 2014]
 In the play Riders to the Sea, we find the message that no man at all can be living forever
and we must be satisfied at one’s premature death.
152. What kind of play is Riders to the Sea?
 It is a one-act tragedy.
153. What is ‘oilskin’?
 ‘Oilskin’ or oilcloth is a sheet dipped in oil and dried to be used as water-proof cover.
154. What does the spinning-wheel indicate?
 It indicate that the women-folk the Aran Islands used to supplement the family’s income by
spinning thread at home.
155. What is ‘kneading’?
 Kneading is the process of mixing flour with resins, eggs, milk etc. as mixture for making a
cake.
156. What does the ‘Holy Water’ signify?
 The ‘Holy Water’ is the water sanctified by prayer by priests. Such water was believed to be
able to keep away evil spirits.
157. Who is Michael?
 Michael is the fifth son of Maurya. He was drowned in the sea and his dead body was
recovered in Donegal.
158. What is the Galway fair known for?
 The Galway fair known for the trading of cattle or horses and other commodities of the
people from around.
159. Why doesn’t Maurya want Bartley to sail to the mainland/ Connemara?
 Maurya does not want Bartley to sail to the mainland/ Connemara because she fears that
the boat-journey to Connemara shall be very dangerous as the storm blowing hard from the
south and west will make the sea turbulent.
160. What is a hooker? Why is the hooker tacking?
 A hooker is a kind of small Irish sailing boat. ‘Tacking’ means moving in a zigzag manner in
order to adjust its sail so as to come towards the island.
161. Why doesn’t Bartley want to miss the boat to Connemara?
 Bartley does not want to miss the boat to Connemara because no boat will be available for
two weeks or more for the trip to the fair where horses will be sold at high prices.
162. What will Bartley sell at Connemara?
 Bartley will sell at Connemara two horses-his red mare and Michael’s grey pony.
163. What was the colour of Michael’s horse and what colour was Bartley’s mare?
 Michael’s horse was grey and Bartley’s mare was red.
164. How does Maurya rate the worth of a son?

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 Maurya rate the worth of a son above any amount of money. To her the worth of a son is
more than the price of a hundred and thousand horses.
165. What is a ‘Jobber’?
 A Jobber is a broker engaged in selling cattle and horses.
166. What is pier?
 Pier is a structure of wood, iron etc built in the sea and joined to the land at one end, used
by boats to allow passengers to get on and off.
167. Why doesn’t Maurya bless her son Bartley on the eve of his departure?
 On the eve of Bartley’s departure, Maurya could not bless him because there was an
ominous touch. She is so desperate with grief and agony that she utters ominous words instead
of blessing him.
168. What premonition of Barltey’s death did Cathleen have?
 Cathleen had the premonition of Barltey’s death when she discovered that they had forgotten
to give him bread and he had eaten nothing since the sunrise.
169. Why did Maurya go to the spring well?
 Maurya went to the spring well to give her son Bartley his bit of bread and to say, ‘Got speed
you’.
170. How was Michael’s dead body found?
 The dead body of Michael was found by a boatman. When two boatman were rowing with
illicit liquor, poteen, before dawn, the oar of one of them caught Machael’s floating dead body.
171. What is poteen?
 Poteen is strong alcoholic drink made illegally, usually from potatoes.
172. What premonition of Bartley’s death did Maurya have?
 Maurya had the premonition of Bartley’s death when she saw Bartley riding on his red mare
and the ghost of Michael chasing him on the grey pony.
173. What story is associated with ‘Bride Dara’?
 The story associated with Bride Dara is that she had a vision that her dead husband had
taken her little child in his arms. It was a sign of the coming death of the child.
174. Who are the first to die in riders to the Sea?
 It is not specifically mentioned who is first to die. But we may assume that Maurya’s sons
Stephen and Shawn are the first to die in Riders to the Sea.
175. Who are Stephen and Shawn? How did they die?
 Stephen and Shawn are the two sons of Maurya. They were drowned together in a violent
storm.
176. Who is Sheamus? How did they die?
 Sheamus was one of the sons of Maurya. He was perished in the sea in a dark night.
177. Why did Barltey go to the Galway fair?
 He went to the Galway fair to sell two horses.
178. What is Samhain?
 Samhain is the name of the Celtic festival of ‘the departing sun’- held on November 1 which
is the beginning of the Celtic year. It is the Gaelic word for ‘late Autumn’.

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