Modern Drama

A brief introduction to the genre of modern drama and its relevance to

Miller’s All My Sons

What is drama?• Performance/Spectacle

– Entertaining – emotional– Colourful – eye-catching– Immediate

• Literature– Reliant on language– Artistic– Rigorous

• Means of persuasion/Propaganda– Persuasive– Didactic– Political– Religious– Cultural…

Early Western Drama – the Greeks and high tragedy

• Sophocles and Aristotle• Sophocles is regarded as the first of the ancient Greek

writers to innovate beyond religious festivals and to create ‘characters’ like those in modern drama. The concept of ‘conflict’ can be traced to this innovation.

• Most famous for the play Oedipus Rex – check it out!• Aristotle's six elements of drama are Spectacle,

Character, Fable (Plot), Diction, Melody, and Thought• Aristotle’s Three unities are Time, Space and Action

The emergence of two distinct patterns

• Tragedy – Where the hero is presented as being ‘flawed’,

suffering from hubris and where Fate takes a hand in leading the hero towards an inevitable death

• Comedy– Where the events of the play begin with confusion

or a ‘problem’. The problem usually becomes more complex as the action proceeds but the play will always close with reconciliation and harmony

Tragedy and Comedy

• The words we most associate with these two forms are;“rising and falling action”

• Literary drama often holds on to these crucial patterns – why?– Because they are familiar and easy to grasp– They follow ‘linear’ patterns– Events lead to a clear and ‘finite’ outcome

(closure)

Morality Plays

• In the Western tradition, morality plays date back to medieval times

• These were performances by travelling theatrical troupes

• The main purpose was to convey religious doctrine approved by the church

• Gradually the moral frameworks of these plays became integrated into secular performances

Modern Drama

• Modern drama should be seen as; – A) a continuation of the traditions of classic drama

and the influence of morality– B) a reaction to classic drama and an emphasis on

‘alternative moralities’• The ‘purpose’ of modern dramatic works is

often more obscure and complex

Big names in Modern drama

• Ibsen (Hedda Gabler. The Wild Duck, The Master Builder…)– “Your home is regarded as a model home, your life

as a model life. But all this splendour, and you along with it... it's just as though it were built upon a shifting quagmire. A moment may come, a word can be spoken, and both you and all this splendor will collapse. “

Big Names in Modern Drama

• Strindberg (Miss Julie, The Father, Creditors)• “I want to turn everything upside down and

see what lies beneath”

Big names in Modern drama

• Maeterlinck (Intruder, The Blind)• “ Othello is admirably jealous. But is it not

perhaps an ancient error to imagine that it is at the moments when this passion, or others of equal violence, possesses us, that we live our truest lives? “

Realism and Naturalism

• In the early 20th century two new ‘isms’ began to emerge reflecting differing philosophies

• Naturalism in Drama depended on re-creating painstakingly the ‘world’ in which people lived. Stage sets were often elaborate and highly detailed to help create a ‘real-world feel’

Realism and Social Realism

• Realism in drama tries to recreate ‘the reality of life and living’

• Performances of realist plays do not rely so heavily on life-like sets.

• Attention is given to representational elements of real life

• The focus is upon human relationships and philosophical concerns

After Realism?

• Since the Realists, theatre has experienced a number of progressive trends– Absurdism– Expressionism– Brechtian (alienation theory)

Arthur Miller

• "A play is made by sensing how the forces in life simulate ignorance-you set free the concealed irony, the deadly joke."

• "Don't be seduced into thinking that that which does not make a profit is without value."

• "He's not the finest character that ever lived. But he's a human being, and a terrible thing is happening to him. So attention must be paid."

All My Sons

• Miller’s first Broadway success (1947)• Set over a two day time frame• Based on a true story. Joe Keller exonerated in

investigations whilst his partner Steve Deever is jailed

• Strong link to Ibsen’s Wild Duck because of the concept of two business partners driven by differing perceptions of values

• Modern morality play? Socialist play? Didactic play?

All My Sons

• The play neatly contains discussions about family loyalty, business ethics and human relationships centering upon the Keller and Deever families

• In particular, the play focuses upon the appearance of post-war ‘coping’ (the loss of Larry Keller is compensated by the potential union between Ann Deever and Chris Keller) and the reality of Joe’s secret knowledge of the truth about the aircraft engines

The domestic realm

The domestic realm

• Important because the play acts as a ‘counterbalance’ to traditional high tragedy

• Ibsen’s concept of “the model home” is cucial to our understanding

• The American Dream is embedded in this presentation of domestic stability – Joe Keller’s backyard is a gathering place for the community

The domestic tragedy

• Not the deaths of ‘great men’ but of people who are fallible like us

• The news of Larry’s letter and his motives allows the audience to perceive that morality has not been absent in the play

• Joe’s suicide offers a form of modern catharsis to the audience

Issues to consider

• Does the play conform to the ‘patterns’ of true tragedy?

• Is the modern dramatic use of the domestic setting more or less appropriate to audiences seeking deeper meaning?

• (esp for H2s) How is Miller’s approach to modern tragedy simlar/different to that used by Tennessee Williams?