Plays by August Strindberg, Fourth Series

"Plays by August Strindberg, Fourth Series" by August Strindberg is a collection of dramatic works written in the late 19th century. The series includes several plays, prominently featuring themes of love, conflict, and societal norms, such as "The Bridal Crown." The characters often grapple with issues of familial duty, personal desire, and cultural traditions, creating a vivid portrait of Swedish life during this period. The opening portion of "The Bridal Crown" sets the stage in the pastoral landscape of Dalecarlia, capturing the essence of rural Swedish life rich in folklore and tradition. We are introduced to Kersti, a young woman preparing for her marriage to Mats as they navigate complex family dynamics and societal expectations. The dialogue reveals their hopes and fears, particularly regarding the significance of wearing a crown at their wedding, which symbolizes honor and virtue in their community. This evocative beginning hints at underlying tensions, especially concerning family rivalries and the secrets they bear, laying the groundwork for a compelling exploration of relationships and identity. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Johan August Strindberg was a Swedish playwright, novelist, poet, essayist, and painter. A prolific writer who often drew directly on his personal experience, Strindberg wrote more than 60 plays and more than 30 works of fiction, autobiography, history, cultural analysis, and politics during his career, which spanned four decades. A bold experimenter and iconoclast throughout his life, he explored a wide range of dramatic methods and purposes, from naturalistic tragedy, monodrama, and historical plays to his anticipations of expressionist and surrealist dramatic techniques. From his earliest work, Strindberg developed innovative forms of dramatic action, language, and visual composition. He is considered the "father" of modern Swedish literature and his The Red Room (1879) has frequently been described as the first modern Swedish novel. In Sweden, Strindberg is known as an essayist, painter, poet, and especially novelist and playwright, but in other countries he is known mostly as a playwright.