Comedical Elements In Martin Mcdonagh

Karl Eberhards Universität Tübingen Englisches Seminar Hauptseminar : Irish Drama Prof. Dr. Reinfandt Hausarbeit Martina Tomica

Comedic elements in the drama “Cripple of Inishmaan” By Martin McDonagh

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Contents 1. Introduction 2. About the author 3. About the play 3.1.Plot 3.2. Reference to “Men of Aran” 4. What is comedy? 4.1. Humour Theories – Incongruity, Superiority andRelease/Relief Theory 4.2. Ethnic Humour 4.3. Structure of a comedy 4.4. stock characters 5. Humour in the Cripple of Inishmaan 5.1. characters 5.1.1. Johnnypateenmike 5.1.2. Mammy 5.1.3. Kate and Eileen 5.1.4. Bartley 5.1.5. Helen 5.1.6. Billy 5.2. style 5.2.1. language 5.2.2. repetitions 6. The cripple of Inishmaan – an Irish national drama? 7. Conclusion 8. Works Cited

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1. Introduction The termmodern Irish Drama was born in 1897 by William Butler Yeats, Lady Augusta Gregory and Edward Martin with the “Manifesto for Irish Literary Theatre”. This manifesto showed their intention to build up a national theatre for Ireland to show that” Ireland is not the home of buffoonery and of easy sentiment, as it has been represented, but the home of ancient idealism” (Harrington, x). Two years laterthey founded the Irish Literary Theatre in Dublin, where Irish plays by Irish authors were performed. The national drama of Ireland tries to bring upon the stage the deeper thoughts and emotions of Ireland and at the same time it sets the audience the task to consider plays “with a high ambition” (Harrington,x). The seminar “Irish Drama” with Professor Reinfandt dealt with several contemporary IrishDramas. All can be considered as national dramas, as they were about Irish history, Irish culture (oral folk culture and mystery tells) or Irish problems (the dispute of Protestant and Catholic church). One of these dramas is “the Cripple of Inishmaan” by Martin McDonagh. It was opened on December, 12th 1996 at Royal National Theatre in London. This play is a part of McDonagh’s Aran Islandtrilogy, which consists beside of “The Cripple of Inishmaan” of the Lieteunant of Inishmore” (2001) and the “Banshees of Inisheer” (not published yet). The purpose of this paper is to analyze various comedic elements and their function in the drama “Cripple of Inishmaan”. First, there will be a closer look on the author Martin McDonagh, who is known for his individual style and also for other comedies,like “Behanding in Spokane” of “The Pillowman”. Later, it will be focused on the play itself; what is the plot, which role play setting and characters. It will be also discussed, how the “Cripple of Inishmaan” fulfills the aspects of an Irish national drama. But the main question to analyze is, if the play can be considered as a dark comedy. For this purpose, the term “comedy” will be defined andit will be analyzed how the terminology of Frye and the three theories of humour can be applied to the the play ”Cripple of Inishmaan”. It is to show that the drama fulfills the elements of a comedy. In the main part there will be a closer look on the drama itself; especially on the funny characters and their behaviour.

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2. About the author Even though in Modern Literary Theories1, theauthor does not seem to play an important role in the analysis of his work I decided to say a few words on Martin McDonagh, as in the “manifesto for Irish Literary Theatre” Yeats, Martin and Lady Gregory declared that Irish plays should be written by Irish people (cf Harrington, x). Therefore, it seems to be

interesting to analyze the relationship between McDonough and Ireland. Martin McDonagh wasborn on 26 March 1970 in London. His parents are Irish. His mother is from County Sligo and his father is from Galway. Both cities are located in the Republic of Ireland. His father later moved back to Ireland, and left his sons and his wife in London. McDonagh’s two trilogies, “the Trilogy of Leenane” and “the Trilogy of Aran Islands” are located in and around County Galway, where he spent his...