Deirdre of the Sorrows: Analysis of Setting
"Deirdre of the Sorrows" is a tragic tale rooted in Irish mythology, prominently featuring the character Deirdre, whose life is profoundly affected by the settings in which her story unfolds. The narrative begins in Lavarcham's house, situated on Slieve Fuadh, where Deirdre is nurtured by her nurse and experiences a life of beauty and innocence, symbolized by her connection to nature. This idyllic existence is shattered when she is taken to Emain Macha, the ancient capital of Ulster, which represents her impending forced marriage to King Conchubor. Emain Macha starkly contrasts Deirdre's earlier happiness, embodying a future filled with wealth, an older husband, and sorrow.
After briefly escaping to Alban, where Deirdre and her beloved Naisi experience bliss, their happiness is fleeting, foreshadowing the tragedy that follows. The story culminates at a grave located just below Emain Macha, representing the inevitability of death and loss. This grave serves as a poignant reminder of mortality, as Deirdre ultimately chooses to end her life, joining Naisi and his brothers in death. The interplay between these locations—home, a site of power, a place of temporary solace, and the grave—deeply enriches the narrative, illustrating themes of love, fate, and tragedy in Deirdre's life.
Deirdre of the Sorrows: Analysis of Setting
First published: 1910
First produced: 1910
Type of work: Drama
Type of plot: Tragedy
Time of work: The past
Asterisk denotes entries on real places.
Places Discussed
Lavarcham’s house
Lavarcham’s house (LOWR-chamz). Located on Slieve Fuadh, this is Deirdre’s home, where Lavarcham, her nurse, raised her. Deirdre’s beauty, happiness, and carefree lifestyle are mirrored in the admiration that she has of the wonders of nature; she is to remain here until her marriage to King Conchubor.
*Emain Macha
*Emain Macha (AE-min ma-HA). Ancient capital of Ulster, where pre-Christian kings of Ireland are thought to have been crowned; presently the seat of the primate of the archbishop of Ireland and now known as Navan Fort, west of Armagh. Emain Macha is mentioned frequently in the play and is the place where King Conchubor insists upon taking Deirdre to be married to him. This place symbolizes everything that is foreign to her: a wealthy life, an older husband, and an unhappy future. When Deirdre and Naisi, her beloved, decide to meet with the king, it is with the full knowledge of their impending doom. In the process, Emain Macha is destroyed.
*Alban
*Alban. Deirdre and Naisi spend a blissful seven years here, in what is now Scotland. This temporary home signifies the short-lived love and happiness that Deirdre and Naisi share.
Grave
Grave. Located just below Emain Macha, this place is an image representing the mortality of humankind and the permanence of death. Deirdre kills herself just before falling into this grave, where Naisi and his brothers have already been buried.
Bibliography
Kopper, Edward A., Jr., ed. A J. M. Synge Literary Companion. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 1988. A valuable collection of sixteen chapters by leading scholars, covering all aspects of Synge’s life and work. Excellent introduction to the critical literature. Good bibliographies.
Price, Alan. Synge and Anglo-Irish Drama. London: Methuen, 1961. Extensive discussion of this play as a transformation of Irish legend and as the embodiment of Synge’s persistent themes. Contrasts the play favorably with those of Synge’s contemporaries, calling it “perhaps the finest thing Synge ever wrote.”
Saddlemyer, Ann. “Deirdre of the Sorrows: Literature First. . . . Drama Afterwards.” In J. M. Synge: Centenary Papers 1971. Edited by Maurice Harmon. Dublin: Dolmen, 1972. Focuses on Synge’s blend of myth and characterization within his theory of art and drama. Traces the roots of this play to Synge’s interest in music, Jean Racine, and life on the Aran Islands.
Synge, J. M. J. M. Synge: Collected Works. Vol. 2, edited by Alan Price. New York: Oxford University Press, 1968. Scholarly edition, providing the biographical context of Synge’s last two years, when this play was being written. Contains a transcription of his worksheets, draft manuscripts, and related notebook entries.
Thornton, Weldon. J. M. Synge and the Western Mind. New York: Barnes & Noble Books, 1979. Argues that the play is resistant to heroic stereotypes of Celtic myth and presents Deirdre and Naisi as motivated by common needs and fears. Thus, the play is more psychologically complex than the mythic plays of his contemporaries.