4.2
The Rising of the Moon
Lady Gregory
1.Sergeant: The police officer, older than other two policemen. He is careless but brave
policeman. He is
easily deceived.
2. Policeman B: He is a dutiful policeman because he follows whatever the Sergeant orders.
Moreover, he cares
about the Sergeant when he suggests the Sergeant accept the lantern when he
left him.
3.Policeman X: He is an obedient man and he
respects the Sergeant.
4.The Ragged man: He is a courageous man because he has successfully escaped from jail
and he is an
enough clever man to fool the Sergeant well.
The one-act-play ‘The Rising of the Moon’
is written by Isabella Augusta Persse who is also known as Lady Gregory. This
one-act-play shows Lady Gregory’s skills of dramatic imagination and close
observant of Irish characters. The title, ‘The Rising of the Moon’ is taken
from the ballad ‘O’ Farrel’ is the symbol of revolt against the British
government as England ruled Ireland from many years. This one-act-play also
describes the political situation between England and Ireland and thus creates
dilemma or predicament of the police officer, Sergeant regarding his duty and
patriotism. The story of escaped prisoner and three police men narrated in this
one-act-play has a comical tone.
The story is mainly about the escaped
prisoner from jail and now he is absconder avoiding his arrest. The police officer,
Sergeant along with his two assistants is appointed to circulate the pamphlets that
offer a fascinating amount of hundred pounds and even promotion.
The one-act-play begins with the entry of the Sergeant along with
his two assistants who are in the service of English government. The
one-act-play opens with the dialogue of B policeman pointing to a large barrel
and asks whether it is fair place to paste the pamphlet on the barrel. The X
policeman responds that it would be good to ask our officer, Sergeant about it
and calls the Sergeant. The Sergeant does not pay attention what B and X
policemen ask him. But finally the Sergeant responds positively that this place
is good for the posters to be pasted. The Sergeant reads the pamphlet that
describes the escapee and forms the opinion that the escapee may move
stealthily in this moonlit night to the landings that lead to water and his
friends might come to visit him hoping to capture him for the reward of hundred
pounds and even promotion. The policeman is of the view that the amount of
hundred pounds offered by government is little enough but if the policeman from
our department captures him will get promotion. Pointing to the steps of
landings, the Sergeant opines that he will mind the place because the criminal
might come to meet his friends who might wait for him at this place. If the man
might pass quickly unnoticed due to large seaweeds, then it would be difficult
to capture him. According to policeman X, the people of Ireland and our
relatives may hurl abuse at us, if we catch the man. But the Sergeant is of the
opinion that we are bound to perform our duty because the whole country depends
on us to maintain the law and order. The Sergeant orders his two younger
assistants to go with lantern to paste more pamphlets around the town and he
himself decides to be watchful at the quayside and wait out on a quay if the
escapee can be taken into custody. By sitting at a quay, the Sergeant ponders
on the reward of hundred pounds he may have after capturing the escapee and all
of sudden the unknown man arrives there. The man in tattered clothes attempts
to move quietly telling that he wishes to sell some songs to earn money from
the sailors. The ragged man tries to go ahead but the sergeant orders him not
to go ahead. After making an enquiry by sergeant, the man identifies himself as
‘Jimmy Walsh’ a ballad singer. But the sergeant refuses to be familiar with
this name. Then the man blames himself to be poor and remarks that the whole
world is against the poor. The man also informs the sergeant with surety that
‘Jimmy Walsh’ this name is famous in the town Ennis. When asked the reason of
his arrival, the man in torn clothes tells that for administrative purpose, the
judges have come in this city and I also came in the same train along with the
judges to sell ballad songs. Turning the page of sheets, the man attempts to
interest the officer in his ballad songs to lower the intensity of sergeant’s
protest. The man wants to sit on the step but the sergeant takes him by
shoulder and shows the way to town the man is expected to go because the
sergeant wants to keep the location clear so that he can catch the fleeing man.
The man in torn clothes just pretends to go to town and suddenly points
to the pamphlet pasted on the barrel. He also admits that he knows the man well
the sergeant is waiting for. In this way, the man succeeds in changing the mind
of the sergeant who allows the man to stay with him to get more information
about the prisoner. The ragged man provides the information about how the escapee
makes use of different weapons and his muscles. He also gives the clues of
murders of policemen on the moonlit nights exactly like the present one. The
narration about the prisoner thrills and frightens the sergeant and accepts the
ragged man’s stay with him. Sitting back-to-back on a
barrel to have a full view of the area, the two men smoked pipes together to reduce
the Sergeant’s stress. The Sergeant admits that policemen’s work is challenging,
especially for family men, because the officers have to spend long much time on
unsafe tasks.
The
man in tattered clothes starts to sing a traditional, sentimental song about
lovers and the beautiful Irish countryside. Then he begins a nationalistic
ballad about a legend, oppressed old Irishwoman named Granuaile.
The
Sergeant stops him, protesting that it is not suitable to sing about Irish
oppression. The man responds that he is only singing the song to keep up his
spirits at this unsafe time and lonely watch.
The
sergeant permits the man to continue his ballad. The man sings about Irish
martyr, Granuaile but this time the man commits a mistake in his lyrics.
Quickly, the sergeant corrects the man and sings the suitable line. This
correction made by sergeant is the indication of sergeant’s knowledge of a
rebel song.
The ragged man
skilfully examines the Sergeant’s memories of past life as a young man, the
Sergeant must have sung several traditional Irish ballads, including
“Granuaile”. Confidentially, the Sergeant admits that he had sung every patriotic
ballad the Ragged Man mentions. The man suggests that the Sergeant and the escapee
perhaps shared the same youthful memories; in fact, the escaped prisoner might
even have been among the Sergeant’s close friends in their younger days.
When the
Sergeant admits the possibility, the ballad-man creates imaginary sight in
which the Sergeant had joined with friends singing to free Ireland. Therefore,
the Ragged Man concludes that the sergeant would have been in trouble now. This
possibility seemed so real that the sergeant begins to confuse his own
identity.
Finally the
ragged man boldly sings the rebel tune, ‘The Rising of the Moon’ as the hint to
the rescuers on the water and takes off his hat and wig revealing himself that
he himself ‘Jimmy’, ‘ballad-man’ is the escapee, prisoner with a hundred pound
reward on his head.
At last when
policeman B and policeman X were about to approach there, the ragged man
reminds the sergeant of his love for Ireland to keep his presence secret. The
ragged man hides himself behind the barrel whereas the sergeant hides the man’s
hat and wig behind him. When the policeman B makes enquiry about arrival of
somebody there, the sergeant declines that he has seen anyone. When both the
policemen insist to be with the sergeant, the sergeant rejects their offer and
sends them away with lantern.
After
skilfully getting his hat and wig back, the ragged man slips into the rescue
boat expressing thankfulness to sergeant for timely help. The sergeant thinks
of the lost reward of a hundred pounds and wonders whether he has been a great
fool.
Activities based on one-act-play
1. Describe the character of 'the ragged man'.
2 Describe the character of 'the Sergeant'.
3.- Choose the two correct statements that describe the theme of play.
a. The play is about the side of quay.
b. It is about the predicament of the police officer between his duty and patriotism.
c. It is the discussion between policemen about placing the notice.
d. It is the story of escaped prisoner and plans to capture him.
4. Choose the correct statements from the followings.
a. There are three policemen along with the Sergeant at the quay.
b. The escaped prisoner tries to go down the flight of steps leading to the water.
c. The ragged man tries to persuade the Sergeant to let him go down the steps.
d. The Sergeant ignores the escaped prisoner.
5. Choose correct option and fill in the blanks.
a. The Sergeant kept watch with..........on the side of quay.
(two policemen/with the ragged man/none)
b. The reward kept for the ragged man was of..............
(a hundred pound/three hundred pound/two hundred pound)
c. The ragged man handed over the Sergeant..................
(a hat and wig/a stick and pipe/a diary and pen)
d. The Sergeant took him by shoulder and showed the way to ............
(the theater/the jail/the town)
6. The Sergeant's action surprises the audience. Explain.
All the students are advised to solve the activities given below the one-act-play.
Compiled By-Dr. Salunkhe T. B.
