What role did the theatre of the Irish literary revival play in the politics of identity so avidly debated in pre-revolutionary Ireland? Conversely, how far did that debate influence the development of the theatre? Ben Levitas pursues such vexed questions through a panoramic study of Irish drama and the nationalist debate 1890-1916. He follow the unfolding drama of that relationship and, in giving equal weight to the protagonists inside and outside the theatre movement, provides fresh insight into the dynamics of Irish cultural politics. Extending the range of the drama beyond the canonical works considered by most critics, and beyond Dublin to the influence of Cork and Ulster, The Theatre of Nation tackles many neglected and forgotten texts which through the circumstances of their reception are given new force.In this way, the lesser lights of the Irish revival illuminate unfamiliar aspects of familiar writers such as W. B. Yeats, Lady Gregory, and J. M. Synge, while discussions and disputes both private and public are engaged to comment upon the implications of the theatre movement for nationalist ambitions. The evolution of cultural and political nationalist groups such as Irish Ireland, the Gaelic League, and Sinn Fein is similarly examined to reveal a shifting terrain of nationalist opinion disturbed by issued of class, gender, and generation. An integrated investigation of the politics of drama and its influence in Ireland, The Theatre of Nation concludes that Ireland's theatre had a pivotal role to play in the controversies of its time and in the coming revolution.

W. B. Yeats is a writer who requires, and at the same time tests the limits of, contextual study. More than perhaps any other Irish writer, he produced his own context as much as it produced him. His cultural and political activities, combined with his prolific literary output, made an impact that can only be understood by close attention to his words in relation to the times in which he lived. W. B. Yeats in Context maps Yeats' world in concise, lively essays by distinguished critics and historians. The places, people, themes and intellectual frameworks most important to his development receive close attention, as do his artistic influences, and the production and reception of his work. As a gateway into the study of Yeats, this volume offers much new information for both students, scholars and anyone interested in the life and times of this enigmatic and influential poet.

W. B. Yeats is a writer who requires, and at the same time tests the limits of, contextual study. More than perhaps any other Irish writer, he produced his own context as much as it produced him. His cultural and political activities, combined with his prolific literary output, made an impact that can only be understood by close attention to his words in relation to the times in which he lived. W. B. Yeats in Context maps Yeats' world in concise, lively essays by distinguished critics and historians. The places, people, themes and intellectual frameworks most important to his development receive close attention, as do his artistic influences, and the production and reception of his work. As a gateway into the study of Yeats, this volume offers much new information for both students, scholars and anyone interested in the life and times of this enigmatic and influential poet.

What role did the theatre of the Irish literary revival play in the politics of identity so avidly debated in pre-revolutionary Ireland? Conversely, how far did that debate influence the development of the theatre? Ben Levitas pursues such vexed questions through a panoramic study of Irish drama and the nationalist debate 1890-1916. He follow the unfolding drama of that relationship and, in giving equal weight to the protagonists inside and outside the theatre movement, provides fresh insight into the dynamics of Irish cultural politics. Extending the range of the drama beyond the canonical works considered by most critics, and beyond Dublin to the influence of Cork and Ulster, The Theatre of Nation tackles many neglected and forgotten texts which through the circumstances of their reception are given new force.In this way, the lesser lights of the Irish revival illuminate unfamiliar aspects of familiar writers such as W. B. Yeats, Lady Gregory, and J. M. Synge, while discussions and disputes both private and public are engaged to comment upon the implications of the theatre movement for nationalist ambitions. The evolution of cultural and political nationalist groups such as Irish Ireland, the Gaelic League, and Sinn Fein is similarly examined to reveal a shifting terrain of nationalist opinion disturbed by issued of class, gender, and generation. An integrated investigation of the politics of drama and its influence in Ireland, The Theatre of Nation concludes that Ireland's theatre had a pivotal role to play in the controversies of its time and in the coming revolution.

W. B. Yeats is a writer who requires, and at the same time tests the limits of, contextual study. More than perhaps any other Irish writer, he produced his own context as much as it produced him. His cultural and political activities, combined with his prolific literary output, made an impact that can only be understood by close attention to his words in relation to the times in which he lived. W. B. Yeats in Context maps Yeats' world in concise, lively essays by distinguished critics and historians. The places, people, themes and intellectual frameworks most important to his development receive close attention, as do his artistic influences, and the production and reception of his work. As a gateway into the study of Yeats, this volume offers much new information for both students, scholars and anyone interested in the life and times of this enigmatic and influential poet.

W. B. Yeats is a writer who requires, and at the same time tests the limits of, contextual study. More than perhaps any other Irish writer, he produced his own context as much as it produced him. His cultural and political activities, combined with his prolific literary output, made an impact that can only be understood by close attention to his words in relation to the times in which he lived. W. B. Yeats in Context maps Yeats' world in concise, lively essays by distinguished critics and historians. The places, people, themes and intellectual frameworks most important to his development receive close attention, as do his artistic influences, and the production and reception of his work. As a gateway into the study of Yeats, this volume offers much new information for both students, scholars and anyone interested in the life and times of this enigmatic and influential poet.