Hiberno-English and beyond in J.M. Synge's The Playboy of the Western World A Literary Linguistic Analysis of its Dramatic Significance
AAA-ARBEITEN AUS ANGLISTIK UND AMERIKANISTIK, vol.40, no.1-2, pp.105-125, 2015 (AHCI, Scopus)
- Publication Type: Article / Article
- Volume: 40 Issue: 1-2
- Publication Date: 2015
- Journal Name: AAA-ARBEITEN AUS ANGLISTIK UND AMERIKANISTIK
- Journal Indexes: Arts and Humanities Citation Index (AHCI), Scopus
- Page Numbers: pp.105-125
- Akdeniz University Affiliated: Yes
Abstract
The Hiberno-English employed by J.M. Synge in The Playboy of the Western World has been the source of controversy ever since the Play's premiere at the Abbey Theatre, Dublin in 1907. While its very linguistic hybridity between Irish and English was not deemed by all literary nationalists at the time to be a suitable medium for the expression of a newly emerging Irish cultural identity, the main protagonist of the play, Christy Mahon, nonetheless transforms his own personal identity through his skilful manipulation of the very same language. This paper, by means of a close interpretation of the play's development, aims to show that the hybrid Hiberno-English indeed functions as a language of liberation. It will provide a detailed literary 'linguistic analysis of the different levels of dramatic meaning expressed by Synge's language as code and text, demonstrating how 'primary text' (i.e. dialogue) and 'secondary text' (i.e. stage directions) work in tandem to effect the characterisation of Christy.