A Question of Memory: Deirdre and Ras Byzance is a pair of dramatic works by Michael Field written in a lyrical, late‑19th‑century voice.
Set across distinct worlds—ancient Erin and a royal Ethiopian landscape—the plays blend myth, memory, and fate with vivid character drama. In one tale, a newborn girl named Deirdre becomes the focus of political passion and personal sacrifice; in the other, a royal execution confronts love, duty, and power on the eve of a kingdom’s ceremony. The language is rich, hypnotic, and intensely emotional, inviting readers to follow deep desires and dangerous prophecies through striking stage moments. This edition offers a compact, stage-ready experience of two intertwined imaginations about memory, memory’s costs, and the turn of history through personal choice.
- Two companion plays that mix mythic stakes with intimate human longing.
- Poetic, propulsive language that drives toward pivotal choice and consequence.
- Two contrasting settings—from a ceremonial Erin to a ceremonial Ethiopian scene.
- Themes of memory, fate, love, and the burdens of leadership.
Ideal for readers drawn to mythic drama, complex power dynamics, and language that lingers after the last line.