Thematic Structure of Strindberg's 'A Dream Play'

Abstract

The author discusses with the help of diagrams the thematic structure of August Strindberg's drama A Dream Play, in which she finds two dominant themes. One, typified by consecutive changes of place, is more easily noted through the wanderings of the heroine. The other theme, given by consecutive change at a place is, although more significant in the play, less obvious. The heroine, a deity, descends upon the Earth, pursues an earthly existence at various places and then ascends to Heaven. The author cites Strindberg's use of symbolism and finds that he achieves a well-balanced structure by designing the consecutive changes as substantially equal entities. The author concludes with a discussion, based on the Prologue of the play, of the use of language to reveal the heroine's mood in confronting different situations on the Earth. By the appropriate choice of words her spiritual strength is shown to decline in the first part of the play and mount in the second part counter to the rise and fall of her physical being.