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, ...
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 int ...
"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 ...
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 injus ...
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 ...
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 pr ...
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 ...
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 tra ...
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 Amberso ...
