Yeats’ S Dramatic Productions: Art And Politics

As a famous writer, Yeats alleges his principle is “No Politics” and his works are“art for art’s sake”, but many evidences prove that politics is an indispensable part in his life and writing.Aimed to Yeats’ s words that his dramas are “no propaganda but art”, the author refutes it with Yeats’ s four dramas. The Countess Cathleen and Purgatory expose Yeats’ s aristocratic politics. The philosophy of the two plays deviates minds of the mass in Ireland. What Yeats does is to mold Irish with his own thought, not to represent them. Moreover, Yeats achieves preliminary success in his career through Cathleen ni Houlihan and The King’s Threshold. They reflect how Yeats moves freely between poles of lofty aesthetic manifesto and shrewd theatrical politics.Yeats’ s plays, certainly, are art as well as politics. Yeats’ s dichotomy of art and politics is unreasonable. To differentiate art and politics in dramatic production is just like to make a limited choice between a writing with no conscious purpose and one with a single political purpose. All works of art involve politics, which shapes them as they shape it. What’s more, the author analyzes formation and limitation of Yeats’ s dichotomy.We can make a conclusion that why Yeats advocates that his dramas is “no propaganda and good art” although some plays have obvious political implication is because he has unique policy. He believes that artists’ power is above the secular throne. If his play by intent is art, then it is art, even thought it is propaganda by effect.