LITMIR.BIZ

In many respects 'The Knights' may be reckoned the great Comedian's masterpiece, the direct personal attack on the then all-powerful Cleon, with its scathing satire and tremendous invective, being one of the most vigorous and startling things in literature. Already in 'The Acharnians' he had threatened to «cut up Cleon the Tanner into shoe-leather for the Knights,» and he now proceeds to carry his menace into execution, «concentrating the whole force of his wit in the most unscrupulous and merciless fashion against his personal enemy.»—From the introduction to ‘The Knights’ of Aristophanes.

Подробнее

John Ford (1586-1637) was an English playwright and poet whose interest in aberrant psychology helped him create very unique and successful works. After collaboration with various playwrights, from about 1621 to 1625, Ford began working independently, writing plays for theatrical companies like the «Kings Men» at the Blackfriars. Following the literary reign of such figures as Jonson, Marlowe, and Shakespeare, Ford felt the need to shock and intrigue audiences with new and exciting material. «Love's Sacrifice» is one of the most fascinating and puzzling of Jacobean-Caroline plays. Briefly, it tells of an ageing duke devoted to a younger friend (Fernando). The duke meets and hastily marries a young woman (Bianca), with whom Fernando falls in love. The story takes a turn when Fernando's attempts at seducing Bianca are rejected at first, and then in a sudden development that is both startling and wholly convincing, Bianca appears in his bedroom at night to offer herself to him with certain confines.

Подробнее

"Ivanov" is Anton Chekhov's four-act drama, which was originally performed in 1887, however due to Chekhov's disgust for the performance he revised it to its current condition and it was preformed again in 1889. «Ivanov» is the story of its title character, Nikolai Ivanov, who is severely conflicted by the illness of his wife, his mounting debts and his own internal desires. A taut psychological drama, «Ivanov» with its tragic and dramatic climax is considered one of Chekhov's best plays.

Подробнее

George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950) is revered as one of the great British dramatists, credited not only with memorable works, but the revival of the then-suffering English theatre. Shaw was born in Dublin, Ireland, left mostly to his own devices after his mother ran off to London to pursue a musical career. He educated himself for the most part, and eventually worked for a real estate agent. This experience founded in him a concern for social injustices, seeing poverty and general unfairness afoot, and would go on to address this in many of his works. In 1876, Shaw joined his mother in London where he would finally attain literary success. «The Admirable Bashville» is a short play based on Shaw's fourth novel «Cashel Byron's Profession», which was written in 1882 and later serialized. Though the novel was generally overlooked in England, it became surprisingly successful in the United States some years later. The novel and the play tell the story of Cashel Byron, a world champion prizefighter and his attempts to woo wealthy aristocrat Lydia Carew while hiding his illegal profession from her.

Подробнее

August Strindberg (1849-1912) has been referred to as «the father of modern literature» in Sweden, and has earned the distinction of one of the most important playwrights of the 20th century. As an author unafraid of exploring new possibilities in dramatic fiction, Strindberg is noted for his psychological realism, blatant misogyny, symbolism, and his utterly fluid and subjective sequences of events. His works bore intense scrutiny in their time, but have since been recognized for the prodigious influence they exhibited not only in the Naturalist and Expressionist genres, but on modern theatre as a whole. His catalogue includes over sixty plays and more than thirty works of fiction. This collection includes: «Comrades», «Facing Death», «Pariah», or «The Outcast, Easter», «The Father», «Miss Julie», «The Outlaw», «The Stronger», «The Dance of Death», «A Dream Play», and «The Ghost Sonata».

Подробнее

Originally published in 1899, «Uncle Vanya» is widely considered one of Chekhov's most important plays. Essentially a reworking of an earlier Chekhov play, «The Wood Demon», the mood of Uncle Vanya is chiefly melancholic as the characters examine their respective miseries and failures in their lives to accomplish that which they might have hoped to. A classic tragicomedy, «Uncle Vanya» saw its first major performance in 1900 and has been praised as one of Chekhov's most important dramatic works ever since.

Подробнее

Ben Jonson's career began in 1597 when he held a fixed engagement in the «Admiral's Men», and although he was unsuccessful as an actor, his literary talent was apparent and he began writing original plays for the troupe. Jonson's works are particularly recognizable because of his consistencies in style, intricacy of plot, characterization and setting. He focused on creating works that implemented elements of the realistic as well as the absurd. His reputation diminished somewhat in the Romantic era, when he began to be unfairly compared to Shakespeare; however, after the Restoration, many of his plays, including «Epicoene,» was revived and well appreciated. The story takes place in London, where a wealthy old man named Morose has made plans to disinherit his nephew by marrying. The dejected young man forms a revenge plot on his uncle, secretly arranging a calamitous marriage, complete with all the comedic elements expected of Jonson's work.

Подробнее

Benjamin Jonson (1572-1637) was a Renaissance dramatist, poet and actor, known best for his satirical plays and lyric poems. His career began in 1597 when he held a fixed engagement in the «Admiral's Men», and although he was unsuccessful as an actor, his literary talent was apparent and he began writing original plays for the troupe. Jonson's work was primarily in comedies for the public theatres, and although none of his earliest tragedies survived, «Catiline, His Conspiracy» was one of two later tragedies that did. Jonson drew on the works of historians like Plutarch, Dio Cassius and Marcus Tullius Cicero to write the play, which recounts the story of Lucius Sergius Catilina, the Roman politician and conspirator of the 1st century B.C. It was written in the tradition of a Senecan closet drama, relying more on language than on action or violence, which made it less popular than Jonson's satirical and comical works.

Подробнее

Booth Tarkington's «The Magnificent Ambersons» is the second book in his Growth trilogy, which depicts Mid-Western life from the post-Civil War era to the early twentieth century. Awarded the Pulitzer Prize in 1919, this novel follows the decline of the Ambersons, an aristocratic family that loses their wealth and social prominence to tycoons and land developers. Considered a realistic portrayal of the rise of industrialization, the Ambersons represent the fall of old money and family connections in the face of new money and the working people. Tarkington's novel, through changes in his fictional family's monetary situation, home, and town, gives readers a glimpse into a time of great social change in the United States.

Подробнее

Combined in this volume are three of Richard Brinsley Sheridan's most loved works, The School for Scandal and The Rivals and The Critic. «The School for Scandal» is Richard Brinsley Sheridan's classic comedy that pokes fun at London upper class society in the late 1700s. Often referred to as a «comedy of manners», «The School for Scandal» is one Sheridan's most performed plays and a classic of English comedic drama. «The Rivals» was Richard Brinsley Sheridan's first play and while at first it was not well received it would go on to prove to be a great success and establish Sheridan as a major talent. «The Rivals» satirizes the pretentiousness of English society in the late 18th century. As witty and accessible today as when it was first written, «The Rivals» sparkles with the humor that Sheridan and his writing are known for. 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. Together these works make a great introduction to the works of Richard Brinsley Sheridan.

Подробнее