The Irish literary revival aims to promote a national consciousness, leaving behind recurring English stereotypes of Ireland and striving for new beginnings with a free Irish state. Ireland has often been subject to two tropes. The first was the hateful "Stage-Irishman", depicted as a cowardly drunk, and the second was the sweet, passive woman. Ireland, historically attributed to this female image, was prevalent due to its Celtic mythology, occult past, and goddess symbolism. Revivalists took these images and reinvented them to suit a budding nation that needed to rediscover its identity after centuries of colonialism. These figures transformed the cowardly Irishman into a young soldier or artist, ready to fight for his country, and the weak woman into a powerful maternal figure reminiscent of ancient Irish traditions, personifying Ireland as a homeland. Cathleen Ni Houlihan, the most famous work with patriotic themes of the literary revival, was written by WB Yeats and Lady Gregory. They promoted the embodiment of Ireland, as a fragile woman after her "four green fields" were usurped and lured a young man into sacrificing his life to recover them for her. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay This was later an important inspiration for the Easter Rising of 1916, in which there were huge casualties. Years later, writers such as Dorothy MacArdle would not only blame this theme of representing Ireland as a woman, but would also leave her voice to be interpreted by men. In her 1924 short story "The Portrait of Rosin Dhu", she writes a gothic piece about this tradition and its implications in gender roles, confusing nationalist identity and perhaps being overtly accusatory of Yeats's character. It is therefore interesting to examine how this powerful emblem somehow managed to contradict its initial ambition, which had empirical repercussions for the women who took part in this Cultural Awakening. This goes back to the idea of ​​idealistic men elevating these ideals beyond the point of comprehension, therefore killing their meaning, their beauty, and leaving real women to be cast aside in a revolution they have earned their share in. A recurring theme in Irish nationalist culture: The Case of Cathleen Ni Houlihan. The historical narratives and themes Set during the 1798 rebellion, Cathleen Ni Houlihan is a play about a young Michael, just days before his wedding to Delia, who becomes enchanted by an old woman, later revealed as the legendary Cathleen Ni Houlihan. , a personification of Ireland. The short act takes place in Michael's family home, where he has just brought the dowry back to his parents. This literal bag of coins is centered on the stage, which is soon physically replaced by the Old Woman, symbolizing her transcendent presence over materialism. This manifestation of Ireland as a woman has long been a tradition in Irish literature, and this particular incarnation seems to encompass some recurring myths. The goddess of sovereignty, representing the power of the Kingdom, would present herself as a witch to the rightful king, and seduce him into mating, ending with her transformation into a beautiful young woman. It is never said whether the Old Woman transforms into a "beautiful one", but it is mentioned that the young girl had "the walk of a queen", further referring to the Myth of Sovereignty. There is also a strong influence with the poetic tradition of Aisling, in which a poet meets a young woman through adream or vision. It declares itself as Ireland, with many names such as Cathleen Ni Houlihan or Roisin Dhu, awaiting the imminent return of the rightful king. The final lore influencing this play would be the Morrigan, the goddess of war, a transformative entity capable of psychologically influencing armies, just as the Crone seems to touch something indefinable in Michael, which leads him to follow her out the door, ready to lose their lives in his name. lovers, she is completely desexualized. This version of Ireland is not described by her physical appearance, but her aura and way of speaking reveal an ethereal quality to her character. Once the sexual aspect of the woman is removed, she becomes a mother, since female chastity guarantees the purity of the blood of her offspring. This role of mother deserves to be protected and for which men who are fit and capable have a duty to fight. This Ireland is crippled by colonialism and longs for its freedom, which conveys this message of revolt to the public. The woman alludes to this when she says: "If someone wants to give me help, he must give me himself, he must give me everything." In her analysis of the play's aesthetics and its implications for Irish nationalist culture, Marion Quirci writes "The characters are seen through the fog of a hundred years of Irish history." One could see how the characters are all the product of generations