The Playboy of the Western World Questions and Answers
by J. M. Synge

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• The Playboy of the Western World
  Discuss the farcical elements in The Playboy of Western World.
  The Playboy of the Western World is a three-act comedy by Irish playwright J. M. Synge that made its debut in 1907 and has been called “a masterpiece of the literary Irish Renaissance.” With clever...

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• The Playboy of the Western World
  In The Playboy of the Western World and Juno and the Paycock both Synge and O'Casey don't uphold the doctrines of the simple peasant Irish man. They portray both Christy and Juno as undergoing total transformations. Elaborate on these changes of...
  The character of Christy Mahon in J. M. Synge’s The Playboy of the Western World grows substantially; however, in many ways, the young man’s development occurs despite rather than because of his...

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• The Playboy of the Western World
  Justify the title of the play The Playboy of the Western World.
  The playwright uses this title to speak to the mythos that is created around Christy as he interacts and forms relationships with the peasant population of the island to the west of Ireland....

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• The Playboy of the Western World
  What does the following passage from The Playboy of the Western World by Synge mean?: I hit a blow on the ridge of his skull, laid him stretched out, and he split to the knob of his gullet.
  This passage occurs in Act II of J.M. Synge's The Playboy of the Western World. More specifically, it comes from the portion of Act II in which Christy tells the story of the time when he murdered...

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• The Playboy of the Western World
  Explain Widow Quin as a counter weight character in Synge's The Playboy of the Western World.
  A counter weight character is one who balances the extremes of a major character. An example is Enkidu as a counter weight character to Gilgamesh in The Epic of Gilgamesh. By himself, Gilgamesh is...

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• The Playboy of the Western World
  What is the relevance of The Playboy of the Western World by J. M. Synge to present times?
  The Playboy of the Western World by J. M. Synge describes the rise and fall of the reputation of Christy, the "playboy" of the title. He is initially admired because he claims to have killed his...

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• The Playboy of the Western World
  Why does Christy Mahon in The Playboy of the Western World by J. M. Synge tell strangers that he killed his father?
  In The Playboy of the Western World by J. M. Synge, when Christy Mahon initially appears, he is exhausted, confused, and terrified of being arrested. He is not thinking particularly clearly, and...

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• The Playboy of the Western World
  What kind of social and religious background does J.M.Synge try to show us in his play The Playboy of the Western World?
  In writing THE PLAYBOY OF THE WESTERN WORLD, as in my other plays, I have used one or two words only that I have not heard among the country people of Ireland, or spoken in my own nursery before I...

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• The Playboy of the Western World
   Explain Realism in J. M. Synge's The Playboy of the Western World.
  J. M. Synge's The Playboy of the Western World has several realistic elements. Most importantly, it debunks the idealization and mythic qualities of the "western world" promulgated by the Celtic...

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• The Playboy of the Western World
  Are the real themes of The Playboy of the Western World love and marriage, not patricide?
  It seems a little difficult to think of patricide as the real theme since Synge's play is a humorous satire meant to evoke laughter. While patricide is a common theme in tragedy, (e.g., Oedipus...

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• The Playboy of the Western World
  Why is The Playboy of the Western World considered a modern play?
  J.M. Synge's The Playboy of the Western World is often considered a modern play because of it's representation of the rural Irish peasantry. Rather than depicting the rural Irish population as...

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• The Playboy of the Western World
  What is the main source of irony in J. M. Synge's The Playboy of the Western World? 
  The main theme of the play that lends it a potent sense of irony is the sense of drama and import of the title as it pertains to the world of the play. The idea that there is a singular "playboy"...

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• The Playboy of the Western World
  What is the central theme of the Playboy of the Western World by Synge? Is it patricide or development of main character or something else?
  Numerous ideas are raised and treated in Synge's The Playboy of the Western World. In complex literature, there often isn't one theme that dominates over others. That's probably the case here. The...

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• The Playboy of the Western World
  How does Christy develop from a weakling into hero in The Playboy of the Western World?
  This play is, on one level, a sociological/psychological examination of the phenomenon of "reputation," often based on hearsay and exaggeration rather than fact. Christy's public profile, based on...

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• The Playboy of the Western World
  Discuss how Synge's use's tragedy and comedy in this play to show how complex human beings are.
  In J.M. Synge's uses of tragedy and comedy in Playboy of the Western World, we are able to see the essence of the human condition: tragically we lose sight of what is acceptable by social (and even...

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• The Playboy of the Western World
  Could you explain the theme of patricide in J. M. Synge's The Playboy of the Western World?
  The patricide theme in J. M. Synge's The Playboy of the Western World is based on the plot incident in which Christy Mahon thinks he has killed his father. On a plot level, it is this belief that...

