Sive

Sive is a play by Irish playwright John B. Keane that depicts Irish rural life in the 1950s. The main character of the play is Sive, yet she rarely speaks in the play. This ultimately enhances the impact of the whole play on the audience. We get a clear sense of how she is being used. Her voice is literally drained out by the power hungry nature of the society in which she lives.

The drama is a clear tragedy - a tragedy that never had any real sense of escapism whilst amid selfishness and greed. Money dominates almost every line of the play, which brings to light the play's moral - that innocent people suffer in vast ways in a society that is so self consumed and dominated by powerful authoritarian people.

Synopsis

The society is dominated by males. Sean Dota is the classic clichéd example of a man who wields power over the less fortunate in order to elope with younger and more attractive women than his own haggard self.

Thomasheen, the local matchmaker , does not show any real love for his job. He mocks love "What do we know about love". This illustrates the hypocrisy of the world in which Sive lives. Thomasheen has only got eyes for money and abuses his status in society as the so-called matchmaker to get what he wants.

Sive is in love with Liam Scuab - a man who has her desires and needs at the center of his heart. On the other hand, Thomasheen enforces that Sive should (without disagreement in any shape or form) marry Sean Dota (an old, decrepit man well past his sell by date).

Sive's family consists of Nanna, Mike, and Mena. Her mother died before Sive grew up, leaving her illegitimate child in the hands of uncle Mike - a caring man whose mind is hazed when money comes into play.

Mena delights on the fact that she can get rid of both Sive and nana with money from Sean Dota into the bargain. She is one of the many despicable characters who has a say in Sive's faith, future and choices.

In the middle of all this selfishness and greed is Sive, who lingers quietly somewhere in the background sobbing her heart out. She has no hope and no choice. She must marry Sean Dota.

The only option she foresees is to escape all this madness. She commits suicide and in this way a beautiful sought after young woman is murdered by the society of power hungry self individuals. She ultimately drowns in this world which soaked every last drop of her humanity dry.

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