...Interesting. It was okay, some of it was quite enjoyable, some of it I felt I didn't fully understand (isn't that the way with nearly every single text I've had to read for university?!) and it was very context-dependant, which means me cracking out my Irish History from AS History! Because, for AS-level, I did Ireland 1867-1922 (AND GOT AN A IN THE EXAM) so I should be able to go through it and remember the crucial stuff. But all of Irish literature is very much dependant on understanding the backdrop and history of Ireland. Because, well, they like to talk about poverty and union and independence and the Easter Rising and all this stuff that happened in Ireland. Anyhuw, yes. It was interesting but not one of my favourites.
O' Casey attempts to take some of the romanticism out of nationalistic views of the Irish revolution by painting a more realistic picture of the life and struggles of average Irishmen at the time of the Easter Rising. It's an interesting critique of Irish politics and values (love of country, family, worker equality, etc.). In the end, however, it follows true to so many Irish tragedies. Perhaps it is a commentary on the state of the Irish people--they bring tragedy upon themselves through their own actions. Or perhaps this is too harsh a reading of the play--it could just be following the literary tradition of tragedy, as well. Overall, it was a quick read, but a good one.
Do You like book The Plough And The Stars (2015)?
The first half is a comedy, the second half is a tragedy, and being a first-rate Irish drama the reaper has paid many a visit by the end of the show.Like so many of O'Casey's works, the language of his Dubliners flows effortlessly from tenements, to pubs, to the bullet-torn streets of of the Easter Rising. His characters are as colorful as the banners they carry, be they Union Jacks or the Irish Tricolor. A must read for lovers of Irish drama, political theatre, or simply rich dialogue. Acts as a potent antidote to the postmodern Neil LaButes and Sarah Ruhls of the contemporary theatre.
—Patrick Clark
