Lady Gregory's Comic "Spreading the News". Reproducing Stereotypes? (PDF)

Seminar paper from the year 2018 in the subject English Language and Literature Studies - Literature, grade: 2,0, University of Wuppertal, language: English, abstract: This term paper aims to examine the use of comic elements and its effects on Lady Gregory's play Spreading the News with the question in mind whether and how Lady Gregory is reproducing stereotypes. Therefore, the paper will begin by defining the genre comedy as a theoretical introduction. For thus the aim, the definition and some of the most important comic characters will be explained. As the focus in this paper is an Irish play, the paper will go on with the introduction of a stage character, namely the stage Irishman, which characterises Irish stereotypes. It is also important to know who Lady Gregory was in order to find out why she wrote in the way she did. That is why the main part will start with a very short biography of hers. The main part will also contain an analysis of comic elements and the presentation of the stage Irishman in the play Spreading the News. There will be an accentuation on stereotypes and what the presentation of them provokes in the audience to discuss whether the aim is fulfilled or not. Finally, the paper will also contain a conclusion in which the results will be summarised.