August Strindberg's exploration of themes such as sleepwalking and psychic murder can be traced back to his early works like Fröken Julie (Miss Julie, 1912) and Fadren (The Father, 1899). As his career progressed, Strindberg gravitated towards a more expressionist form of drama, culminating in later works like The Pelican. Written after a period of intense personal turmoil, The Pelican premiered at the Intimate Theatre in Stockholm in 1907, marking a pivotal moment in Strindberg's dramatic oeuvre.

This transition in Strindberg's work is embodied in his "chamber plays," a term he coined to describe a series of experimental dramas. These plays were less about linear narratives and more about the thematic interplay, akin to movements in chamber music. The productions were characterized by their brevity, minimal casts, and simple staging. Strindberg's focus was on a tapestry of discordant themes: sin, guilt, shame, and eventual retribution and reconciliation. The plays evoked a somber, elegiac mood, their structures tightly woven with a mix of realism and grotesque symbolism, creating an almost surreal spectacle.

Referring to these plays as his “last sonatas,” Strindberg infused The Pelican with themes he had long investigated. The narrative features a vampiric female figure, a dominating paternal presence, and the torments of marital hypocrisy. It examines the victimization of children within dysfunctional families, culminating in a sacrificial death and a portrayal of life's inherent hopelessness. These elements weave a rich tapestry of human despair and moral ambiguity.

The Pelican also marked a foray into elements that would come to define modern drama. It presents an ensemble of mysterious characters plagued by indistinct anxieties and juxtaposes grotesque imagery with realistic dialogue. The play's setting is claustrophobic, enhancing the sense of entrapment, while its language obscures meaning rather than clarifying it. The stark, apocalyptic conclusion underscores the existential themes Strindberg intended to explore. As noted by Eugene O’Neill, Strindberg stood as “the precursor of all modernity in our present theater,” signaling a shift that would influence the trajectory of dramatic arts in profound ways.