Riders to the Sea Summary

 

Riders to the Sea

 

Poet Introduction:

Riders to the Sea was written by John Millington Synge. John Millington Synge was a famous dramatist in the modern period. He was born in Ireland in 1871. He died in 1909 at the age of 37 in Ireland. His famous works are Riders to the Sea, The Playboy of the Western World, The Shadow of the Glen, The Well of the Saints, etc.

 

Lesson Introduction:

Riders to the Sea is a play written by Irish dramatist John Millington Synge. It is a one-act play. It is full of tragedy. It deals with a slice instead of an entire life. It has unities of time, place, and action. It has no sub-plot. It was first performed on 25 February 1904 at Molesworth Hall in Dublin.

 

Characters:

• Maurya
• Cathleen
• Nora
• Bartley
• Michael

 

Summary:

"Riders to the Sea" is one of the best plays of John Millington Synge. The main character of this play is Maurya. She was a widow and the mother of eight children. Maurya's five sons and husband drowned in the sea. At the beginning of the play, Maurya's daughters Cathleen and Nora, hear that their 5th brother Michael's dead body is lying on the beach. In the middle of the play, their younger brother Bartley prepares to cross the sea to sell the horse. But Maurya requests Bartley not to go. Bartley doesn't listen to Maurya. Maurya prophesies that the sea will take away his last son too. At the last part of the play, the villagers return village with Bartley's body from the sea.

Key Information:

• John Millington Synge (Writer)
• One-act play (Type of play)
• Tragedy (Type of play)
• Maurya (Main character)
• 25 February 1904 (First performed)