August Strindberg, Ett drömspel [A Dream Play]

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Coming from one of the major innovators in modern drama, August Strindberg’s

Ett Drömspel

[

A Dream Play

, 1901] is in more ways than one a revolutionary theatrical piece. During the mid-1890s, Strindberg underwent a profound psychological and religious crisis, which he portrayed in his autobiographical novel,

Inferno

(1897). Strindberg had been a life-long atheist, but his new interest in theosophy and mysticism caused him to read reality in a symbolic manner. This new perception precipitated a profound shift in his dramatic style. For this reason, his plays are traditionally classified as pre-

Inferno

or post-

Inferno

. The highly symbolic nature of

A Dream Play

did not go over well in 1907 with its first Swedish audience, trained as it was to expect social realism. One reviewer claimed…

2194 words

Citation: Brantly, Susan. "Ett drömspel". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 11 November 2010 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=11351, accessed 19 March 2024.]

11351 Ett drömspel 3 Historical context notes are intended to give basic and preliminary information on a topic. In some cases they will be expanded into longer entries as the Literary Encyclopedia evolves.

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