Bader AGHOULID is a Master's student of English Language in a program entitled "Applied Linguistics and Language Studies” at the University of Ibn Zohr, Agadir.
Agadir, Morocco
Exiles is a play written by James Joyce
and published in 1918; it consists of three
acts. It is the only play of Joyce’s works and rarely mentioned and discussed
in academic studies. It is about the themes of betrayal, spiritual exile and
doubts. Characters in this play are very limited in number. Richard Rowan is the
husband whose wife betrays him with another; Beatrice is the Archie’s teacher
of music and whom Richard loves; Bertha is Richard’s wife who loves Robert; the
last character is Robert Hand. Robert is a journalist who is eager to destroy the
spouse’s relation.
In the first act, the events happen in Richard’s
house. The main incident is when Bertha allows Robert to kiss her on her lips. Moreover, she accepts his proposal of
visiting him at his house. Bertha is not annoyed by being kissed by another
person even though she has a husband and a son.
She considers it a normal action because he has asked for the kiss. Richard
also reveals his love to Beatrice. The latter does not allow the conversation
to be out of its friendship limits. The play looks as if all the persons are betraying each other,
or they gave up their feelings and love for the sake of social and religious
conventions. The outrageous moment was when Bertha tells her husband that she
allowed Robert to kiss her. Robert was deeply irritated but patient not to show
that; he intended to express his modernity and
openness by permitting her to do what she pleases with her body. Her body
according to him is not a slave for him.
In the second act, Bertha goes to see Robert at
his house. She finds her husband there talking to Robert. Richard divulges that
he knows about his plan of wooing his wife against his well. Robert, on the
other hand, makes it clear that he loves Bertha
and plans on stealing her from him. The moment
Bertha enters the house, Robert withdraws to the garden. It is an occasion for
Bertha to ask her husband to trust her and to let her do what she pleases.
Richard leaves the house. According to him he has
done what he could to stop a mistake or sin.
Robert takes advantage of being alone with Bertha
to make love with her. Bertha is satisfied and
asks whether Roberts is satisfied, too, or not.
The last act is significant in terms of
explaining the reasons behind Bertha’s deeds. She loves both men, and she wants to see them together. She uses her
body to make them close to her and to make them friends.
Robert with bitterness failed in breaking up
Bertha and Richard’s relationship, and Richard,
on the other hand, becomes doubtful about all of his surroundings. He feels that they mock and
betray him. Richard senses the end of friendship and pure love. The play
expresses the death of morals and the spreading
of ignoble, hate and loneliness.
Hello , I want to express my gratitude about this resume , It helps me to have a breve idea about James Joyce's works , I hope that i will have a new opportunities to discover more about his work , Your article was extremely helpful for me , i hope that i will read more of them later . I think that it will be a good opportunity for both english learners and fans of theatre to enhance there sensibility of the beauty of english . Good luck !
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