Absurdism in Irish Drama

When Ireland reached a point at which she could no longer fulfill the roles of nurturer or breadwinner for her people, numerous Irish writers turned to literature and theatre as the encouragement for Ireland's revival and revitalization. Even since the days of Swift's "A Modest Proposal" (until modern times with the works of Martin McDonagh), symbolism and absurdity have been useful tools used by these Irish writers to mold and influence the history and political climate of their land.

Whether influenced by Irish lore, Ireland's love of storytelling, or the determination and passion of the Irish people, there is always a lingering sense of the bizarre or unusual in most Irish literature, including its play righting. A sense of the absurd is an ever existing companion to Irish drama.

While Samuel Beckett and Martin McDonagh are world renown for their irony and absurdism, playwrights such as William Butler Yeats, George Bernard Shaw, and J. M. Synge incorporated certain absurd and symbolic elements into their plays in order to convey specific ideals to their audiences long before contemporary Irish playwrights came along. These earlier playwrights paved the way for political voice in Irish drama, which later morphed into a social and philosophical sharing of ideals. This foundation in drama created a chain reaction of influence in Irish drama.

Much like the majority of literary tools, absurd and symbolic elements in Irish drama stem from the desire to do three specific things; to convey some sort of message, to express or evoke certain emotions, or to introduce new concepts to an audience. These goals take root in late nineteenth century Irish drama, spurring on the chain reaction of influence in Irish theatre. This reaction began as early as 1902, with the performance and publication of William Butler Yeats' play, Cathleen ni Houlihan.