In the Shadow of the Glen: Analysis of Major Characters
"In the Shadow of the Glen" is a one-act play by John Millington Synge that explores the dynamics of relationships through its major characters—Dan Burke, Nora Burke, the tramp, and Micheal Dara. Dan Burke, an elderly farmer, feigns his own death to uncover his wife's true feelings, revealing a lack of affection and her longing for companionship. As he eavesdrops on conversations between Nora and the young herder Micheal, Dan's jealousy and bitterness surface, especially when he feels threatened by their interactions. Nora, a younger woman married to Dan for his possessions, craves emotional fulfillment and shows little remorse over her husband's supposed demise. Her interactions with both the tramp and Micheal highlight her loneliness and desire for connection. The tramp, initially seeking shelter, becomes an unexpected ally to Nora, choosing to defend her against Dan’s wrath. Micheal, portrayed as innocent and hopeful, expresses his interest in Nora, ultimately becoming a symbol of her potential escape from isolation. The interplay between these characters creates a complex narrative of love, betrayal, and the quest for freedom in a rural setting.
In the Shadow of the Glen: Analysis of Major Characters
Author: John Millington Synge
First published: 1904, in Samhain; revised, 1905
Genre: Play
Locale: County Wicklow, in western Ireland
Plot: Comedy
Time: c. 1900
Dan Burke, a white-haired farmer and herder of cows and sheep. He feigns his death and thereby exposes his wife's lack of affection for him. Lying “in state” in the kitchen of their cottage, he eavesdrops on her conversation with the tramp and the young man whom she welcomes into their home. Dan's thirst for whiskey compels him to reveal himself to the tramp when his wife briefly leaves the cottage. When she returns and flirts with Micheal Dara, the young man whom she had gone to meet, he triumphantly decries her and throws Nora and the tramp out of the house. Although he is initially angry with Micheal, he invites him to stay for a drink.
Atramp, who hopes to rest for a night and mend his clothing at the Burke home. He is the first to learn of Dan's trickery. He also encountered Micheal driving mountain ewes earlier in the day. Although he initially seems to comply with Dan's ruse, he defends Nora after her husband tries to oust her from the cottage. Having lost Dan as an ally, he offers to care for Nora when it is clear that both must leave the cottage.
Nora Burke, Dan's wife, who lives in his isolated cottage at the head of a long glen in County Wickham. Having married for her husband's possessions, the lonely younger woman longs for fulfillment in other respects and feels little sadness on the supposed passing of her cold husband. She warmly welcomes the tramp and Micheal when they arrive at the cottage. At the play's conclusion, she leaves the cottage with the tramp.
Micheal Dara, a young herder, a tall, innocent man who proposes to Nora soon after she invites him into the cottage and shows him her possessions. After Nora and the tramp leave, he shares a drink with Dan and toasts his health.