
The Playboy of the Western World
By J.M. Synge
1907
First Published
3.54
Average Rating
87
Number of Pages
The Playboy of the Western World is a play written by John M. Synge, first performed in 1907. The story is set in a small village on the west coast of Ireland and follows the character of Christy Mahon, a young man who arrives in the village claiming to have killed his father. Christy's story quickly spreads throughout the village and he becomes a hero to the locals, particularly to Pegeen Mike, the daughter of the local publican. However, when Christy's father shows up alive and well, the villagers turn against him and he is forced to flee. The play explores themes of identity, heroism, and the power of storytelling. It is considered a masterpiece of Irish literature and a classic of modern drama.He gave a drive with the scythe, and I gave a lep to the east. Then I turned around with my back to the north, and I hit a blow on the ridge of his skull, laid him stretched out, and he split to the knob of his gullet.This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.
Avg Rating
3.54
Number of Ratings
5,921
5 STARS
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4 STARS
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3 STARS
36%
2 STARS
11%
1 STARS
3%
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Author

J.M. Synge
Author · 17 books
Edmund John Millington Synge (pronounced /sɪŋ/) was an Irish playwright, poet, prose writer, and collector of folklore. He was one of the cofounders of the Abbey Theatre. He is best known for the play The Playboy of the Western World, which caused riots during its opening run at the Abbey theatre. Synge wrote many well known plays, including "Riders to the Sea", which is often considered to be his strongest literary work. Although he came from an Anglo-Irish background, Synge's writings are mainly concerned with the world of the Roman Catholic peasants of rural Ireland and with what he saw as the essential paganism of their world view.