Columba's Identity Crisis in the Monastery

St. Columba, or Columba, as he is plainly referred to in The Enemy Within, struggles to construct his monastic identity within the monastery he has founded in Iona. Even though he is the Abbot, or the head of the monastery, Columba fights to truly become the man of God that he believes himself to be.

Monk-hood vs. Family

Columba’s identity in the monastery is largely constructed by the responsibilities of the monk-hood. In Act 1, Columba is forced to decide between helping his cousin in military matters, and staying at the monastery. When Columba struggles to decide where his responsibilities lie, Grillaan, his spiritual adviser and fellow monk, reminds him, “You are a priest in voluntary exile for God – not a private chaplain to your family” (Friel, Act 1, 34). Grillaan reminds Columba that he has chosen the identity of a monk, and therefore, he has certain responsibilities to uphold; Columba must not simply revert back to an old identity that he previously held. Grillaan’s binary suggests that Columba, as Abbott of Iona, may not have a dual identity including both his identity as a monk and his identity as a member of his Irish family. Grillaan suggests that Columba can only be one or the other, that his identity is not fluid. In the early monasteries, monks’ identities were considered to be fairly static. According to Celtic Culture A Historical Encyclopedia, monks were men of God and “the ideal monastic life anticipated heaven” (1305). It was the job of monks to seek God and no one else. Familial ties were distractions. Columba was expected to abandon his old identity in favor of the identity of the monk.

Dedication to the Monastery

Columba’s identity as a monk is what he appears to strive for, despite his familial pulls. George O’Brien, Professor at Georgetown University, states, “There is no doubt that Columba is dedicated to his missionary vocation” (41). Columba is the most dedicated of all the monks in the monastery; he eats less than allowed, sleeps less, and does more work than he is required. Columba goes so far beyond the requirements that in Act 2 Grillaan advises him to accept a penance of moderation. When Columba asks Grillaan to impose a penance on him, Grillaan states, “I say to you: subject yourself to the wise discipline of the monastery and to it alone… And beyond that – nothing… Only the Rule – but the Rule to the letter. Each man’s cleansing, Columba, is of a different kind. Yours is in moderation in all things, in calm, reasoned moderation” (Friel, Act 2, 49). Columba is so dedicated to achieving the grace of God, that he overdoes his sacrifices. Grillaan informs Columba that it would be harder for him to only do the minimum than to go above and beyond the call of duty. Grillaan suggests that the path of the monk is to deny himself that which is easy; the identity of the monk is one that suffers in order to achieve grace. Columba finds it easy to do everything in his power to embody the identity of a monk, and by doing so, fails to truly achieve that identity. Columba’s overexertion implies the inner struggle that Columba has to let go of his love of family and Ireland. Professor Christopher Murray, Irish Drama Scholar, states, “Columba is community-minded; his struggle is to give up politics, so to speak, for the family…He must learn to make of exile a home” (xiii). Columba’s dedication to the monastery suggests Columba’s attempt to let go of his blood family and make his monastic family his true family, but because it is so hard for him to let go, he must overcompensate by doing more than expected.

Position Expectations

Columba’s position within the monastery further complicates his already fragile identity. As the founder and Abbot of Iona, Columba is expected to act in a certain way, and his reputation often precedes him. Columba struggles to understand who he is through the lens of others. In Act 1, when Caornan proclaims Columba’s fame as a great priest, Columba rebukes him. He states that he is only famous, “As a builder of churches! As a builder of schools! As an organizer! But the inner man – the soul – chained irrevocably to the earth, to the green wooded earth of Ireland!” (Friel, Act 1, 21). Columba is unable to see himself as he is seen by others. He constantly has to fight against his love of Ireland, and therefore, he is unable to see anything good he has done. O’Brien states that Columba’s attachment to Ireland “is a source of conflict” (44). Columba cannot see himself as a true man of God while he still harbors these attachments, and he is in constant search of a way to conquer his desires.

Vitality: a Weakness

Columba must further fight against his own nature in order to identify fully as a monk. He is so energetic and young at heart that he struggles to abstain from the stimuli that compromise his journey of seeking God. Friel describes Columba in the stage directions as seemingly youthful; “Columba is sixty-six but looks a man sixteen years younger. There is vitality, verve, almost youthfulness in every gesture. He has an open healthy face” (15). Columba understands that his physical agility is a curse. He has a physical drive and ability far surpassing most men his age, and this gives him a competitive edge and a drive to conquer. Columba recognizes his vitality as a hurdle he must jump before achieving his goal. In Act 2, he begs Grillaan, “Crush this violent Adam into subjection!" (Friel, Act 2, 48-49). He realizes that the curse of Adam, the original sinner, is to have a desire for action. As this is the opposite of who he must be as a man of God, Columba must discard the desire for excitement and action or they will lead to his failure. O’Brien brings attention to Columba’s active tendencies. He states, “It is Columba’s very vitality that makes his family’s claims on him so irresistible” (O'Brien 43). Because Columba is naturally inclined to be active and aggressive in everything he does, it is especially hard for him to disregard the call of his family. Columba’s life at the monastery does not satisfy his active tendencies, and therefore, his weakness for the action outside the monastic walls is very hard to refuse. While vitality is traditionally thought of as an asset, to Columba, it is his greatest weakness.

Conclusion

Columba’s struggle to construct his identity within the monastic walls is very complex. Not only is he contending with an inner struggle, but he must face the ideas of the other monks and the world’s idea of how a monk must identify. He is torn by his natural tendencies and responsibilities and the identity he must take on as a result of his choice to become a priest. Even as a monk, he is unable to successfully identity fully with monastic life, and he is therefore unable to find fulfillment in his chosen life path.

Works Cited/Consulted

Friel, Brian. The Enemy Within. Loughcrew: Gallery, 1992. Print.

Koch, John T., ed. Celtic Culture A Historical Encyclopedia. Vol. 4. Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO, 2006. Print.

Murray, Christopher. “Introduction.” Brian Friel Essays, Diaries, Interviews: 1964-1949. Christopher Murray, ed. Queen Square, London: Faber and Faber, 1999. vii-xxii. Print.

O'Brien, George. Brian Friel. Dublin: Grill and MacMillan, 1989. Print.