Project Gutenberg 2004-02-01 Public domain in the USA. 461 Yeats, W. B. (William Butler) 1865 1939 Yeats, William Butler The Countess Cathleen Wikipedia page about this book: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Countess_Cathleen Produced by Marjorie Fulton, and David Widger "The Countess Cathleen" by W. B. Yeats is a symbolic play written in the late 19th century, specifically in the context of the Irish literary revival. This work delves into themes of sacrifice, morality, and the struggle against materialism and despair in a famine-stricken Ireland. It tells the story of a noblewoman's desperate bid to save her impoverished people from starvation, ultimately involving the trade of her soul. The play centers around Countess Cathleen, who, witnessing the suffering of her people due to famine, decides to sell her own soul in exchange for money to feed them. Throughout the narrative, we encounter characters like Shemus Rua, her peasant husband, and Aleel, a poet, who both reflect the struggles of the Irish populace. However, Cathleen's noble intentions lead her into dealings with two demonic merchants who purchase souls for their master. In her act of selflessness, she attempts to redeem souls while sacrificing her own, highlighting the conflict between noble ideals and the harsh realities of human greed and temptation. The play's conclusion poignantly presents the idea that true virtue can transcend even the direst circumstances, leading to Cathleen’s ultimate sacrifice and redemption. (This is an automatically generated summary.) Reading ease score: 89.9 (6th grade). Easy to read. en Nobility -- Ireland -- Drama Famines -- Ireland -- Drama PR Text Category: Plays/Films/Dramas Category: British Literature 122290 2025-08-02T14:13:24.517036 text/html 118571 2013-02-09T10:32:12 text/html 108357 2025-08-02T14:13:29.041001 application/epub+zip 108701 2025-08-02T14:13:26.213028 application/epub+zip 108702 2025-08-02T14:13:25.144062 application/epub+zip 220733 2025-08-02T14:13:31.008982 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 210878 2025-08-02T14:13:28.336029 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 185889 2022-09-03T06:13:09.257520 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 99030 2025-08-02T14:13:24.145035 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 98836 2009-03-26T12:33:34 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 18531 2025-08-02T14:13:31.137999 application/rdf+xml 13352 2025-08-02T14:13:25.644004 image/jpeg 3529 2025-08-02T14:13:25.393016 image/jpeg 39366 2013-02-09T10:32:12 application/octet-stream application/zip 37128 2009-03-26T12:34:14 application/octet-stream application/zip 107157 2025-08-02T14:13:24.527045 application/octet-stream application/zip Archives containing the RDF files for *all* our books can be downloaded at https://book.klll.cc/wiki/Gutenberg:Feeds#The_Complete_Project_Gutenberg_Catalog en.wikipedia