MODERN EUROPEAN DRAMA
Modern European Drama
INTRODUCTION :-
Modern European Drama refers to the body of work published by noted European playwrights in the modern age, from late 19th century to early 20th century. Since the Elizabethan era, drama or playwriting was a popular form of literature and art with Shakespeare as the pioneer, in England. But, over the years, change in social and political atmosphere brought about many modifications in the genre of drama.
Especially, in the late 19th century, playwrights from other parts of Europe, for example Norwegian and German dramatists brought a new flavor to the contemporary theatre work. This result to the birth of European drama that influenced modern age literature in many ways. Since, the basis of European drama was social and political theme, these plays reflected multiple ethos of their age.
IMPACTS OF INDUSTRIALISATION :-
In the modern society, industrialization (1760-1820) brought along a wave of changes in the lives of the people living in Europe. The modern age saw rapid growth of big cities, capitalism, decolonization, gender sensitivity, two world wars and, so, the shift in world economic powers. The ‘modernism’ that took over the European world during these times created a wave of change in the literature and arts of this age. With the political and ideological shift of its times, European Drama also began to show a shift in form and matter. Beginning from the late 19th century, the theatre saw a big transition in themes, characterization and form of writing plays.
In the Age of Restoration during the 18th century, drama had been restricted to heroic tragedies or restoration comedies. But, in the modern age, playwrights began to experiment with their content after being inspired by the changing socio-political tastes around them. Some of the major contributors to the collection of works in European Drama were playwrights like Henrik Ibsen, Harold Pinter, Samuel Beckett, Bertolt Brecht and others.
IMPACT OF FIRST WORLD WAR :-
Between 15th and 19th centuries, Europe was the center of power in the world’s political and economic front. It was this multinational power sharing that led to the First World War in 1914. By this time, modern Europe had become the greatest action center for the world’s most highly rated work of art, literature, science as well as political ideologies.
As always, political changes had their impact on the kind of literature that was being written during these modern times. The drama of this age shows how industrialization had affected the social setting of the countries. Dramatists also targeted the bourgeois (/ middle-class) and the effects of decolonization on the imperial class of Europe in the plays that they published during these times.
MAIN THEMES IN EUROPEAN DRAMA :-
The pioneers of European Drama brought about many changes in the form and technique of playwriting that differentiated them from their predecessors. They pore over every day, real world, domestic issues and highlighted naturalism and realism through their works.
There are many common themes in the works that constitute European Drama. Some of these themes are realism, naturalism, modernism, social criticism, modern tragedy, absurdity and such others.
Moving away from romanticism, themes from remote past and heroic grandeur, modern playwrights of European drama tried to create their works around themes of middle-class and contemporary societies. This realistic depiction of everyday life made theatre a medium of exchanging ideas with the audience.
This way, the dramatists ensured that the audience did not only enjoy the play but also participate in analyzing the present-day scenario with respect to politi.