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• The Playboy of the Western World
  Describe the dialogue in J.M. Synge's The Playboy of the Western World?
  The dialogue of J.M. Synge's The Playboy of the Western World is important to the play because of its root in realism. Realist writers wished to show the world as it really was. They tended to act...

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• The Playboy of the Western World
  What are the themes in The Playboy of the Western World by J. M. Synge?
  There are several different themes in The Playboy of the Western World by J. M. Synge. The first is gender relationships. The women in the play appear in some ways to be stronger than the men, and...

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• The Playboy of the Western World
  What is the significance of Synge's title, The Playboy of the Western World?
  At the end of the play, Pegeen bemoans the loss of her paramour by saying "I've lost him surely! I've lost the only playboy of the Western World!" In saying this she seems to believe her situation...

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• The Playboy of the Western World
  What is the significance of Synge's title, The Playboy of the Western World?
  Concerning J. M. Synge's The Playboy of the Western World, the "Western" part of the title refers to the West of Ireland. The play stems from a story or stories Synge heard while on the Aran...

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• The Playboy of the Western World
  Explain some symbolism in The Playboy of the Western World by J. M. Synge.
  While some find many instances of symbolism is Synge's play, from the bed symbolizing the concept of marriage in Mayo to marriage itself symbolizing confinement to Mayo village life, it may be...

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• The Playboy of the Western World
  Explain the social conventions theme in J. M. Synge's The Playboy of the Western World.
  Social conventions are a significant thematic concern in J. M. Synge's The Playboy of the Western World. One way this can be seen is in the 'herd mentality' of the village. When one person is...

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• The Playboy of the Western World
  Discuss the plot of The Playboy of the Western World.
  This play combines at least three themes and plot lines: One one level, it is a comical romance, a rivalry between the widow Quin and the young girl, Pegeen. As such, it is simply a domestic...

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• The Playboy of the Western World
  Discuss J.M. Synge's The Playboy of the Western World as a dark comedy.
  A comedy is any dramatic presentation where “tragedy is avoided.” There are many subgenres: farce, romantic comedy, satire, social comedy, etc. etc. “Dark” comedy refers to those stories that do...

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• The Playboy of the Western World
  Describe the stage directions from J. M. Synge's The Playboy of the Western World.
  The most important thing about the stage directions of J.M. Synge's The Playboy of the Western World lies in the dialogue cues. While the typical stage directions are found, describing the set of...

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• The Playboy of the Western World
  Describe the relationship between Pegeen and her father, Michael James.
  Pegeen and her father have very different temperments; Michael James is easy going and fun loving while Pegeen is fiery and strong willed. While Michael James welcomes patrons to his pub, it is...

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• The Playboy of the Western World
  Comment on the theme of fantasy versus reality in John Synge's play, The Playboy of the Western World.
  This theme is closely related to those of myth making and imagination. Synge says in the Preface to The Playboy of the Western World, "In Ireland ... we have a popular imagination that is fiery and...

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• The Playboy of the Western World
  In The Playboy of the Western World by J. M. Synge, did Christy's father have a good reason for being cranky with his son?
  In The Playboy of the Western World by J. M. Synge, the first indication we get of the relationship between Christy and Old Mahon is that Christy thinks he killed his father and is proud of the...

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• The Playboy of the Western World
  What is the relevance of The Playboy of the Western World in present times?
  The best way of answering this question is to think about the themes of this excellent play and to consider if any of them are still relevant to today's society given the fact that society has...

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• The Playboy of the Western World
  Why was J. M. Synge's The Playboy of the Western World badly received when it was first performed?  
  The initial production of J. M. Synge`s play The Playboy of the Western World was extremely badly received, causing riots in the theatre, and remained quite controversial for several years. In...

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• The Playboy of the Western World
  What is the relevance of The Playboy of the Western World in present times?
  Despite its very specific localized mise-en-scene in rural, agricultural western Ireland, and despite its age (1911), this play still speaks to at least three universal and contemporary themes: the...

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• The Playboy of the Western World
  Why did J. M. Synge write The Playboy of the Western World?
  To a certain degree, asking why J. M. Synge wrote The Playboy of the Western World presumes that we can somehow have access to his innermost thoughts and motivations; that is not actually possible....

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• The Playboy of the Western World
  How did the play offend the Abbey Theatre audience to the extent of causing the "playboy riots"? Was the production itself partially responsible?
  'The play 'The Playboy Of The Western World' was not the only play to cause offence and deep anger in Ireland at the time. The new modernism in literature throughout society as a whole led to more...

