The Playboy of the Western World by John Millington Synge
"The Playboy of the Western World" is a play by Irish playwright John Millington Synge, set in a rural Irish village on the coast of County Mayo. The story centers around a young man named Christy Mahon, who arrives at a local inn claiming he has killed his father during a fight, which earns him admiration from the local villagers, particularly from Pegeen Flaherty, the innkeeper's daughter. As Christy embraces his newfound persona as a hero, he becomes more confident and assertive, contrasting sharply with his previously meek character.
The narrative explores themes of identity, masculinity, and the allure of heroism, as Christy's tale transforms him into an object of fascination and desire. The villagers' reactions to his story reflect societal attitudes towards bravery and reputation, complicating the dynamics between reality and perception. However, the plot thickens when Christy's father, Old Mahon, survives and confronts him, leading to an unexpected turn of events that challenges the villagers’ perception of Christy’s heroism. The play culminates in a revelation of familial bonds and the fickle nature of public opinion, leaving audiences to question the true meaning of courage and identity in a world driven by societal expectations.
The Playboy of the Western World by John Millington Synge
First produced: 1907; first published, 1907
Type of work: Drama
Type of plot: Comic realism
Time of plot: Early twentieth century
Locale: County Mayo, Ireland
Principal Characters
Christopher “Christy” Mahon , a braggartOld Mahon , his fatherMargaret “Pegeen” Flaherty , his sweetheartWidow Quin , a villager
The Story
One evening, a young man arrives at a small inn on the wild coast of county Mayo, Ireland, and announces that he has run away from home. He says his name is Christopher Mahon and he ran away because he killed his father during a fight. The farmers who are passing the time in the inn are impressed by his exhibition of courage. Christy is especially admired by Margaret “Pegeen” Flaherty, the pretty young daughter of Michael Flaherty, the innkeeper. She and the others press the young man to tell his story again and again.
At home, Christy was a meek and obedient son, controlled by his domineering father. He accepted his father's insults until the old man tried to force him to marry a rich old woman. At last, in desperation, he hit his father over the head. Seeing the old man fall, Christy presumed that he was dead.
The experience at the inn is something new for Christy, who for the first time in his life is regarded as a hero. When the news of his story spreads among the villagers, they flock to look at this paragon of bravery. The women are particularly interested in him; Dame Quin, a thirty-year-old widow, is much taken with the young taproom hero. Christy, however, is attracted to pretty Pegeen. He is flattered by her admiration, and in an attempt to live up to her opinion of him, he begins to adopt an attitude of bravado. Before long, he himself believes that he had done a courageous deed.
Each year, the village holds a festival in which the men compete with each other in various sports. Christy is naturally expected to take part. His early timidity having long since disappeared, he makes every effort to appear a hero in the eyes of Pegeen, to whom he is now openly betrothed, she having broken off her engagement to young farmer Shawn Keogh.
While Christy is taking part in the sports activities, an old man comes to the inn, looking for someone who fits Christy's description. Dame Quin, who still has designs on the boy, deliberately misdirects the stranger. When the man returns from his wild goose chase, he arrives in time to see Christy hailed as a hero for winning the mule race. Old Mahon, who survived Christy’s blow, recognizes his son and flies into a rage. He insists that Christy go home with him, and his angry tirade humiliates his son in front of the spectators.
Christy, however, had enjoyed too long the thrill of being a hero. He does not give in timidly, as he would have done before; instead, much to his father’s astonishment, he again strikes the old man over the head. Once again it appears that old Mahon is dead. The reaction of the townspeople, however, is not at all what Christy might have expected. Killing one’s father some miles away is one thing, but killing him in front of a number of witnesses who might be involved in the affair is another. The people mutter angrily among themselves, and even Pegeen joins with them in denouncing the murderer.
Deciding at last that the only thing to do is to hang Christy for his crime, they tie up the struggling young man and prepare to lead him away. Old Mahon, however, proved himself a tough fellow once before, and he does so again. The first blow from Christy had only stunned him; this second one merely knocked him unconscious for a short time. As Christy struggles and the noose is slipped over his head, Mahon crawls through the door on his hands and knees.
While the villagers stand around dumbfounded, Mahon walks over to his son and quickly unties him. Far from being angry with Christy for hitting him, he is pleased to discover that his son is not the timid weakling he thought him to be. The two leave the inn, arm in arm, deaf to the pleas of Pegeen, both of them jeering at the foolishness of the people on the Mayo coast.
Bibliography
Bloom, Harold, ed. John Millington Synge’s The Playboy of the Western World. New York: Chelsea, 1988. Print. Mod. Critical Interpretations.
Brazeau, Robert. “'But We're Only Talking, Maybe': Language, Desire, and the Arrival of the Present in Synge's Playboy of the Western World.” Irish Studies Review 17.2 (2009): 153–66. Print.
Castle, Gregory. Modernism and the Celtic Revival. New York: Cambridge UP, 2001. Print.
Davis, Alex. “Learning to Be Brutal: Synge, Decadence, and the Modern Movement.” New Hibernia Review 14.3 (2010): 33–51. Print.
Frazier, Adrian, ed. Playboys of the Western World: Production Histories. Dublin: Carysfort, 2004. Print.
Gonzalez, Alexander G., ed. Assessing the Achievement of J. M. Synge. Westport: Greenwood, 1996. Print. Contributions in Drama and Theatre Studies 73.
Greene, David H., and Edward M. Stephens. J. M. Synge, 1871–1909. Rev. ed. New York: New York UP, 1989. Print.
Kopper, Edward A., Jr., ed. A J. M. Synge Literary Companion. Westport: Greenwood, 1988. Print.
McDonald, Ronan. Tragedy and Irish Literature: Synge, O’Casey, Beckett. New York: Palgrave, 2002. Print.
Owens, Cóilín, and Joan N. Radner, eds. Irish Drama, 1900–1980. Washington: Catholic U of Amer. P, 1990. Print.
Ritschel, Nelson O’Ceallaigh. Synge and Irish Nationalism: The Precursor to Revolution. Westport: Greenwood, 2002. Print.
Townsend, Sarah L. “Cosmopolitan at Home: Ireland's Playboys from Celtic Revival to Celtic Tiger.” Journal of Modern Literature 34.2 (2011): 45–64. Print.