Playboy Of The Western World: Discovering Reality
In order to counter the unreality of Ibsen and the bleakness of Chekhov, John M. Synge has chosen a seemingly unbelievable story to create 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 effective in showing 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 movie about their lack of finances, intelligence, or other virtues not usually associated with a so-called “lower” class. So in the same way that Ibsen shows us that the upper classes have troubles with life, Synge shows us that the peasant class loves life to its fullest through their zest for life.
On the surface, it may seem like ridiculing to talk about going to wakes and vomiting all over the coffins, or to have a killer as a
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