The Playboy of the Western World by J. M. Synge (best novels for students .TXT) 📕

CHRISTY — [with horror in his voice.] — And it’s yourself will send me off, to have a horny-fingered hangman hitching his bloody slip-knots at the butt of my ear.

MEN — [pulling rope.] — Come on, will you? [He is pulled down on the floor.]

CHRISTY — [twisting his legs round the table.] — Cut the rope, Pegeen, and I’ll quit the lot of you, and live from this out, like the madmen of Keel, eating muck and green weeds, on the faces of the cliffs.

PEGEEN. And leave us to hang, is it, for a saucy liar, the like of you? (To men.) Take him on, out from this.

SHAWN. Pull a twist on his neck, and squeeze him so.

PHILLY. Twist yourself. Sure he cannot hurt you, if you keep your distance from his teeth alone.

SHAWN. I’m afeard of him. (To Pegeen.) Lift a lighted sod, will you, and scorch his leg.

PEGEEN — [blowing the fire, with a bellows.] Leave go now, young fellow, or I’ll scorch your shins.

CHRISTY. You’re blowing for to torture me (His voice rising and growing stronger.) That’s your kind, is it? Then let the lot of you be wary, for, if I’ve to face the gallows, I’ll have a gay march down, I tell you, and shed the blood of some of you before I die.

SHAWN — [in terror.] — Keep a good hold, Philly. Be wary, for the love of God. For I’m thinking he would liefest wreak his pains on me.

CHRISTY — [almost gaily.] — If I do lay my hands on you, it’s the way you’ll be at the fall of night, hanging as a scarecrow for the fowls of hell. Ah, you’ll have a gallous jaunt I’m saying, coaching out through Limbo with my father’s ghost.

SHAWN — [to Pegeen.] — Make haste, will you? Oh, isn’t he a holy terror, and isn’t it true for Father Reilly, that all drink’s a curse that has the lot of you so shaky and uncertain now?

CHRISTY. If I can wring a neck among you, I’ll have a royal judgment looking on the trembling jury in the courts of law. And won’t there be crying out in Mayo the day I’m stretched upon the rope with ladies in their silks and satins snivelling in their lacy kerchiefs, and they rhyming songs and ballads on the terror of my fate? [He squirms round on the floor and bitesShawn’s leg.]

SHAWN — [shrieking.] My leg’s bit on me. He’s the like of a mad dog, I’m thinking, the way that I will surely die.

CHRISTY — [delighted with himself.] — You will then, the way you can shake out hell’s flags of welcome for my coming in two weeks or three, for I’m thinking Satan hasn’t many have killed their da in Kerry, and in Mayo too. [Old Mahon comes in behind on all fours and looks on unnoticed.]

MEN — [to Pegeen.] — Bring the sod, will you?

PEGEEN [coming over.] — God help him so. (Burns his leg.)

CHRISTY — [kicking and screaming.] — O, glory be to God! [He kicks loose from the table, and they all drag him towards the door.]

JIMMY — [seeing old Mahon.] — Will you look what’s come in? [They all drop Christy and run left.]

CHRISTY — [scrambling on his knees face to face with old Mahon.] — Are you coming to be killed a third time, or what ails you now?

MAHON. For what is it they have you tied?

CHRISTY. They’re taking me to the peelers to have me hanged for slaying you.

MICHAEL — [apologetically.] It is the will of God that all should guard their little cabins from the treachery of law, and what would my daughter be doing if I was ruined or was hanged itself?

MAHON — [grimly, loosening Christy.] — It’s little I care if you put a bag on her back, and went picking cockles till the hour of death; but my son and myself will be going our own way, and we’ll have great times from this out telling stories of the villainy of Mayo, and the fools is here. (To Christy, who is freed.) Come on now.

CHRISTY. Go with you, is it? I will then, like a gallant captain with his heathen slave. Go on now and I’ll see you from this day stewing my oatmeal and washing my spuds, for I’m master of all fights from now. (Pushing Mahon.) Go on, I’m saying.

MAHON. Is it me?

CHRISTY. Not a word out of you. Go on from this.

MAHON [walking out and looking back at Christy over his shoulder.] — Glory be to God! (With a broad smile.) I am crazy again! [Goes.]

CHRISTY. Ten thousand blessings upon all that’s here, for you’ve turned me a likely gaffer in the end of all, the way I’ll go romancing through a romping lifetime from this hour to the dawning of the judgment day. [He goes out.]

MICHAEL. By the will of God, we’ll have peace now for our drinks. Will you draw the porter, Pegeen?

SHAWN — [going up to her.] — It’s a miracle Father Reilly can wed us in the end of all, and we’ll have none to trouble us when his vicious bite is healed.

PEGEEN — [hitting him a box on the ear.] — Quit my sight. (Putting her shawl over her head and breaking out into wild lamentations.) Oh my grief, I’ve lost him surely. I’ve lost the only Playboy of the Western World.

THE PLAYBOY OF THE WESTERN WORLD was first produced by the National Theatre Society, Ltd., at the Abbey Theatre, on Saturday, 26th January, 1907, under the direction of W. G. Fay.

Christopher Mahon, W. G. FAY Old Mahon, his father, a squatter, A. POWER. Michael James Flaherty (called “Michael James”), a publican, ARTHUR SINCLAIR. Margaret Flaherty (called “Pegeen Mike”), his daughter, MARIE O’NEILL. Shawn Keogh, her second cousin, a young farmer, F. J. FAY.

small farmers, Philly O’Cullen, J. A. O’ROURKE. Jimmy Farrell, J. M. KERRIGAN.

Widow Quin, SARA ALLGOOD

village girls, Sara Tansey, BRIGIT O’DEMPSEY Susan Brady, ALICE O’SULLIVAN Honor Blake, MARY CRAIG. Peasants, HARRY YOUNG. U. WRIGHT.

End of the Project Gutenberg Etext of Playboy of the Western World