Page 29 - DENG403_BRITISH_DRAMA

Unit 2: Literary Terms: Problem Play, Kitchen Sink Drama, and Angry Young Man

Many critics have suggested that this sequence of plays marked a psychological turning point for Notes
Shakespeare, during which he lost interest in the romantic comedies he had specialized in and
turned towards the darker worlds of Hamlet, Othello, King Lear and Macbeth. The term has also
been applied to other odd plays from various points in his career, as the term has always been
somewhat vaguely defined and is not accepted by all critics.

Self Assessment

Multiple Choice Questions:
1. The problem play is a form of drama that emerged during
(a) during 19th century as part of the wider movement of realism
(b) during 19th century emanating the rational purpose of the play
(c) during 19th century imitating a serious and complete action
(d) during 19th century as selected and sequenced tragic incidents.
2. While social debattes in drama were nothing new, the problem play of the 19th
century was distinguihsed by
(a) its content and are meant for stage play
(b) its intent to confront the spectator with the dilemmas experienced by the
characters
(c) its character of comedy and not for performance
(d) its contents of social issues not intended for stage play.
3. The problem plays are characterised by their complex and ambiguous tone, which
shifts violently between
(a) dark, psychological drama and more straightforward tragic material
(b) tragic, psychological drama and more straightforward comic material
(c) dark, psychological drama and more straightforward comic material
(d) comic, psychological drama and more straightforward tragic material.

Fill in the blanks:
4. According to Henrik Ibsen, a problem play is a type of drama that presents a .........
in order to awaken the audience to it.
5. The problem plays are characterised by their ......... and ambiguous tone.
6. The concept of problem plays arose in the 19th century, as part of an overall
movement known as ..........
7. The term derives from a type of drama that was popular at the time of ..........

State whether the following statements are true or false:
8. The term problem play is also used to refer to certain Shakespeare plays that do
not fit the categories of tragedy, comedy, or romance.
9. The problem plays usually reject romantic plots in favor of holding up a mirror that
reflects simply what the audience wants to see and not what the playwright sees in
them.

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