of decline in what nationalists consider true Irishness, further forcing audiences to arouse resentment and, perhaps, more dangerously, to associate the Revival movement with a history of violence on the name of Mother. Ireland. The figure of Mother Ireland not only legitimizes the Patriarchy which marginalizes the other female figures on stage, Bridget and Delia, but promotes this cult of the Virgin Mary, effectively politicizing motherhood. This trapped the women of this revival into a single role. The Implications of Maud Gonne's Performance On the opening night of the show, April 2, 1902, it was an immediate success, due largely to the fact that Maud Gonne, a nationalist darling, and this casting holds much weight in the hearts of the growing patriotic audience . Gonne, a well-known Irish woman outspoken against British imperialism, becomes herself, a strong embodiment of a free state for Ireland. Known for her oratory and stage presence, she accepted the role, on the condition that she could have some creative input, and her most touching contribution to the plot is the decision to have Michael make his decision on stage and follow her out the door . Yeats and Gregory would have wanted him to be torn between the choice of staying with his family or following Cathleen to a probable death. This decision is truly powerful, as the audience also finds themselves leaving the theater immediately after this crucial scene, mirroring Michael's own action, thus planting the seeds of revolution in their minds. Furthermore, the fact that Maud Gonne is dressed as a witch on stage, but transforms into a young woman with the walk of a queen off stage, is also a suggestive image that the audience walks away with, as she was known for her beauty . . However, she embodies this desexualized figure, having the effect of empowering women with the potential for female activism through the core identity of an Irish woman, which has largely been attributed to motherhood. This denial of female desire, or engaged female activism, may have inflicted the legacy of the many women who took active part in the Awakening. Gonne blurs the lines between symbolic ideals and reality. WB Yeats's Lady Gregory Overclouded Cathleen Ni Houlihan had long been known to be Yeats's most successful work, a claim he never took the time to clarify.After the Easter Rising of 1916, in which many revolutionaries credited the work with its inspiration, Yeats wrote "Did that play of mine send out / Some men shot by the English?", taking full responsibility for the work's impact, even though the The opera's very premise was based on a legend he had heard on his estate. Lady Gregory refused to make any demands so as not to deny Yeats, her lifelong friend, his most popular success. However, recent historical findings have made it clear that Gregory was responsible for writing the majority of the lines, particularly the entire family dialogue, and some suggest that he had a hand in the Old Woman's lines as well. Yeats, responsible for Cathleen's otherworldly lines, attributed the play's success to the dynamic between high art (ethereal language) and low art (empirical action). Not only is this a condescending way of belittling Gregory's considerable contribution to the piece, it denies that the family's realistic dialogue is what the audience most connects with. Lady Gregory's lack of reaction to this suggests how her role in this revival is complementary to this image promotion. She embodies the role, ironically written by Yeats as an homage to Maud Gonne, of Cathleen in a more distinguishable way. She is already in some ways a surrogate mother figure for Yeats, but she also serves Ireland for reasons beyond individual practical benefits. He dedicated his life to the Abbey, a cultural center of the revivalist movement, fundraising, directing, writing, etc. Her political views could also be considered rather patriarchal in essence, considering she did not speak out against Yeats for taking all the credit for their collaborative piece, possibly highlighting his traditional views on gender roles. She did not have much in common with other leading female Revival figures such as Gonne or the Gore-Booth sisters, and did not support women's suffrage. She was much older when she began to engage in politics, thus attributing her public persona to a calm, sexless matron of Irish culture, even though her life was by no means chaste or her beliefs weak. "The Portrait of Roisin Dhu": An Icarian Cautionary Tale. A response to the status quo Many writers criticized Yeats for his attachment to unattainable ideals, and many found Cathleen Ni Houlihan incredibly troubling, especially after the Easter riots of 1916. Dorothy MacArdle, Gothic writer and member of the Cumann mBan, writes " The Portrait of Roisin Dhu" in 1924. The story is about the dangers of the Revival practice of having