Now, such a play serves no good purpose, but it has a certain bad
effect. It does not give a true interpretation of life; it enlightens no
one; but it flatters the prejudices of people who profess things for
which they have no zeal. That is the root of the mischief. Many of us
will readily profess a principle for which we will not as readily
suffer, but when the pinch comes and we are asked to do service for the
flag, we cover our unwillingness by calling the man on the other side
names. Where such a spirit prevails there can be no national awakening.
If we put a play before the people, it must be with a hope of arresting
attention, striking their imagination, giving them a grip of reality,
and filling them with a joy in life. Now, the propagandist play does
none of these things; it has neither joy nor reality; its characters are
puppets and ridiculous; they are essentially caricatures. This is
supposed to convert the unbeliever; but the intelligent unbeliever
coming to it is either bored or irritated by its extravagant absurdity,
and if he admits our sincerity, it is only at the expense of our
intelligence.
III
A propagandist play for a political end is even more mischievous--at
least lovers of freedom have more cause for protest. It makes our heroes
ridiculous. No man of imagination can stand these impossible persons of
the play who "walk on" eternally talking of Ireland.
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