Playboy Of The Western World: Discovering Reality Essay -- essays rese

In order to counter the unreality of Ibsen and the hopelessness of Chekhov, John M. Synge has chosen a seemingly unbelievable story to make his realist masterpiece, The Playboy of the Western World. Its realism comes from two unlikely sources joy and a far-fetched tale. Yet, as Synge identifies himself in the preface, these elements in combination are extremely useful in masking the life of the peasantry more so than any bleak or so-called "real" story (in the manner of Ibsen) could.The problem with showing the peasant class in a bleak manner is that, by virtue of their position, the audience knows their life is bleak in terms of money. By featuring a peasant class, it would be redundant to make a ikon about their lack of finances, intelligence, or other virtues not usual...