Subject
Love -- Drama Books
Best books
Thomas Dekker
Thomas Dekker Edited, with an introduction and notes by Ernest Rhys. Unexpurgated Edition
"Thomas Dekker" by Thomas Dekker is a collection of works by the playwright Thomas Dekker, likely compiled in the late 19th century. This edition highlights some of his most notable plays, including "The Shoemaker's Holiday," "The Honest Whore," "Old Fortunatus," and "The Witch of Edmonton." The collection serves to showcase Dekker's unique blend of humor, realism, and poetic flair, reflecting the social life and sentiments of Elizabethan England, particularly through the lens of common tradesmen and their experiences. The opening portion introduces Dekker's life and career, outlining his initial struggles and the emergence of his talent in the vibrant world of Elizabethan drama. It discusses elements of his biography as recorded in Henslowe's Diary, illuminated by examples from his works that provide insight into his experiences as a playwright and poet. Particularly noteworthy is the beginning of "The Shoemaker's Holiday," which sets up the central plot where Rowland Lacy disguises himself as a Dutch shoemaker to win the affection of the Lord Mayor's daughter, Rose, revealing Dekker's knack for combining comedy with social commentary and character-driven narratives.
Bernard Shaw
Arms and the Man
"Arms and the Man" by George Bernard Shaw is a comedy first produced in 1894. Set during the Serbo-Bulgarian War, the play follows Raina, an idealistic young Bulgarian woman engaged to a battlefield hero, whose romantic notions are challenged when a pragmatic Swiss mercenary takes refuge in her bedroom. Shaw humorously exposes the futility of war and the hypocrisies of human nature as characters grapple with the gap between romantic ideals and reality, leading to unexpected revelations and shifting allegiances.
Dion Boucicault
The Octoroon; or, Life in Louisiana. A Play in Five acts
"The Octoroon; or, Life in Louisiana. A Play in Five acts" by Dion Boucicault is a play that opened in 1859. Set on a failing Louisiana plantation, it tells the story of George Peyton, who falls in love with Zoe, an enslaved woman of mixed race. Their romance faces insurmountable legal and social barriers in the antebellum South. When the villain McClosky commits murder to seize the property and claim Zoe for himself, tragedy unfolds. This anti-slavery melodrama sparked fierce debates about abolition and theatrical politics.
Arthur Schnitzler
Reigen: Zehn Dialoge
"Reigen: Zehn Dialoge" by Arthur Schnitzler is a play written between 1896 and 1897. Ten dialogues depict pairs of men and women from different social classes before and after sexual encounters. Each scene links to the next like a dance, with one partner from each scene continuing into the following one. The cycle moves from prostitute to soldier to maid, ascending through bourgeois and aristocratic Vienna, until the final scene closes the circle. Schnitzler portrays desire, power, seduction, and disappointment across Fin de Siècle society.
Friedrich Schiller
Kabale und Liebe: Ein bürgerliches Trauerspiel
"Kabale und Liebe: Ein bürgerliches Trauerspiel" by Friedrich Schiller is a five-act play written in 1784. Ferdinand, a nobleman's son, and Luise Miller, a musician's daughter, fall deeply in love despite their different social classes. Both fathers oppose the relationship, and the president schemes to marry Ferdinand to the duke's mistress instead. A sinister plot involving false letters and forced oaths threatens to destroy the lovers' bond. This bourgeois tragedy explores the deadly conflict between middle-class values and aristocratic power.
Victor Hugo
Ruy Blas: Drame
"Ruy Blas: Drame" by Victor Hugo is a five-act verse drama written in 1838. Set in late seventeenth-century Spain, it tells the story of Ruy Blas, a valet who secretly loves the Queen. His master, a disgraced nobleman seeking revenge against the Queen, forces Ruy Blas to pose as a nobleman and win her heart. As Ruy Blas rises to become Prime Minister and earns the Queen's love, he remains trapped by his true identity and his master's sinister plot.
Francis Beaumont
Philaster; Or, Love Lies a Bleeding
"Philaster; Or, Love Lies a Bleeding" by Francis Beaumont and John Fletcher is a tragicomedy written between 1608-1610. Set in a conquered Sicily, the rightful heir Philaster lives as a nobleman while a usurper king plots to secure his throne by marrying his daughter Arethusa to a Spanish prince. But Arethusa loves Philaster, and their romance becomes entangled in court intrigue, false accusations, and a disguised page whose secret could change everything. Political rebellion and personal passion collide in this influential early Stuart drama.
Bernard Shaw
Helden
"Helden" by George Bernard Shaw is a play first performed in 1894. Set during the Serbo-Bulgarian War of 1885, it follows Swiss artillery captain Bluntschli, who flees battle and takes refuge with Raina, the fiancée of Bulgarian cavalry officer Sergius. The pragmatic Bluntschli carries chocolate instead of ammunition and makes no secret of his distaste for war. When he returns after the war to return borrowed clothing, romantic entanglements and the threat of a duel complicate matters, leading to unexpected pairings.
Henrik Hertz
Kuningas René'n tytär : $b Lyrillinen drama yhdessä näytöksessä
"Kuningas René'n tytär: Lyrillinen drama yhdessä näytöksessä" by Henrik Hertz is a Danish verse drama written in 1845. This fictional tale reimagines the early life of Yolande of Lorraine as a beautiful blind princess who lives sheltered in a garden paradise, unaware of her condition or royal identity. When Count Tristan arrives for an arranged marriage, he unknowingly falls in love with his own betrothed. The play explores themes of sight, awakening, and love as the princess approaches her sixteenth birthday and a promised cure.
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