The Playboy of the Western World

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 bites Shawn’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.



Curtain.



Colophon

The Playboy of the Western World

was published in 1907 by

  J. M. Synge.
This ebook was produced for

 Standard Ebooks

by

  B. Timothy Keith,

and is based on a transcription produced in 1998 by

Judy Boss and David Widger

for

 Project Gutenberg

and on digital scans available at the

 Internet Archive.
The cover page is adapted from

The Bell Inn,

a painting completed in the 1780s by

 George Morland.

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