Brief notes summarising the key aspects of literary context of both plays, intended for revision.
A Doll’s House (1879)
- First of Ibsen’s plays to reflect the ‘naturalistic’ movement of the late 19th century, rejecting earlier Romantic dramatic visions of how humans ‘ought to be’. Ibsen became the leading dramatist to develop naturalism in the theatre.
- Audiences at the time were used to the ‘well-made play’ (Scribe, French, mid-19th century) - exposition, development and complication, crisis and resolution; ADH still roughly follow this structure but does not end neatly with the final curtain. ‘The true end lies beyond…’ (Ibsen)
- Other changes: dialogue is naturalistic, not written for highly declamatory acting style (his earlier plays were written in verse) and characters have psychological depth; criticism could point to the retention of soliloquies and coincidences as too contrived, although there are no over-elaborate plots or theatrical tricks to maintain audience interest (which were common at the time).
- Realism in the theatre meant confronting contemporary problems and tackling social issues (rather than pure entertainment). Arthur Miller acknowledged Ibsen as the model for highlighting the inextricable links between social issues and personal relationships.
All My Sons (1947)
- Unlike ADH, AMS was written when dramatic realism was the dominant movement in the theatre. Eugene O’Neill (1888-1953), some 20 years older than Miller, had confronted audiences, used to genteel comedies and melodramas, with plays exploring difficult issues. Arthur Miller and Tennessee Williams, his contemporary, continued to write serious realist drama, although their plays reflect their different backgrounds.
- One of the main characteristics of American realist drama of the time is its purpose of confronting and destroying myths about American society. AMS fits perfectly into this tradition.
Classical tragedy
- AMS (maybe more closely than ADH) follows Aristotle’s ‘Three Unities’ of Place, Time and Action– setting of the play is one location, the time, no more than 24 hours (previous events can be recounted on stage), and all action/ scenes contribute in some way to the main plot and is directed to one over-arching idea.
- Both plays contain many elements of classical tragedy; however, while the audience may experience catharsis at the end of the plays, their purpose is not to acknowledge humility before the gods, but to confront a failure in society.
