Page 1 :
Dr. Anis Shaikh, , The Paraphrase of the Drama: The Rising of the Moon b Lady Gregor, , The Rising of the Moon is a politically motivated one-act play. It is political, in its theme. Perhaps it was written by Lady Gregory with a view to propagate, sentiments of political independence. By the time Lady Gregory wrote this play,, , Ireland was still under the direct rule of England., , The Rising of the Moon is a story about how a ballad singer, who is a, disguised revolutionary hero of Ireland, brought persuasively into change a, Sergeant, a loyal worker of the English government. At the beginning of the play, we come across the Sergeant tempted to arrest the revolutionary hero for a fixed, sum. As the play unfolded, we come to see both the ballad singer and the Sergeant, conversing each other. By singing a revolutionary ballad the disguised Irish hero, was trying to awaken in the Sergeant feelings of Irish unity, national unity. In the, course of telling a ballad the ballad singer deliberately missed some lines, which, were supplied by the Sergeant. From this instance, it becomes crystal - clear that, the Sergeant had also nationalistic and rebellions sentiments. But these sentiments, of rebellion on the part of the Sergeant were stunted by his occupational loyalty to, , the English government., , Conclusion:, , In an important way, the Sergeant and the ballad singer represent the two, alternatives that face the modern Irish now as in the past. One alternative is to, accept the power of the English and be in their pay, like the Sergeant; one would, then be well fed and capable of supporting a family. The other alternative is to, follow the revolutionary path of the ballad singer and risk prison, scorn, and, , impoverishment. The ballad singer is a ragged man because he has been totally, , reduced in circumstances by his political choices.