Deirdre of the Sorrows

Deirdre of the Sorrows is a drama from Irish playwright John Millington Synge first performed in 1910 by the Irish National Theatre Society at the Abbey Theatre in Dublin. The plot is taken from the Ulster Cycle, the most significant work of Irish mythology from the pre-Christian era. The titular Deirdre is one of Ireland’s most prominent tragic heroines: from birth, she was prophesied to possess a beauty that would be the cause of much bloodshed. Synge, a prominent poet and playwright of the Irish Literary Revival, died of cancer at age thirty-eight while still writing the play. Deirdre of the Sorrows was posthumously completed by Synge’s fiancée, Molly Allgood, and William Butler Yeats.

Act I of the play introduces Conchubor, the High King of Ulster, on his way to see his ward, Deirdre. He has charged a nurse, Lavarcham, to raise and care for Deirdre until the girl is old enough to become his wife and queen. Conchubor and his friend, Fergus, ride through the rain to discover that Deirdre is not at home: she is out gathering nuts and twigs in the nearby woods. Lavarcham tells the king that Deirdre won’t want to see him. She has grown into a beautiful young woman, as Conchubor had hoped, but she is not docile. She has a will of her own and no interest in becoming an old man’s bride, whether or not he is the king.

Lavarcham also reminds the king of the prophecy concerning Deirdre: her beauty will become the cause of war and strife. But Conchubor is determined to marry the girl, nonetheless; he wishes to bring her to his castle straightaway. When Deirdre arrives home, Conchubor offers her jewels and reprimands her for staying away. Deirdre, however, is unmoved. She tells him she has no intention of going to Emain Macha to become his queen.



Conchubor argues with her. He tells her he loves her and is lonely. He does not want to wait any longer for their marriage. He describes the rooms he has prepared for her in his castle. Deirdre acknowledges that she has been pledged to him as a bride, but insists that she be allowed to stay in the countryside with Lavarcham for another year. Conchubor, annoyed that she keeps deflecting, tells her she had better pack her things and be ready to depart for Emain Macha within a few days. He leaves in a fury.

When he is gone, Lavarcham tells Deirdre to listen to the king and heed his orders. Instead, Deirdre compares herself to other defiant heroines of legend, saying she will be like them. She also mentions Naoise, a young man who lives nearby in the woods.

The storm picks up, and Naoisi and his two brothers, Ainnle and Ardan, arrive at Lavarcham’s cottage, seeking shelter. Lavarcham does not want to let them in, but they tell her they met a beautiful woman in the woods who promised them shelter. Reluctantly, Lavarcham allows them inside. Deirdre speaks with Naoise alone, telling him Conchubor is insisting she go to his castle. She and Naoise have fallen in love. Heedless of the prophecy, they agree to marry in secret and run away together. Ainnle performs a quick ceremony for them.



In Act II, seven years have passed. During that time, Deirdre, Naoise, his brothers, and Lavarcham have lived happily on a small island called Alban, far from Conchubor. The king has spent those seven years trying to discover their whereabouts; he has finally found them. Fergus arrives on the island, bearing a message of peace from the king. He also brings a summons: Conchubor asks that Deirdre and Naoise come to Emain Macha. Lavarcham tells Deirdre not to accept. She does not trust the king’s change in attitude. Owen, one of Conchubor’s spies, taunts Deirdre, suggesting that Naoise’s doom awaits him in Emain Macha.

Naoise tells Fergus he won’t go. He is happy on Alban with Deirdre, and he means to spend the rest of his life there with her. Deirdre, however, tells Naoise he should accept the summons. She says if he is to die, it is better to die young, at the peak of beauty, strength, and love than to grow old and risk losing the happiness they share.

Act III takes place in Emain Macha. Lavarcham arrives at Conchubor’s tent and tells him Deirdre is no longer desirable: she has grown old and lost her beauty, so he should give up his pursuit of her. Conchubor’s soldiers, however, arrive in the tent just after Lavarcham and disprove her warnings: they have seen Deirdre, and she is as beautiful as ever.



Deirdre and Naoise discuss their fates, and whether they are about to die. Conchubor returns, seeing Deirdre again for the first time in seven years. She tries to reason with him, asking him to put aside his grudges and let them all live in peace. Deirdre nearly sways him, but her words come too late: fighting has already broken out between Naoise’s brothers and Conchubor’s men. Conchubor and Naoise go to join the battle, and Naoise is killed on the field.

Fergus and his men arrive on the battlefield, realizing that Conchubor has broken his promise of peace and deliberately started the fight that would kill Naoise. He sets Emain Macha on fire in revenge. Lavarcham tries to talk Deirdre into fleeing to safety, and Conchubor tries to spirit her to a different castle. But Deirdre, still strong-willed, refuses to leave her dead husband and his brothers. Rather than go with Conchubor, she stabs herself with Naoise’s dagger and falls into his open grave to die. Conchubor is left alone and with nothing.

Though Synge died before he could complete the play, it is a celebrated adaptation of the legend of Deirdre, developing a strong sense of place that reflects rising cultural pride among the Irish of the early twentieth century. Synge helped found the Abbey Theatre, and his body of work and writing style significantly shaped the Theatre’s performances and school of acting for several decades to come. Synge would become a profound early influence on noted playwright Samuel Beckett, among others.