Eye for the Gap: Frenzy, Liberty, and the Nietszchean Chorus in Conor McPherson's The Weir and Shining City
type: CreativeWork
description: This study situates The Weir and Shining City by Conor McPherson as embodying elements of Dionysian aesthetics as elucidated by Friedrich Nietzsche. Working through the lenses of Samuel Beckett’s linguistic philosophy and the premium of theater as established by Nietzsche, Artaud, and Brecht, the aim of this paper is to demonstrate how McPherson pierces the boundaries of language in drama by establishing his audience as chorus. Background information on Nietzsche’s The Birth of Tragedy and McPherson’s own comments on the plays are included with the research on the plays themselves. This work articulates the chorus itself but also the choral, musical quality of McPherson’s work and its resulting empowerment for the spectator.
abstract: This study situates The Weir and Shining City by Conor McPherson as embodying elements of Dionysian aesthetics as elucidated by Friedrich Nietzsche. Working through the lenses of Samuel Beckett’s linguistic philosophy and the premium of theater as established by Nietzsche, Artaud, and Brecht, the aim of this paper is to demonstrate how McPherson pierces the boundaries of language in drama by establishing his audience as chorus. Background information on Nietzsche’s The Birth of Tragedy and McPherson’s own comments on the plays are included with the research on the plays themselves. This work articulates the chorus itself but also the choral, musical quality of McPherson’s work and its resulting empowerment for the spectator.
author: Krieg, Frances
keywords: ETD, Conor McPherson, Friedrich Nietzsche, Chorus, narrative, audience participation, Arts and Humanities, Celtic Studies, Comparative Literature, Dramatic Literature, Criticism and Theory, English Language and Literature, Literature in English, British Isles, Modern Literature, Performance Studies, Philosophy, Playwriting, Reading and Language, Theatre and Performance Studies
date published: 2014-01-01T08:00:00Z
date modified: 2026-07-24T02:27:52Z
provider: Georgia Southern University
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: Georgia Southern University