The Politics of Identity in Irish Drama: W.B. Yeats, Augusta Gregory and J.M. Synge [Paperback]

This study examines the early dramatic works of Yeats, Synge, and Gregory in the context of late colonial Irelands unique socio-political landscape. By contextualizing each authors work within the artistic and political discourses of their time, Cusack demonstrates the complex negotiation of nationalism, class, and gender identities undertaken by these three authors in the years leading up to Irelands revolution against England. Furthermore, by focusing on plays written by each author in the context of the ongoing debates over Irish national identity that were taking place throughout Irish public life in this period, Cusack examines in more depth than previous studies the ways Yeats, Gregory, and Synge adapted conventional dramatic and linguistic forms to accommodate the conflicting claims of Irish nationalism. In so doing, he demonstrates the contribution these authors made not only to the development of Irish nationalism but also to modern and postcolonial literature as we understand them today.

Acknowledgments

Introduction

Chapter One: Kathleen ni Houlihan and the Perception of Propaganda

Chapter Two: Yeats: The Inner Life on the National Stage

Chapter Three: Gregory: Nationality as Narrative

Chapter Four: Synge: The Liberation of Language

Chapter Five: The Playboy of the Western World and the End of Artistic Nationalism

Notes

Bibliography

Index

This study examines the early dramatic works of Yeats, Synge, and Gregory in the context of late colonial Irelands unique socio-political landscape. Cusack demonstrates the complex negotiation of national