Richard, Bertha, Beatrice, and Robert - James Joyce's only play is about the relationship of these four characters, approaching the issue of human freedom and dignity. Richard, a writer, returns to his homeland of Ireland after nine years of self-exile in Rome, unsure if he will stay. The shadows-voices of the place that expelled him, the religion that did not win him over, the mother who abandoned him, follow him, reinforcing the feeling of weariness and unhappiness, despite the boundless love of his wife, Bertha. Joyce's Exiles are essentially self-exiled from their personal relationships and desires.

The play was completed in 1915 and published in 1918. Despite the efforts of Joyce himself and the American poet Ezra Pound, the play was rejected by theaters and scorned by critics. The only notable production belongs to Harold Pinter during the period 1970-1971 at the Mermaid Theatre in London.