Deirdre: A Question of Memory and Ras Byzance (Classic Reprint)

Michael Field

ISBN 10: 1330625501 / ISBN 13: 9781330625507

Published by Forgotten Books, 2018

About this Item

Print on Demand. This book, an evocative and immersive tale, delves into the complexities of ancient Irish folklore and the tragic love story that became its most enduring and heartbreaking legend. The author explores the origins and evolution of the Deirdre myth, its profound impact on Irish culture, and its resonance throughout history. Through lyrical prose and in-depth analysis, the book delves into the timeless themes of love, betrayal, and the devastating consequences of defying fate. This book is a reproduction of an important historical work, digitally reconstructed using state-of-the-art technology to preserve the original format. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in the book.

Seller Inventory # 9781330625507_0

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Deirdre: A Question of Memory and Ras Byzance (Classic Reprint)
• Publisher: Forgotten Books
• Publication Date: 2018
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1330625501
• ISBN 13: 9781330625507
• Binding: Paperback
• Condition: New
• Book Type: print-on-demand item
• Seller catalogs:
  • Poetry

About this title

Synopsis

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.

About the Author

Michael Field has been a Professor at the University of Houston since 1992. He received his PhD in mathematics from the University of Warwick in 1970. His research interests include ergodic theory, coupled cell systems, the geometric theory of dynamical systems with symmetry and the mechanisms whereby symmetry can lead to complex dynamics in low dimensional systems.