The Tinker's Wedding

J. M. Synge

Nov 2019 · Good Press

About this ebook

J. M. Synge's 'The Tinker's Wedding' is a one-act play that presents a satirical and humorous portrayal of Irish rural life at the turn of the 20th century. The play explores themes of social class, gender roles, and tradition, all set against the backdrop of a contentious wedding ceremony. Synge's use of dialect and vivid imagery brings the characters to life, immersing the reader in the rustic beauty of the Irish countryside. His simple yet powerful language captures the essence of the working-class characters and their struggle for autonomy. 'The Tinker's Wedding' is a prime example of Synge's signature blend of realism and comedy, making it a timeless piece of Irish literature. J. M. Synge, a leading figure of the Irish Literary Revival, was heavily influenced by his travels through the Aran Islands and his interest in the folklore and culture of rural Ireland. His firsthand experiences with the people and landscapes of the West of Ireland inspired much of his work, including 'The Tinker's Wedding'. Synge's commitment to capturing the authentic voices of the Irish people shines through in this play, showcasing his talent for drama and wit. I highly recommend 'The Tinker's Wedding' to readers interested in Irish literature, social satire, and masterful storytelling. This short but impactful play offers a glimpse into the complexities of Irish society while entertaining and engaging the audience with its sharp humor and insightful observations.

About the author

After graduating from Trinity College, Dublin, Synge left for Europe to write poetry. If W. B. Yeats had not discovered him in Paris and persuaded him to return to Ireland and absorb its native traditions, the Irish renaissance might have lost its best playwright. As it was, Synge's poetry of Celtic romanticism was rather more tempered with a European realism than Yeats and his renaissance had anticipated. Yeats sent Synge to the West of Ireland to get to know the peasants there. The result was, in addition to the journal The Aran Islands (1907), two short plays for the Abbey: The Shadow of the Glen (1903), in which a comic resurrection interrupts a widow's marriage bargaining, and Riders to the Sea (1904), about a mother's loss of her last son, a perfect condensed tragedy and probably the finest one-act play. The poorly received The Well of the Saints (1905), whose characters vehemently reject reality for comfortable illusion, offered the Abbey audience a warning of what was to come. This was Synge's masterpiece, The Playboy of the Western World (1907), which touched off rioting at the theater. The playboy is Christy Mahon, a lout who becomes a hero among the Mayo peasantry when he boasts he has murdered his father. Satire on Irish romanticism conceals a parable of the poet's development and estrangement from his public. But Dublin nationalists heard only the people slandered, and Dublin prudery heard only the forbidden word "shifts" on Christy's lips. Playboy was the last play Synge saw staged. He died of cancer at age 37, never having completed Deirdre of the Sorrows (1910), his only work in the Celtic legendary mode.