Problem plays in English literature

 

                  The problem play is a form of drama that emerged during the 19th century as part of the wider movement of realism in the arts. The problem plays are also called by the name 'Thesis play'. It is a comparatively recent form of drama. Ideas of the problem play is  a play in which a problem is discussed in all its aspects. This play emerged during 19th century. In this play characters and situations are so designed as to give scope for a discussion of the problem from various points of view.

      

              The trend of writing plays discussing various social, economic, political and domestic problems was first started by a Norwegian dramatist Henrik Ibsen. 

            He created a sensation in the literary circles of Europe publishing in 1879 play called "Doll's House" containing his revolutionary ideas about a domestic problem. The discussion in that play disturbed the peace of a thousand homes. In 1889  it was produced in England as translated by William Archer. It ceated a storm in England. Many critics condemned this new drama of ideas. They argued that a discussion or a debt had no peace in drama. But George Bernard Shaw strongly supported Ibsen. He started writing plays discussing problems could succeed on the stage.

           Other dramatists like Galsworthy also started writing problem plays.

            This drama is basically different from the traditional drama of Shakespeare and his contemporaries and successors. There the emphasis was on the creation of living characters and the plots were based on the fundamental human emotions like, love, jealousy, anger, bitterness etc. In these plays conflicts means clash involving violent physical action or intense emotional disturbance. In the modern drama  of idea characters are introduced to represent different points of view regarding the problem. Hero is generally the mouthpiece of the dramatist himself.

              George Bernad Show held revolutionary views on the problems of love, marriage, sex, prostitution, capitalism, religion, evolution and war, and he started writing plays to present his point of view about all these problems. He used the stages a platform from which to deliever his sermon.

SUBJECT OF THIS KIND OF PLAY:-

               The subject is some current problem. It's deal with contemporary issues. It looks like sermon. This play , therefore has a universal appeal. But the problems presented in problem plays may be of only local interest. Thus a play dealing with constitutional monarchy will interest people in England but will not appeal to people in contries where is no monarchy.

             However, it is typical product of the modern age. Our modern life is such that we are constantly placed in difficult situations and are all the time face to face with social, economic, political and domestic problems.

CONFLICT:-

            The conflict is purely mental. We can see a clash of conflicting ideas and beliefs and of opposing standards of values. In Shakespeare's Othello the hero is a black Moor who marries a very beautiful and virtuous white girl, Desdemona. Othello has all possible virtues but he has one fatal jealousy. 

SOME OF THE PROBLEM PLAYS:-

• Doll's House by Henrik Ibsen (1828-1906)
• Mrs. Dane's Defence, Saints and sinners by H. A. Janes (1851-1920), disciple of Ibsen
• Pygmalion, Widower's House, Mr. Warren's Profession, Candida by G. B. Show (1856-1950)
• Strife, The Silver Box, Loyalties and Justice by John Galsworthy (1867-1933)
• The Voysey Inheritance and Wash, The Marying of Ann Leete by Granville Buker (1877-1946)
• Hindle Wakes by Stanley Houghton (1881-1913)
•  Rachel by Angelina Weld Grimke (1880-1958)

             RACHEL is one of the finest play to protest lynching and racial violence.