"Riders to the Sea" is a short one-act play written by J.M. Synge. It is set on a small island in Ireland, where the sea is both a source of life and a cause of death for the people.
The play is about a poor woman named Maurya, who has already lost five sons, her husband, and her father-in-law to the sea. Only two sons were left – Michael and Bartley.
At the beginning of the play, Michael is missing. His sisters, Cathleen and Nora, receive news that a dead body found on the mainland might be his. They hide this from their mother, who is already very sad.
Maurya is worried about Bartley, who wants to go to the mainland by sea to sell a horse. She tries to stop him, fearing he might also die. But Bartley does not listen and goes anyway.
Later, the women find out that the dead body was Michael, and then they get the sad news that Bartley has also died — he fell from his horse into the sea.
Now, Maurya has lost all her sons. She is heartbroken but finally accepts the truth. She says that now the sea cannot take anything more from her.
Main themes of the play:
* The power and cruelty of nature, especially the sea
* A mother’s deep sorrow and suffering
* Acceptance of fate and loss
The play is sad, emotional, and shows the hard life of people living close to the sea.