Riders to the Sea

Riders to the Sea Literary Elements

Genre

Drama

Language

English

Setting and Context

Early 20th century; Aran island off coast of Ireland

Narrator and Point of View

In the play, the audience is given access to the life of the principal characters through a stage that depicts the inside of their cottage.

Tone and Mood

Gloomy; portentous; tragic; mournful; fatalistic

Protagonist and Antagonist

Protagonist: Maurya; Antagonist: The Sea

Major Conflict

The main conflict concerns whether the sea will take all of Maurya's sons.

Climax

The climax occurs when Bartley's body is brought in, confirming that the sea has in fact taken all of Maurya's sons from her.

Foreshadowing

-The talk about the rope and the coffin foreshadow Bartley's death.
-The entrance of the old women immediately foreshadow Bartley's death.
-Maurya's vision foreshadows Bartley's death.

Understatement

N/A.

Allusions

-Samhein: All Saint's Day (November 1st)
-Connemara: part of the West Coast of Ireland in County Galway
-Donegal: a town in the County Donegal in Northwest Ireland

Imagery

See the Imagery section of this guide.

Paradox

N/A.

Parallelism

N/A.

Personification

N/A.

Use of Dramatic Devices

Besides those covered in the study guide, there are few others (for example, there are no asides, no chorus, no soliloquies). There is, however, falling action (Maurya coming to terms with the deaths of her sons), pathos, and recognition (Maurya recognizes she has lost her metaphorical battle against the sea).

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