symbolic, passive women, while the man gives her voice. MacArdle, a prolific Revival writer, was among the many women writers left out of the narrative for much of the century. The narrative follows Maeve, a young woman who helps her gloomy cousin Hugo Blake, a painter trying to find inspiration. He decides to paint a portrait of Roisin Dhu, and sets off to search for her. He returns with the delicate Nuala, a princess from the Western Isles. As Hugo begins to paint her, Maeve notices that she gradually begins to suffer emotionally and physically, but Hugo claims that he is making her even more sublime than she ever could have actually been. Over the course of a few months, Nuala slowly decays, leaving only a shell of her former self. Once the painting is completed, he collapses and dies. This plays on the premise of Edgar Allen Poe's “Oval Portrait” with the Irish tradition of representing Ireland as a woman. When Hugo realizes his actions, he is horrified. It is implied that he commits suicide by drowning in the lake. Hyper-masculine versus hyper-feminine. MacArdle skillfully writes a thinly veiled critique of this recurring theme of representationof Ireland as a woman, particularly prevalent in male nationalist writings, and even more explicitly towards Yeats. Hugo Blake, a Yeats-like artist, described as “passionate and solitary,” strives to elevate a human being to exaggerated heights to the point of killing him. The obsession with focusing on unattainable dreams are expectations that are impossible to meet and ultimately destroys the very idea that they are worth fighting for. Hugo believes he is doing the world a favor by capturing this otherworldly beauty, yet his relentless dissatisfaction causes him to lose track of what made Nuala beautiful in the first place, echoing this idea that men are so captivated by this ideal to the point of dying for it . The story also focuses on the two women and juxtaposes them as symbolic and reality tropes. Nuala is the symbol of Ireland, the ideal free state for which the nationalists fought. Its raison d'etre is to strengthen national identity. Her passive, voiceless nature is problematic, as all she will ever be known for will be through one man's single-minded perception. Hugo finds the idea of ​​marrying Roisin Dhu “[…] a scandalous question […]”, desexualizing her, leaving her maternal aspect transparent. MacArdle opposes both women as both sides of the female nationalist coin. Maeve claims to be aware of Nuala's deteriorating state, however does not attempt to intervene. It could therefore be implied that Maeve left Nuala to die out of a mistaken sense of femininity's political beliefs that outweigh the strong need for female alliances. Both women, both in spirit and in reality, are sacrificed to nurture a timeless symbol. The black rose: a confusing symbol Nuala is described as "so delicate and so remote", and then Hugo says "By these red lips, with all sorrow pride", evoking Yeats's poem "The Rose of the World", dedicated to Maud Skirts. It is significant that she chooses to mention this poem, as it highlights an inconsistency in Yeats's work. Roisin Dhu is a black rose, a flower that exists only in the imagination. When Yeats writes the poem, the rose does not represent any woman, but Maud Gonne, a nationalist activist who has embodied this role of Ireland over the years, especially after playing Cathleen Ni Houlihan. Not only has he attributed this surreal quality to a real woman, Gonne does not truly fit the figure of a desexualized mother as he is in love with her. He regularly attributes this romantic undertone to the image of Ireland, which leads one to wonder whether his nationalist work is a labor of blind love to conquer this indomitable spirit. As can be observed, the image of the Virgin Mother is a strong component of Ireland's identity, especially during the Revival where there was an active movement to define Irishness. It is a powerful emblem of public ideology, yet it becomes quite clear that this has caused empirical collateral damage. Dorothy MacArdle manages to shed light on the issues promoted by Gregory's Yeats and Cathleen Ni Houlihan. The female presence has dissolved into an idea of ​​virtual femininity, but it has also had real and even violent repercussions. They often talk about the victims of the rebellion and demonstrate how a patriotic work could have led young people to be willing to give their lives for Ireland. It is also significant to mention how these patriarchal notions have repeatedly belittled women activists. A particularly interesting example is Yeats's “In Memory of Eva Gore-Booth and Con Markievicz,” which is empirical evidence of his disappointment with women's involvement in nationalist causes, believing that they lost their beauty once they became outspoken. Constance Markievicz, one of the sisters they have,. 74-93)