Literature – Drama – Plays
This week, we will move to the world of contemporary drama. You may choose to read either Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun or August Wilson’sThe Piano Lesson.
In your responses to the play you choose, I’d like you to compare and contrast as follows:
1. The modern play andHamlet: Is the play you chose a tragedy, according to Aristotle’s definition? What about according to the modern definitions of “tragedy”? Why or why not?
2. The modern play andA Doll’s House: How is the play you chose to read similar toA Doll’s House? How is it different?
One more question:
If Ibsen is the father of modern theater, what can we extrapolate about modern theater vs. older styles of theater based on our examination of these three plays?
