ENGLISH LITERATURE (CBSE/UGC NET)

Detailed explanation-1: -Riders to the Sea, one-act play by John Millington Synge, published in 1903 and produced in 1904. Riders to the Sea is set in the Aran Islands off the west coast of Ireland and is based on a tale Synge heard there. It won critical acclaim as one of dramatic literature’s greatest one-act plays.

Detailed explanation-2: -While on the Aran island of Inishmaan, Synge heard the story of a man from Inishmaan whose body washed up on the shore of an island of County Donegal, which inspired Riders to the Sea. Riders to the Sea is written in the Hiberno-English dialect of the Aran Islands.

Detailed explanation-3: -It focuses on the grieving Irishwoman Maurya, who has lost her husband and five of her sons to the sea. When she gets word that one of her sons’ bodies may have been found, it sets into motion a chain of events that lead to further tragedy for the old widow and her surviving children.

Detailed explanation-4: -The play has for its theme, The Sea, Catholicism Vs Paganism, Tradition Vs Modernity, Gender Roles and Human Stoicism and the role of Fate. „Riders to the Sea‟ though a realistic play has touches of supernatural elements that go to heighten the tragic effect of the play.