William Butler Yeats was born near Dublin in 1865, and was encouraged from a young age to pursue a life in the arts. He attended art school for a short while, but soon found that his talents and interest lay in poetry rather than painting. His father's love of reading aloud exposed Yeats early on to William Shakespeare, the Romantic poets and the pre-Raphaelites, and developed an interest in Irish myths and folklore. As a result, he became ...
Considered by many as the greatest of all Spanish authors, Miguel de Cervantes is most well-known of course for «Don Quixote,» a work of such literary impact that its historical importance cannot be understated. Unfortunately Cervantes' other works are often overlooked and characterized as inferior to his masterpiece. While his other writings never gained the popularity of «Don Quixote,» he did author several other works that are worthy of ...
"Major Barbara" is the story of its title character who as an officer in the Salvation Army becomes disenfranchised by the increasing social problems that she sees and the willingness of her organization to accept money from armament manufacturers. George Bernard Shaw's three-act drama is considered one of his most controversial for the criticisms that it levels against religion for contributing to the problems of society at the time. ...
George Bernard Shaw, one of Britain's most acclaimed playwrights, produced a large wealth of dramatic and comedic plays during his lifetime. In «Man and Superman and Three Other Plays,» four of his most famous works are presented. In 1903's «Man and Superman,» we find a play that on the surface is a mere comedy of manners but upon deeper examination delves into the philosophic themes outlined by Nietzsche's «Ubermensch,» or more d ...
Sir James Matthew Barrie (1860-1937), best remembered as the creator of Peter Pan, was a Scottish author and dramatist whose works have enjoyed frequent revivals in film and on stage. One of his most penetrating and socially critical plays was «The Admirable Crichton», which first appeared in 1902 at the Duke of York's Theatre in London. The comical play deals with questions of social hierarchy, and sheds light on a society where rank is es ...
The death of Pedro Calderon de la Barca (1600-1681) marked the end of Spain's Golden Age of literary and artistic excellence, and his immense popularity and mastery of Spanish drama has earned him notoriety as the national dramatist of Spain. Although he came from a family of lower nobility, his theater is often associated with the royal court, as he presented many plays in the palace of Philip IV. His best known work, «Life Is a Dream», bo ...
In «The Critic» Richard Brinsley Sheridan turns his attention to satirize the Theatre and all the people engaged in the business of the Theatre in late 18th century England. The critic of the story is a man by the name of Mr. Dangle and the play that is the subject of criticism is a horribly written production named «The Spanish Armada». Fans of Sheridan will delight in this lesser known work. ...
"Hedda Gabler" is one of Henrik Ibsen's greatest dramas. It is the story of its title character, Hedda, a self-centered manipulative woman who has grown tired of her marriage. To escape her boredom she begins to meddle in the lives of others with truly tragic results. Ibsen's «Hedda Gabler» is a monumental achievement in dramatic tragedy. ...
"A Woman of No Importance" is Oscar Wilde's classic comedic play. The woman of no importance is Mrs. Arbuthnot, a woman who has been scorned by society for having an illicit affair and conceiving a child out of wedlock. «A Woman of No Importance» is both a criticism of the shameful double standard applied to men and women in such matters and a biting satire of the hypocrisy of the upper classes in Victorian Society. ...
