Sherin Joseph

BD/17/2220
FP-C
Riders to the Sea
John Millington Synge
Introduction
• Riders to the Sea is a play written by Irish
Literary Renaissance playwright John
Millington Synge.

• A one-act tragedy, the play is set in the

Aran Island, Inishmaan.

• The plot is based on the hopeless struggle

of a people against the impersonal but
relentless cruelty of the sea.
Abouth the Author
• John Millington Synge (16 April 1871 – 24 March
1909) was an Irish playwright, poet, prose writer
and travel writer.

• He was a key figure in the Irish Literary Revival

and was one of the co-founders of the Abbey
Theatre.

• Synge's writings are mainly concerned with the

world of the Roman Catholic peasants of rural
Ireland.
Characters
• Maurya - An old peasant woman living on one
of the Aran Islands. She has reared six sons,
four of whom are known to be dead, as are
her husband and her husband’s father—all
from the ravages of the sea.

• Bartley - The youngest of six sons, now the

sole support of the household. He earns
income by riding horses into the sea to the
steamer anchored far offshore, so that they
can be sold at the mainland fair.

• Cathleen - a daughter about twenty years

old. As the older of two sisters, she takes the
lead in expressing concern and making
arrangements.
Characters
• Nora - A young girl, another of
Maurya’s daughters. Her main
function in the play is to talk with
Cathleen and enable the exposition
of background and commentary on
the action.

• The Priest - The priest is never

actually seen on stage, but his
presence is so vital to the story. It
is the priest who delivers the
message through Nora that Maurya
must put her faith and trust in God.
Plot
• The setting is on an island off the coast of Ireland.

• The story follows Maurya and her daughters as

they discover that the sea has taken even more
from them.

• The mother has already lost four sons, one

husband, and a father-in-law to the perils of the
sea.

• Maurya is understandably bereft when her

favourite son, Michael, seems to be lost at sea.

• For nine days she mourns, searching the sea for

his body.
Plot
• Bartley is lost when the pony he is leading to
Galway fair knocks him into the rough sea, he
having decided to go despite Maurya's assertions.

• But by the time Bartley is taken by the sea as well,

Maurya is all but numb to the sorrow of loss she has
had to bear, and continues to bear.

• Maurya accepts the final loss gracefully, observing

that finally the sea can take no more from her.

• She sprinkles holy water on Bartley's body and

Michael's clothing, which are all that she has from
him and then acknowledges the truth that no man
can live forever
Language
• The language of Riders to the Sea is notable for its economy and power.

• Synge himself spent time listening to and recording the distinctive speech
patterns of the Aran Islands before writing the play.

• The rhythm of the play is defined by the rhythms of speech, which give the
play a clear sense of place, time, and community.

• Homey details add to the realism of the play.

• Simple words are used repeatedly

Writing style
• The scene is told from a third person, omniscient point of view.

• The scene is clear and focused, with no questions about who is

telling the story or the order of events as they occur.

• The play incorporated an artful manipulation of vocabulary, syntax,

and rhythms of Irish-English.

• Synge depicts otherwise unprepossessing figures speaking in a rich,

mesmerizing idiom that brings a sense of pageantry and splendor to
the commonplace.
Personal Opinion
• The dialectic style is very thick, and at times difficult to
understand.

• Important work from cultural and historical perspectives, but not

the most entertaining read.

• The dialogues are constructed awkwardly.

• Seemed very pessimistic, but at the same time, equally realistic.

Thank You