The writers of J.M. Synge and James Joyce show authority and the resulting resistance to this authority in their texts ‘The Playboy of the Western World’ and ‘A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man’. Both texts explore the ways in which religion can dominate a person’s life and how they are ultimately limited by this. They also negotiate the authority which parents hold over their children and how one can reap the rewards of overthrowing this authority. This is especially clear in ‘The Playboy of the Western World’. The dominant plot in this play is the oedipal narrative of killing an oppressive father and subsequently benefitting from it. Christy challenges the authority of his abusive father in his two attempted murders of him. He commits the ultimate form of rebellion against authority in these attempts to kill him. There are multiple forms of authoritative father-figures present in this play. One of the central themes is; do you rebel against an oppressive father, or do you submit to him? Christy rebels against his father twice which results in his freedom. Shawn however, never ceases to seek the approval of Father Reilly. Due to this he has no freedom or individuality. Throughout the play, the all-pervasive control of the church is clear. A Christian moral code is the authority which the people of “the wild coast of mayo” (Synge, preface) live under. The authority which Father Reilly holds is evident, despite the fact that he never even graces the stage. This can be