The Playboy of the Western World

             Shawn represents an individual who seems to hide behind religious
             standards. This is illustrated when he says, "I'm afeard of Father Reilly;
             and what at all would the Holy Father and the Cardinals of Rome be saying
             if they heard I did the like of that'" (I.42-4). Pegeen Mike, is a
             beautiful, free-spirited girl with a lively nature who is Shawn's opposite.
             We can see how her point of view differs from Shawn's when she tells
             Christy he did nothing wrong and jokingly asks him, "Would you have me
             knock the head of you with the butt of the broom'" (I.100-1). Widow Quin,
             is a sharp-witted woman with less-than-desirable morals. We can get a
             glimpse of her character when she says to Pegeen, "Maybe all knows a widow
             woman has buried her children and destroyed her man is a wiser comrade for
             a young lad than a girl, the like of you, who'd go helter-skeltering after
             any man would let you a wink upon the road" (I.205-8). Using specific
             connotations, Synge engages us in great storytelling.
             However, the "star" of the play is Christy who arrives announcing that
             he has killed his father. Through Christy, Synge is able to demonstrate
             the curious nature of humankind. For instance, Christy claims that he is
             an orphaned traveler (I.97-8) who killed his father because he was a "dirty
             man" (I.107). Shawn accuses Christy of being "A bloody-handed murderer the
             like ofâ€" (130). From this act, Christy becomes a type of hero who is
             perceived as intelligent and very sexy to the females in the play. For
             example, Christy says, "Didn't I know rightly I was handsome, though it was
             the divil's own mirror we had beyond . . . the way I'll have a soft lovely
             skin on me and won't be the like of the clumsy young fellows do be
             ploughing all times in the earth and dung" (II.12-5). However, Christy's
             heroism is short lived when the crowd turns against him exclaiming that he
             is mad and to "Run ...

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