Award Date

1-1-2006

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Department

Theatre

First Committee Member

K. C. Davis

Number of Pages

54

Abstract

In this thesis I will explore the Gaelic mythos as it evolved in Irish drama throughout the twentieth century. I will begin by surveying postcolonial theories of imperialism's effect on culture, drawing comparisons to Ireland's reaction to colonialism. I will then discuss the Celtic Revival movement, as propagated by W. B. Yeats, Lady Augusta Gregory and John Millington Synge at the turn of the twentieth century. I will discuss this movement's use of Gaelic folklore and mythology through its drama; Next, I will consider this mythology's reception by later dramatists, represented by Sean O'Casey and Brian Friel. I will examine these playwrights' reaction to the ideologies of the Celtic Revival as revealed in their plays; After surveying the history of the Gaelic mythos, I will then investigate the drastic economic and social changes of the last few decades in Ireland. I will question whether the new "Celtic Tiger" Ireland still needs the mythos of the past; Finally, I will explicate contemporary works by Marina Carr and Martin McDonagh to determine these playwrights' attitudes toward the Gaelic mythos. I expect to find that these contemporary dramatists reject this system of beliefs as inadequate and dangerous for a people whose circumstances are very altered from those of their predecessors.

Keywords

Century; Drama; Evolution; Gaelic; Ireland; Mythos; Twentieth

Controlled Subject

Theater; British literature; English literature--Irish authors; Irish literature

File Format

pdf

File Size

1361.92 KB

Degree Grantor

University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Language

English

Permissions

If you are the rightful copyright holder of this dissertation or thesis and wish to have the full text removed from Digital Scholarship@UNLV, please submit a request to digitalscholarship@unlv.edu and include clear identification of the work, preferably with URL.

Rights

IN COPYRIGHT. For more information about this rights statement, please visit http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

Download


COinS