Tuesday, September 9, 2025

A Gist of Dr. Suresh Frederick’s article “Is The Playboy of the Western World a Celebration of Violence? A Critical Inquiry”

A gist of

Dr. Suresh Frederick’s article “Is The Playboy of the Western World a Celebration of Violence? A Critical Inquiry”:

Frederick Suresh. (2024), “Is the Playboy of The Western World A Celebration Of Violence? A Critical Inquiry”, International Journal of Communication, Languages & Literature, Peer-reviewed Journal. Volume 7, Issue 1, 2024. 08-23.

DOI : https://doi.org/10.53882/IJCLL.2024.0701002

https://arseam.com/paper?title=article_49527&issue_code=858146

Dr. Suresh Frederick’s article examines J.M. Synge’s The Playboy of the Western World (1907), a play that has long provoked controversy for its treatment of violence, particularly the supposed patricide committed by Christy Mahon. At first glance, the play appears to glorify violence: Christy gains admiration, especially from the women of the village, for claiming to have killed his father. The community celebrates him as a daring hero, reflecting an apparent cultural fascination with transgression and brutality.

However, the article argues that the play is more complex than a simple celebration of violence. Synge situates Christy’s story within the social and political backdrop of colonial Ireland, where oppression by British landlords and police had shaped Irish attitudes toward authority. The villagers’ admiration of Christy is not blind approval of murder, but a symbolic rejection of external authority and a longing for resistance. Violence here becomes a metaphor for freedom, identity, and defiance.

The paper explores three perspectives. First, violence is romanticized: Christy’s tale grows more exaggerated, and the villagers elevate him to heroic status. Second, violence is enabled by societal norms: the community’s acceptance of Christy reveals how cultural narratives can legitimize aggression. Third, violence is critiqued: as Christy’s reality unravels and his cowardice is exposed, the earlier glorification collapses, forcing both characters and audiences to confront the dangers of equating heroism with brutality.

Frederick also highlights Synge’s theatrical techniques, poetic dialogue, irony, humour, and myth-making, which transform violence into both spectacle and critique. Violence is shown not only as an act but also as a cultural construct shaped by language and storytelling.

Ultimately, the article concludes that The Playboy of the Western World resists simplistic interpretation. While it undeniably depicts the allure of violence, it simultaneously exposes its emptiness and moral risks. Synge uses Christy’s transformation to interrogate ideas of masculinity, heroism, and Irish identity under colonial rule. Far from a straightforward glorification, the play compels audiences to reflect on the cultural forces that normalize violence and to question the thin line between admiration and condemnation.

Student Hand-out

Is The Playboy of the Western World a Celebration of Violence?
Based on Dr. Suresh Frederick’s Critical Inquiry

Key Themes

· Violence as Heroism

o Christy Mahon becomes a “hero” after claiming he killed his father.

o Villagers admire him instead of condemning him → shows fascination with transgression.

· Colonial Context

o Ireland under British rule → mistrust of police/authority.

o Villagers’ support for Christy = symbolic resistance to colonial oppression.

· Three Views of Violence in the Play

1. Glorification – Christy’s tale is celebrated and even romanticized.

2. Enabling – Society encourages aggression by rewarding Christy’s “crime”.

3. Critique – Christy’s cowardice is exposed, undermining earlier praise of violence.

· Role of Theatre & Language

o Christy’s speeches grow more poetic → violence becomes “mythologized”.

o Humour and irony reveal the absurdity of admiring brutality.

Characters & Violence

· Christy Mahon – From timid fugitive to admired “hero,” but ultimately revealed as weak.

· Pegeen Mike – First attracted to Christy’s boldness, later disillusioned.

· Villagers – Not passive; they actively create a culture that praises violence.

Key Quotes

· “From the beginning of the play violence has been accepted not only as normal but admirable.” – Nicolas Grene

· “They are thrilled to learn that the stranger has committed the daring crime of parricide.” – Beirne & O’Donnell

· “They treat their character at first as a kind of neutral mirror upon which to project their own fears – fears of bailiffs and police.” – Mary C. King

· “Synge saw… a striking contrast with honoured law of the heroic world of Early Irish Tale.” – Toni O’Brien Johnson