The Countess Cathleen

    inspiredbyirishfolklore,firstpublishedin1892,firstperformedin1899.thesorrowfularedumbforthee--lamentofmorionshehoneformissmarybourkeoriginallypublishedin1892,thecountesscathleenarousedfiercecontroversywhenitwasfirstperformedin1899.theplaywasfrequentlyrevivedandalmostasoftenrevised,becomingatvariouspointsinyeats’scareeradecisiveindicatorofhisrelationswithhisliteraryandtheatricalpublic,ofhischangingconceptionofdramaticform,andofthestatusofhispursuitofmaudgonne,forwhomtheplaywaswritten.thisvolumeinthecornellyeatsreproducesthecompletesetofextantmanuscriptsprecedingtheplay’sfirstpublicationandreassemblestheextensivemanuscript,proof,andauthorialcopytopresentacrucialbodyofevidenceofyeats’sworkandthoughtindramaandtheateroverthecourseofthreedecades.