In this play, tragedy comes to the characters without any hamartia or tragic flaw. Here we see, the characters are not least responsible for their downfall or death unlike Shakespearean tragedy. Here destiny or the fate controls every thing. None can avoid it. Here life means nothing but tragedy and unconditional surrender to the mysterious fate.
We see that, the inhabitants of the “Aran Island” are constantly struggling against the sea in order to support their daily bread ignoring the possibility of death, because they have no other option to avoid the sea. Thus, they embrace the watery grave from generation to generation.
Here the super powerful fate of the islander is represented by the sea that is for them both the giver and the taker. Therefore, in no way they can ignore the call of the all-consuming deadly sea.
At the very beginning of the play, we see that, the four sons of Maurya have already lost their lives in the sea. Now the fifth one, Michael has been missing for nine days and the family members are waiting to recover the dead body and to receive it. As she says:
“…if Michael is washed up to- morrow morning, or the next morning, or any morning in the week, for it's a deep grave we'll make him by the grace of God.”
He is not at all responsible for his death, because accidentally he was drowned in the sea perhaps by a storm on the sea.
Now Bartley, only alive son of the family, knows every thing of the fate of the other members of the family. He is also informed of the danger of his going to the sea in the bad weather. Yet he decides to go to the main land in order to sell a couple of horses at the cattle fair.
Actually, there is no wrong in his decision rather “it’s the life of a young man to be going on the sea” as Cathleen says. Without it, today or tomorrow he must have been compelled to go to the sea. Thus, we see that, without any hamartia tragedy comes to the Bartley’s life. Therefore, this is his tragedy of fate.
The islander’s silent surrender to their fate is clear in Maurya’s speech.
“In the big world the old people do be leaving things after them for their sons and children, but in this place it is the young men do be leaving things behind for them that do be old.”
We see, in this play a storm of suffering and tragedy has blown over Maurya, yet she shows her calmness and endurance. As she says:
“I’ve had a husband, and a husband’s father, and six sons in this house-six fine man, though it was a hard birth I had with every one of them… there were Stephen and Shawn were lost in the great wind, and found often in the bay of Gregory of golden Mouth…”
Maurya has experienced that; none can fight against the fate. So she grants the power of the fate and submits to fate saying:
“What more can we want than that? No man at all can be living for ever, and we must be satisfied.”
It is notable that, here a question can be raised that, “why should the islanders not leave the island to escape the death?” Actually, they love their motherland and ancestors’ land so much that they would rather die than leave the island.
Last of all, we can say that, ‘Riders to the Sea’ is unique creation of Synge and a great example o fatal play. It is completely different from any other great tragedy of Shakespeare or Sophocles. In this play, all the characters are the victim of the cruel fate.
‘Riders to the Sea’ is a tragedy with NATURE as its villain. No one is responsible for the series of sufferings faced by Maurya and others. Here, it can be understood that nature plays a big part in it. Visit Custom Essay Writing Service for more discussions on Synge and his works.
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