Language and Ritual in T. S. Eliot's Sweeney Agonistes

Abstract

T. S. Eliot's Sweeney Agonistes is one of the most important pieces in modern drama. The purpose of this study of Sweeney Agonistes is to explore the fertilising forces that made it possible for the play to bring new colours to the language of the theatre; another aim is to look at the background of the fragments, exploring the different elements of ritual, religion, and literary sources working in the play. Although the play is fragmentary, it can be regarded as a key to Eliot's dramatic art. The way Eliot used the language of Jazz is unique in early 20th century literature; the lack of characters, plot and settings naturally draw our attention to language, which is characterised by an unprecedented vitality and dynamism. Eliot clearly succeeded in establishing a new vehicle for dramatic expression. The rituals providing the background in Sweeney are closely connected with Greek drama and the religious turn in Eliot's life leading to the birth of the Ariel Poems, one of which, "The Journey of the Magi," opens up to further analysis if we approach it from the direction of Sweeney Agonistes.