Plays — First Series: The Dream Play - The Link - The Dance

Plays — First Series: The Dream Play - The Link - The Dance of Death Part I and II

Playsâ€”First Series - The Dream Play - The Link - The Dance of Death Part I and II by August Strindberg

To the first volume of his remarkable series of autobiographical novels, August Strindberg gave the name of "The Bondwoman's Son." The allusion was twofoldâ€”to his birth and to the position which fate, in his own eyes, seemed to have assigned him both as man and artist.
If we pass on to the third part of his big trilogy, "To Damascus," also an autobiographical work, but written nearly twenty years later, we find The Stranger, who is none but the author, saying: "I was the Bondwoman's Son, concerning whom it was writâ€”Cast out this bondwoman and her son; for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the free woman's son.'"
And The Lady, back of whom we glimpse Strindberg's second wife, replies: "Do you know why Ishmael was cast out? It is to be read a little further backâ€”because he was a scoffer! And then it is also said: 'He will be a wild man; his hand will be against every man, and every man's hand against him; and he shall dwell in opposition to all his brethren.'"
These quotations should be read in conjunction with still another, taken from Strindberg's latest play, "The Great Highway," which, while being a sort of symbolical summary of his life experience, yet pierces the magic circle of self-concern within which too often he has remained a captive. There The Hermit asks: "You do not love your fellow-men?" And Strindberg, masquerading as The Hunter, cries in answer: "Yes, far too much, and fear them for that reason, too."
August Strindberg was born at Stockholm, Sweden, on January 22, 1849. His father was a small tradesman, who had lost his business just before August was born, but who had the energy and ability to start all over again as a steam-ship agent, making a decided success of his second venture. The success, however, was slow in coming, and the boy's earliest years were spent in the worst kind of povertyâ€”that poverty which has to keep up outward appearances.
The mother had been a barmaid in one of the numerous inns forming one of the Swedish capital's most characteristic features. There the elder Strindberg had met her and fallen deeply in love with her. August was their third child, born a couple of months after their relationship had become legalized in spite of bitter opposition from the husband's family. Other children followed, many of them dying early, so that August could write in later years that one of his first concrete recollections was of the black-jacketed candy which used to be passed around at every Swedish funeral.
Though the parents were always tired, and though the little home was hopelessly overcrowdedâ€”ten persons living in three roomsâ€”yet the family life was not without its happiness. Only August seemed to stand apart from the rest, having nothing in common with his parents or with the other children. In fact, a sort of warfare seems to have been raging incessantly between him and his elder brothers. Thus a character naturally timid and reserved had those traits developed to a point where its whole existence seemed in danger of being warped.
At school he was not much happier, and as a rule he regarded the tasks set him there as so much useless drudgery. Always and everywhere he seemed in fear of having his personality violated, until at last that apprehension, years later, took on a form so morbid that it all but carried him across the limits of rationality. With this suspiciousness of his environment went, however, a keen desire to question and to understand. He has said of himself that the predominant traits of his character have been "doubt and sensitiveness to pressure." In these two traits much of his art will, indeed, find its explanation.

Country	USA
Author	August Strindberg
Binding	Kindle Edition
Format	Kindle eBook
IsAdultProduct
Label	Transcript
Manufacturer	Transcript
NumberOfPages	276
PublicationDate	2014-12-29
Publisher	Transcript
ReleaseDate	2014-12-29
Studio	Transcript

Plays — First Series: The Dream Play - The Link - The Dance of Death Part I and II

You might also like...