W.B. Yeats: Calvary

W.B. Yeats: Calvary

From Brendan Moir's Playwright Corner by Brendan Moir

February 7, 2026 · 14 min · Season 3 · Episode 17

About this episode

This episode explores the themes of satisfaction in Heaven and the human condition through the characters of Lazarus and Judas in W.B. Yeats' work 'Calvary'.

Can man be satisfied in Heaven? If Heaven is brought down to earth so freely, will man reject it for want of freedom? These are the themes put forward in "Calvary" through the mouths of Lazarus and Judas, the man who could not be beholden to death, and the man who would not be beholden to God. ... And yet, their desires laid upon cross are all too human... all too understandable. Follow me on other platforms: https://bemuse.bandcamp.com https://www.instagram.com/talentunlimited1/?hl=en https://open.spotify.com/artist/0wiNjFbd6rluEHZF4Qffcv https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100070481824821&locale=hi_IN https://www.patreon.com/bemuse Website: https://bemusearts.com *This Season's Album Art by Illuvisual* William Butler Yeats (13 June 1865 – 28 January 1939) was an Irish poet, dramatist and writer, and one of the foremost figures of 20th-century literature. He was a driving force behind the Irish Literary Revival, and along with John Millington Synge and Lady Gregory, he founded the Abbey Theatre, serving as its chief during its early years. He was awarded the 1923 Nobel Prize in Literature, and later served two terms as a Senator of the Irish Free State. His earliest…

People in this episode

Host: Brendan Moir

Topics covered

  • Heaven
  • freedom
  • human desires
  • literature
  • Irish Literary Revival
  • poetry

Keywords

  • W.B. Yeats
  • Calvary
  • Heaven
  • freedom
  • Lazarus
  • Judas
  • Irish literature
  • poetry
  • human desires

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Abbey Theatre

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