Abstract
IRONHAND IS JOHN ARDEN'S "free paraphrase" of Goethe's first play, Goetz von Berlichingen, yet the play is very much Arden's. This judgment may not be the reader's first response, for Ironhand seems rooted in the turbulent world of Elizabethan drama which Goethe was imitating. The stark conflicts between the forces of freedom and order, the court intrigues, the treachery of politicians and clergymen, and the frustrations of the aspiring individual in a struggle between uncertain values suggest comparison with Shakespeare, Marlowe and Marston.2 At its core, however, Ironhand is a play about politics, not about character, and it is in the treatment of politics that the play is clearly Arden's. The play explores the paternalism of the feudal lords and the parliamentarianism of the nobles, the clergy and the peasants, but it is the politics of transition, the force for change between these two worlds, which interests Arden.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callSimilar Papers
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
