Michael McAteer Boeken

Exploring the theme of excess in contemporary Irish literature, this study delves into mysticism, materialism, myth, and language through the lens of influential philosophers like Hegel, Nietzsche, and Derrida. It analyzes a diverse array of works from notable Irish authors, including Oscar Wilde, W. B. Yeats, and Samuel Beckett, demonstrating how their writings transcend Matthew Arnold's notion of the excessive Celt. The book presents a rich tapestry of poetic, dramatic, and fictional narratives that reflect the complexities of modern Irish identity.

The plays of W. B. Yeats reflect both developments in European theatre during the late nineteenth and early twentieth century and also the author's ideas concerning labour, commerce and social alienation. Michael McAteer considers these works alongside those of the foremost dramatists of the period.