Strindberg, August
Strindberg, August ( Johan August Strindberg ) ( 1849 – 1912 ),Swedish playwright and author, born in Stockholm, the son of a steamship agent who married his housekeeper after she had already borne him three sons: hence the title of his autobiography, The Son of a Servant ( 1886 ). Strindberg achieved theatrical success only after much difficulty and attempts at other careers, and his works, dramatic and non-dramatic, are marked by a deeply neurotic response to religion, social class, and sexuality; he married three times, gained a reputation for anti-feminism and misogyny, and was tried for blasphemy, though acquitted. His first important play, Master Olof (written 1872 – 7 , performed 1881 ), was followed by others, including The Father ( 1887 ), Miss Julie ( 1888 ), and Creditors ( 1889 ), works which combine a highly aggressive and original version of naturalism with a sense of...
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