3 Review(s)

The story revolves around Martin and Mary Doul, an elderly blind couple who live as beggars, finding solace in their mutual blindness. They imagine themselves as youthful and beautiful, cherishing their fantasies despite their hardships. Their lives are upended when a traveling saint offers to restore their sight through the water from a holy well. Eagerly accepting, they are disillusioned when their vision is restored, and they see their true appearance, as well as the grim reality of their world.As the villagers mock them for their newfound clarity, Martin and Mary become disheartened. Their sight is eventually lost again, either by choice or fate, and they return to their previous state of blindness. However, this time, they reject the saint’s offer to restore their vision again, choosing instead to live in their comforting illusions.Through this tale, Synge critiques societal notions of beauty, the superficiality of human judgment, and the sometimes-painful consequences of confronting reality. The play also reflects the tension between spiritual belief and earthly desires, encapsulated in the figure of the saint, whose miracle brings more anguish than salvation.