The Bending of the Bough (1900) is George Moore’s third published play. Adapted from Edward Martyn’s manuscript play The Tale of a Town, it was written for the Irish Literary Theatre with Martyn and William Butler Yeats. Martyn published his version in The Tale of a Town and An Enchanted Sea (1902).
The play follows the rise and fall of a charismatic political leader, Jasper Dean, whose motives are divided between selfless idealism and personal gratification. He inflames and later mitigates tensions between the towns of Northhaven and Southhaven, the latter having a predatory interest in the former.
The Bending of the Bough may be a political allegory of Dublin’s relations with London prior to Irish independence. It may also be a psychological drama in the manner of Henrik Ibsen without explicit reference to current affairs. The authors supported Irish nationalism but the play is not polemical.
Preface and Acts of the Play
1900-02-21 — The Bending of the Bough — Characters and Preface
1900-02-21 — The Bending of the Bough — Act 1
1900-02-21 — The Bending of the Bough — Act 2
1900-02-21 — The Bending of the Bough — Act 3
1900-02-21 — The Bending of the Bough — Act 4
1900-02-21 — The Bending of the Bough — Act 5
The Bending of the Bough AI
The Bending of the Bough AI is a PDF of the first edition that may be uploaded to AI applications such as Notebook LM for guided analysis and interpretation.
The Tale of a Town
Edward Martyn’s The Tale of a Town was written before The Bending of the Bough and published two years later. The relationship of the authors and their plays is described in Hail and Farewell! Ave.
Go to the Internet Archive for free access to a digital scan of The Tale of a Town. While there, please consider making a donation.
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