Riders to the Sea

-          John Millington Synge (1871-1909)

There are mainly four characters in this play. Maurya, an old woman, is the mother of Bartley, Cathleen and Nora. The plot of this play weaves the story of a tragic mother who loses all her six sons along with her husband and father-in-law. She has no weakness of her own. Yet, she has to suffer. Her stoic endurance of the misfortune brought about by the loss of all her sons is heroic and tragic. Her cry echoes the cries of all the poor and dispossessed ones who are destined to lose their relatives.

            There is a small cottage on the bank of the sea. In the kitchen of the cottage, Cathleen, 20, is making cake. Nora, Cathleen’s younger sister enters the kitchen. She has brought a bundle of a shirt and a stocking. She has hidden the bundle under her shawl. A priest gave the bundle to her. She has brought it to check whether the shirt and the stocking are Michael’s. He is her brother who has been lost in the sea for nine days. Both the sisters do not want to give any information about the bundle to their mother before they themselves are sure enough.

            When the sisters hear their mother’s noise in another room, they hide the bundle in the attic. Maurya, the mother, has lost her fifth son Michael. She has already lost her four sons to the sea. She is anxious not to lose her last son, Bartley. So, she wants to stop him anyway. The sea is also very rough because of the bad weather.

            Bartley doesn’t heed his mother’s request. He rides on a red mare. The grey pony follows the red mare. Maurya instantly loses all hope of seeing him again.

            Cathleen has forgotten to give the cake to Bartley. So, she sends her mother with it to give Bartley. As the mother has gone away, Cathleen and Nora open the bundle. They recognize Michael’s stocking and shirt. They cry. After a few moments, Maurya arrives and comes in. The daughters hide the bundle again and pretend to be in a normal condition. Maurya has not given the cake to Bartley.

            When Cathleen asks her why she did not give the cake to Bartley, Maurya says that she could not because she had a terrible sight. As she was about to give the cake to Bartley, she saw Michael riding on the grey pony following the red mare on which Bartley was. He was wearing fine clothes and new shoes. She could not say anything to Bartley nor could she give him the cake. So, she is sure that Bartley won’t return home alive.

            The daughters give the mother her son Michael’s belongings. She is not surprised to hear about Michael’s death. She says the planks brought to make Michael’s coffin will be used for making Bartley’s. Meanwhile, some women and men come to their house carrying something. It is Bartley’s body. He was knocked off a cliff into the sea by the grey pony. Maurya says that now there is nothing the sea can take from her. She laments that all her sons and husband were killed in the sea. She stops crying. She wishes for peaceful rest of every departed soul. She says no man at all can be living forever, and we must be satisfied. She expresses her deep sorrow but consoles herself.