Genre
Fiction and mythology
Setting and Context
The action takes place in the distant past in Ireland.
Narrator and Point of View
The story is told from the perspective of a third person objective point of view.
Tone and Mood
The tone and mood used in the story are neutral.
Protagonist and Antagonist
The protagonist is Máel Dúin and the antagonists are the men who killed his father.
Major Conflict
The major conflict is caused by the main character's desire to regain his honor. This desire is what pushed him to embark on a dangerous journey.
Climax
The story reaches its climax when Máel Dúin decides to no longer kill the men who killed his father but rather to forgive them.
Foreshadowing
Before Máel Dúin embarks on his journey, he goes to a druid to ask for guidance and help. This scene also foreshadows the important part the Gods and other magical beings and creatures will have in the story.
Understatement
In the beginning of the story is is claimed that Máel Dúin is the son of the King and the Queen. This is later proven to be an understatement when it is revealed that the Queen is not Máel Dúin's birth mother.
Allusions
One of the main allusions we find in the story is the idea that even though Ailill Ochair Aghra raped Máel Dúin's mother, he did nothing wrong or something which must be punished. Instead, he only excersised his rights as a king.
Imagery
N/A
Paradox
One of the main paradoxical ideas in the story in the way in which Máel Dúin continues to want to avenge his father even after he found out about all the horrible things he has done in his life.
Parallelism
A parallelism can be drawn between the story of Mael Duin and the epic story of the Ilyad. In fact the two are extremely similar and share multiple common traits and ideas.
Metonymy and Synecdoche
The sea is used in the story as a general term to make reference to the dangers one must face in life.
Personification
We have a personification in the line "and the winds howelled and pushed the boat even further".
