A Dream Play

play by Strindberg
verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
Share
Share to social media
URL
https://www.britannica.com/topic/A-Dream-Play
Feedback
Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login).
Thank you for your feedback

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

Also known as: “Ett drömspel”

A Dream Play, fantasy play in 14 scenes by August Strindberg, published in Swedish as Ett drömspel in 1902 and first produced in 1907. Presented as a dream, this fluid tableau of human foibles is a poignant lament that humans are to be pitied.

As the play opens, the daughter of the Vedic god Indra arrives on Earth with the intention of determining if human complaints are justified. She encounters a host of tormented characters and herself is enmeshed in a wrenching marriage. Only the Poet, who has created the dream, seems unaffected by human suffering.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Kathleen Kuiper.