Russell, Richard Rankin.Rawl, Michael Sheldon, 1986-2012-08-082012-08-082012-052012-08-08http://hdl.handle.net/2104/8460In the tumultuous years following the Easter Rising of 1916, the Irish author W.B. Yeats consistently turned to drama as a primary medium through which he could reflect on the state of contemporary Irish culture. This study examines two dramatic works from Yeats’s later period—The Dreaming of the Bones (1917) and Purgatory (1938)— along with the poem “Easter, 1916” and the essay-pamphlet On the Boiler in order to explore the development of some of his social and cultural views. It is argued that this development is largely entropic: in the immediate aftermath of the Rising, Yeats articulated a hope for the imaginative and spiritual renewal of Irish culture in The Dreaming of the Bones. It is suggested that by the end of his life, Yeats came increasingly to doubt the possibility of Irish cultural renewal. This pessimism is embodied in the late play Purgatory.en-USBaylor University theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. Contact librarywebmaster@baylor.edu for inquiries about permission.Easter Rising."Easter, 1916"."The Dreaming of the Bones"."Purgatory"."On the Boiler".Yeats, W. B. (William Butler), 1865-1939.ThesisWorldwide access.Access changed 1/13/14.