Features of Modern Drama in English Literature PDF

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This notes deals with the Basic Features of Modern Drama in English Literature. This is a well structured note which helps you to understand the difference between the traditional and modern Drama along with its minute features....

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Features of Modern Drama in English Literature Modern Drama Drama, which had fallen out of favour during the Victorian era, was resurrected with vigour at the start of the twentieth century, and during the next six decades, several trends and currents in twentieth-century drama emerged. In terms of technique, the theatre of the English Modernist Movement was far less original than its poetry and novels. Features of Modern Drama Realism: In modern English drama, realism is the most important and prominent feature. Naturalism piqued the attention of early twentieth-century dramatists, who sought to address real-life issues in realistic ways in their works. The Norwegian writer Henrik Ibsen is credited with popularising realism in modern theatre. In his play, he dealt realistically with real-life concerns. Robertson Arthur Jones, Galsworthy, and G. B. Shaw all wrote plays based on his example. The Problem Play is a product of modern theatre, and many modern dramatists have created a number of problem plays in recent years. In their plays, they addressed issues such as marriage, justice, law, administration, and labor-management conflict. They utilised theatre to effect social improvements in their day. A Doll's House, by

Henrik Ibsen, is an excellent example of a problematic play. The problem play was a novel form and method that eschewed traditional theatrical tropes and expedients. Romanticism: The early twentieth-century dramatists were mostly Realists, but as time passed, a new movement in Modern Drama emerged. The fresh wave of Romanticism swept across Modern Drama for some years in the twentieth century, thanks largely to Sir J.M. Barrie's efforts. Barrie remained detached from the reality of life, preferring to immerse himself in the world of romance. Poetic Plays: T.S. Eliot was a major dramatist who emphasised poetic plays and was the contemporary theater's realistic prose drama. Those who authored lyrical plays included Stephen Phillips, John Drink Water, Yeats, and others. Drama of Ideas: Modern theatre is mostly a drama of ideas as opposed to action. Dramatists utilise the theatre to communicate particular concepts that they aim to propagate across society. Modern drama dealing with contemporary issues has grown significantly more intellectual than it has ever been before in the history of play. With the treatment of real life, theatre evolved into a drama of ideas, sometimes hidden in the main action, sometimes didactically acted out.

Plays on history and biographies: Another noticeable tendency in Modern English theatre is the use of history and biography as dramatic techniques. In modern dramatic writing, there are many wonderful historical and biographical plays. Caesar and Cleopatra by Shaw are important historical dramas. Abraham Lincoln and Mary Stuart, both written by John Drink Water, are historical dramas. Irish Uprising: The Celtic Revival in literature was ushered in by Irish dramatists, who launched a new tendency in Modern English Drama. Drama, under the hands of Irish dramatists such as Yeats, J.M. Synge, T.C. Murrey, and others, lost its realistic aspect and became an expression of the Irish people's dreams and ambitions from distant periods to their present. Manners' Comedy In modern dramatic writing, the Comedy of Manners is making a comeback. Oscar Wilde, Somerset Maugham, Noel Coward, and others have all contributed significantly to the revival of wit comedy in our day. After the Second World War, drama has not shown a fondness for humour, and the socioeconomic conditions of the postwar period are not conducive to the formation of Restoration-era artificial comedy. Impressionism: It is a movement that depicts the influence of objects and events on the artist's psyche, as well as the artist's attempt to communicate his feelings. Another significant aspect of modern play is impressionism. The major effort of W.B. Yeats' impressionistic plays is directed on reproducing the artist's experience and feelings about reality rather than showing reality as it is. Rather from making a

clear declaration about the actual features of things or objects, modern impressionistic theatre aims to imply the artist's impressions. Expressionism: It's a movement that focuses on expressing people's sentiments and emotions rather than things or events. Another significant aspect of modern play is expressionism. It is a vehement rejection of naturalism. The trend, which began in Germany, spread to England, and various modern dramatists, including J.B. Priestly, Sean O' Casey, C.K. Munro, and Elmer Rice, experimented with the expressionistic tendency in modern theatre....