This is the climax of the Myth of Cuchulainn as set out by W.B. Yeats.
This play is juxtaposed between the frivolities and passionate natures of man with the ritual and order of its systems, and how one can not be beholden to both and still treat each side with the same worthiness upon the crossing of that threshold. The ideal of duty can drive a once powerful and spirited fighter to the ruin of himself and, more importantly, his legacy.
"On Baile's Strand," is one of the best testaments to W.B. Yeats' understanding of human nature and larger than life pathos.
