The Playboy of the Western World is a satirical drama that follows the character Christy Mahon and his experience in a village
in County Mayo. The action takes place at the house of Pegeen Mike who is betrothed to the cowardly Shawn Keogh. The play begins with Pegeen entreating Shawn to stay the night with her because her father will be from home and she lives in an isolated area of the village. Shawn is too concerned with what the
villagers might say and refuses, leaving Pegeen alone. Christy shows up at the house seeking shelter for the night. He reveals that his father insisted that he marry the wealthy Widow Casey, who was his wet-nurse when he was born. When Christy refused, he says, the two fought and Christy killed his father with a blow from his spade.
By morning the story has spread around the village that then gives Christy a reputation which made him the hero of the village. Christy also begins to get the attention from all the women in town. The young Widow Quin and Pegeen become the main rivals for Christy’s affection. With the admiration of Pegeen and the rest of the villagers, the miserable outlaw is transformed into the swaggering hero that the villagers have constructed.
At this point, however, Christy’s father appears on the scene seeking revenge. The father’s rise from the dead is not as happy an occurrence as would be expected. The villagers denounce Christy as a liar and a braggart upon their discovery that he is not a
parricide. To “redeem” himself in their eyes, Christy again tries to kill his father, at which point the villagers all turn against him as an actual murderer. The notorious ideal hero becomes a vile parricide in their eyes and the village decides to hang Christy for his deed. However, yet again, his father returns and the villagers release Christy. Christy and his father leave the village for further adventures and, on his exit, Pegeen repents for turning on Christy and laments the loss “of the only Playboy of the Western World.”