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• The Playboy of the Western World
  What are the themes for The Playboy of the Western World?
  One of the themes in Playboy of The Western World by J M Synge is rebellion, although this doesn't seem obvious at first as we see the characters carefully following church dictates - particularly...

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• The Playboy of the Western World
  Why does The Playboy of the Western World appeal to readers?
  In 'The Playboy of the Western World' by J.M. Synge, the author presents a colourful tale that is honest and realistic. Although many Irish audiences were offended by the stark offerings in the...

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• The Playboy of the Western World
  What are the main theme of The Playboy of the Western World?
  I would say the main theme of The Playboy of the Western World is rebellion. Shawn's reluctance to be alone with Pegeen and the fact that he waits for approval of the Vatican make him seem...

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• The Playboy of the Western World
  Discuss the nature of tragedy in The Playboy of the Western World.
  There may be a good reason you're having trouble figuring out the tragic nature of Synge's The Playboy of the Western World: it isn't a tragedy. The play deals with conformity and rebellion, with...

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• The Playboy of the Western World
  Compare the male and female characters in J. M. Synge's The Playboy of the Western World.
  In J. M. Synge's The Playboy of the Western World, both male and female characters are interested strongly in marriage; sexuality appears in the play mainly as a dive towards getting married rather...

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• The Playboy of the Western World
  Why does Christy go home with his father instead of remaining and marrying Pegeen in The Playboy of the Western World by J. M. Synge?
  In The Playboy of the Western World by J. M. Synge, the reason that Christy Mahon returns home with is father is that he really doesn't have much choice about the matter. When the town realizes...

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• The Playboy of the Western World
  What is the importace of Act 1 in The Playboy of the Western World?
  It would be easier for editors if students did not change questions after posting them.

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• The Playboy of the Western World
  Why does the playboy appeal to readers of The Playboy of the Western World?
  First, Christy Mahon in Synge's The Playboy of the Western World hasn't always appealed to audiences. The play caused riots when it was originally produced because it was thought to be too vulgar,...

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• The Playboy of the Western World
  Shawn Keough appears to have no commendable qualities—no wit, no talent, no courage. Does he have anything in common with Christy Mahon?
  In The Playboy of the Western World by J. M. Synge, Christy Mahon and Shawn Keogh are both portraits of Irish stereotypes, with Shawn being the pious coward, subordinated to the church and Christy...

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• The Playboy of the Western World
  By analysis, give a critical comment on the theme of fantasy versus reality in John M. Synge's play, The Playboy of the Western World.
  "Fantasy" is a strong word to use in relation to a play noted for its realism (not originally favorably noted, either). One definition of "fantasy" is: "imagination unrestricted by reality"...

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• The Playboy of the Western World
  Why does the Playboy appeal to you?
  I had a favorite class in college that included work by J.M. Synge and his relatively straightforward presentation of his characters was probably one of my favorite things about his style. The...

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• The Playboy of the Western World
  Why does the playboy in Synge's Playboy of the Western World appeal to us?
  I don't think the playboy, Christy Mahon, in Synge's Playboy of the Western World does appeal to "us." At least not by the conclusion of the play. But I also don't think that is the issue you're...

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• The Playboy of the Western World
  What accounts for Old Mahon's acceptance of his son at the end of The Playboy of the Western World by J. M. Synge,?
  In The Playboy of the Western World by J. M. Synge, the relationship between Old Mahon and his son Christy Mahon is one that we would now describe as abusive, and possibly based on alcoholism and...

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• The Playboy of the Western World
  Discuss the relevance of "the Playboy" today in the drama The Playboy of the Western World written by J.M.Synge.
  Well i think that the words have different meanings from different times. When the villagers call Christy, "the playboy of the western world" they were championing him for his bravery in killing...

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• The Playboy of the Western World
  What is the relevance of playboy in the present times?
  The center of the story is the community reaction -- how the small community seeks and (putatively) finds a hero, and how atificial their criteria for heroism are -- the love story is the...

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• The Playboy of the Western World
  Why does Pegeen refer to Christy as the only playboy of the western world?
  First of all, let us define the meaning of the word "playboy" in this context. In contemporary terms, a playboy is a wealthy and privileged man who spends time enjoying life, and he is often...

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• The Playboy of the Western World
  There is a thin line between tragedy and comedy. In the light of this statement comment on "The Playboy of the Western World".
  The thinness of the line between tragedy and comedy can be seen in relation to "The Playboy of the Western World" in several ways. First, if you had to reduce the definitions to the most...

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