The Irish Literary Theater

Paper Summary:

The Irish National Theater, established by W.B. Yeats, Lady Gregory, and others in 1897, sought to establish a theater that was distinctly Irish. This paper focuses on one of Lady Gregory's plays presented in the theater, "Spreading the News," which sought to debunk the drunken 'Irish Paddy' stereotype. A brief examination of "Spreading the News" shows how its author fulfills the Irish Theater's ambition of reinventing the way Irish people are perceived and treated on the stage.

From the Paper:

"Instead the Irish are characterized as backward, religiously superstitious, poor peasants with no education who speak an Irish-English dialect. Lady Gregory's play Spreading the News (1904) is a case in point. Gregory's characters are not noble, idealized figures. Rather, Gregory seems to perpetuate the stereotype of the comical, "blarney-speaking" country rube (Watt 23). But Gregory's characterization is not intended to make over or whitewash the Irish peasant. Her aim is to show the reality of the Irish people, deconstruct the way Irish characters are represented in the theatre, and celebrate their Irishness."

More papers on The Irish Literary Theater:

• Analytical Essay # 58428 : "W.B. Yeats and the Irish Renaissance"
• Analytical Essay # 130325 : "The Irish American Experience"
• Descriptive Essay # 110283 : "The Irish Land League"

APA Citation:

MLA Citation: