Dine 1 Kelsa Dine Research Synopsis Marina Carrs By the Bog of Cats...

, while a powerful theatrical piece in its own right, remains heavily influenced by its roots. By the Bog of Cats and Euripides Medea share more than just common textual and thematic elements, however; both pieces respond to and reflect upon social and cultural upheaval, articulate the difficulty faced by women of power in a male-dominated society, and carefully explore the damaging effects of ostracism as experienced by the Other. Additionally, Carr and Euripides share a common sensibility when it comes to dealing with performance space. For Athenian citizens, the theater was more than pure entertainment it was a form of cultural instruction that provided both an emotional outlet and a platform for further discussion. Euripides wrote Medea in reaction to the social changes taking place in Athens and Greece in general at the time. The old belief in the sanctity of the state was faltering, faith in old theatrical heroes was waning, and the human psyche was revealing itself to be frighteningly raw and incomplete. Similarly, By the Bog of Cats... was written during a period of intense upheaval in Ireland. The years leading up to its publication were rife with politically and religiously motivated paramilitary violence and rioting, resulting in a dangerous and fractured world not unlike Euripides Athens. By the Bog of Cats is a dark play for a darkly changing world. In addition to the more general cultural change taking place, both Medea and By the Bog of Cats address what it means to be a powerful woman fighting to

Dine 2 maintain her status in a patriarchal society. Carrs Hester Swane and Euripides Medea are strong, clever, and independent, but must face countless obstacles to gaining recognition, equality, and respect. Neither Hester nor Medea enjoy their power it brings them more trouble than it appears to be worth but neither of them are willing to yield. Their characters are portrayed with similar delicacy and tact; although they perform terrible deeds by the end of their respective dramas, the audience is meant to sympathize with both women. Hester and Medea are also outsiders Hester is the daughter of one of Irelands much-reviled Travelling People, and Medea is a barbarian princess who has no citizenship in Athens. In the case of both By the Bog of Cats and Medea, the women are shunned for being different, although the nature of their Otherness is not something within their control. Hester and Medea eventually come to accept their outsider status, deriving further power from it. Yet the process of their Othering is what drives both of them to kill their children; neither woman is left with anything or anyone to turn to in the end. Perhaps in homage to the original piece, Carr utilizes conventions of ancient Greek theater. Action is played in front of, rather than in, the houses. As a result, characters shine clearly, unhindered many of the more mundane distractions found in the interiors of houses, allowing the truth and grace of the language to carry the play. Both Euripides and Carr wrote in response to a need perceived in their respective worlds a need for truth, however painful or difficult it may be. A Medea who lets her children go does not truthfully represent the fractured state of

Dine 3 her world. Similarly, Hester must persist to her own tragic end. In this manner, Carr and Euripides draw the pain extant in their audiences out and allow it to be released.