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...

This book explores Yeats' background and influences, as well as how his works shaped early twentieth-century Irish culture.