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Overview
Synopsis
Lady Gregory’s one-act play The Rising of the Moon explores Anglo-Irish relations at the beginning of the twentieth century. On a moonlit night, three Irish policemen gather at the quayside in a small, seaport town. Ireland is under British rule and the policemen are in the service of the British government. They put up posters for an escaped prisoner who is fighting for Irish independence. Convinced that the escaped rebel might creep to the water's edge to be rescued by sea, they all hope to capture him for the hundred-pound reward and a potential promotion. Left alone on watch, the Sergeant meets a ragged man who purports to be a ballad singer. They begin to talk and their conversation drifts to the past and moments in the Sergeant’s youth when he could have turned against British rule. The ragged man is revealed to be the convict he has been looking for, but the Sergeant has been moved by their discussion and memories of his own patriotic youth. He decides to let the prisoner escape and forgo the financial reward.
The play’s title The Rising of the Moon is taken from the traditional Irish ballad of the same name, which depicts a battle between the United Irishmen, led by Theobald Wolfe Tone and the British Army during the Irish Rebellion of 1798.
Show Information
- Book
- Lady Augusta Gregory
- Category
- Play
- Age Guidance
- Youth (Y)/General Audiences (G)
- Number of Acts
- 1
- First Produced
- 1907
- Genres
- Drama
- Settings
- Period, Unit/Single Set
- Time & Place
- The side of a quay in a seaport town, Ireland, 1900s
- Cast Size
- small
- Licensor
- None/royalty-free
- Ideal For
- All-Male Cast, College/University, Community Theatre, High School, Small Cast, Includes Adult, Young Adult Characters
Context
Plot
Characters
| Name | Part Size | Gender | Vocal Part |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Lead |
Male |
Non-singer |
|
|
Lead |
Male |
Non-singer |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Non-singer |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Non-singer |
Songs
A song with an asterisk (*) before the title indicates a dance number; a character listed in a song with an asterisk (*) by the character's name indicates that the character exclusively serves as a dancer in this song, which is sung by other characters.
Monologues
Scenes
Key Terms
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Videos
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Quizzes
Themes, Symbols & Motifs
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Quote Analysis
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Guide Written By:
Alexandra Appleton
Writer, editor and theatre researcher