The Plays of WB Yeats: A Search for an Irish Identity

One of the foremost issues in Yeats and Lady Gregory's plays "Cathleen Ni Houlihan" and "The Pot of Broth" is that of an Irish identity. What does it mean to be Irish? How important is one's Irish-ness?

In "Cathleen Ni Houlihan" Ireland, the location, is given an actual physical identity that walks around, talks, and acts: the old wandering woman Cathleen Ni Houlihan. Throughout the play the old woman is constantly seen as a stranger whom noone recognizes. She is portrayed as being a widow with a deeply troubled past, and downtrodden. These characteristics seem to refer to Ireland's sordid and long history of constant invasion and oppression. She is, however, at the same time shown to be resolute despite being downtrodden, bold despite past troubles, and having throngs of loyal men despite being a widow. The seemingly inherent contradictions of the character traits of Cathleen Ni Houlihan are compounded by the final lines of the play, in which her physical appearance is revealed as a double as well: "Did you see an old woman going down the road? I did not, but I saw a young girl, and she had the walk of a queen." So, apparently Cathleen Ni Houlihan - and Ireland as well - is apparently both courted by many, and a widow; resolute and downtrodden; both old and young; homeless and a queen.

"Cathleen Ni Houlihan" didactically makes unambiguous commentary on contradiction in Irish society by making it abundantly clear that Cathleen Ni Houlihan is the personification of Ireland, and lends the play a serious tone by setting it on the eve of a doomed rebellion. "The Pot of Broth" ,however, relates the nature of duality in Irish legacy and identity through a more subtle approach of a fable-like comedy.

In "The Pot of Broth" there are many converse pairs sprinkled in the plot. On one side there is a very real belief in fairies and magic, but at the same time, strong Catholic faith. You have men that can turn themselves into hares and enchant stones, as well as priests that loom large in the community. Clever tricksters, and the earnestly convicted. Despite all of the contradictions "The Pot of Broth" remains a unified consistent story, and one that in some way rings true as purely Irish. Perhaps the play's Irish-ness in because of - rather than in spite of - these contradictions. Just as the Catholic celtic cross is as identifiably Irish as the pagan Tree of Life symbol, so are the priest and the fairy, cleverness and honesty, Catholicism and Pagan occultism.

In all this, what I think Yeats and Lady Gregory are saying about Irish identity, is that its messy, can't be clean-cut or told what to be. Catholic missionaries come in and try to convert Ireland to Catholicism, and are met with mixed results: the Irish people hold on to their pantheistic heritage. England tries to force the Anglican church into Ireland, and are met with resistance, Irish society can't simply be told what to be, how to define itself, at the direction of invaders and tyrants. "Cathleen Ni Houlihan" and "The Pot of Broth" reflect this sentiment by highlighting the contradictions and unlikely combinations that make up the character and culture of Ireland.