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At a glance:

Author: Thomas William Robertson
First Published: 1878
Type of Work: Drama
Type of Plot: Social criticism
Time of Work: Nineteenth century
Setting: England
Principal Characters: The Honorable George d’Alroy, Marquise de St. Maur, Esther Eccles, Eccles, Polly, Captain Hawtree, Sam Gerridge
Genres: Social realism, Drama
Subjects: Class conflict, Love or romance, Nineteenth century, Marriage, Class consciousness, England or English people, Nobility, Naturalism
Locales: England

Robertson is famous in the history of nineteenth-century British drama for his efforts to introduce naturalism in dialogue, feeling, and situation. He felt that British drama needed plays which would reflect the life of the times without artificialities of plot and violence of passion. Critics failed to appreciate his pioneering in realistic drama, but the contemporary theatergoers patronized productions of his dramas in large numbers. To the reader of today, accustomed to extreme realism in both fiction and drama, Robertson’s plays seem rather conventional, unless...

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At a glance:

Critique:

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