Masterpieces of Modern British and Irish Drama

Sanford Sternlicht

• Publisher: Greenwood
• Year: 2005
• Print ISBN: 9780313333231
• eBook ISBN: 9780313038990
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Literature
• Subtopic: Literary Criticism in Drama
• Index: Literature

Modern British and Irish dramatic works are among the plays most widely read by students. This volume conveniently introduces 10 major plays by British and Irish dramatists. Each chapter is devoted to a particular play and includes a brief biography, a plot synopsis, a discussion of major themes and characters, an overview of the play's historical background, an analysis of the work's dramatic style, an overview of the play's critical reception, and a list of works for further reading. Modern British and Irish dramatic works are widely enjoyed by general readers and high school students. But because they are rooted in literary Modernism and generally reflect particular historical and cultural concerns, they can also be difficult for students to understand. This volume concisely and conveniently introduces 10 masterpieces of British and Irish drama in an accessible manner.

Table of contents

• Contents
• Acknowledgments
• Introduction
• 1 John Millington Synge, The Playboy of the Western World (1907)
• 2 George Bernard Shaw, Saint Joan (1923)
• 3 Sean O'Casey, Juno and the Paycock (1924)
• 4 Noël Coward, Private Lives (1930)
• 5 Samuel Beckett, Waiting for Godot (1953)
• 6 John Osborne, Look Back in Anger (1956)
• 7 Harold Pinter, The Birthday Party (1958)
• 8 Tom Stoppard, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead (1966)
• 9 Brian Friel, Translations (1980)
• 10 Caryl Churchill, Top Girls (1982)
• Selected Bibliography
• Index