A Dream Play: Analysis of Major Characters
"A Dream Play" is a theatrical work that explores profound themes of human suffering, aspiration, and disillusionment through its rich tapestry of characters. Central to the narrative is Agnes, the Daughter of Indra, who descends to Earth to understand humanity's discontent. As she witnesses the trials and tribulations of various individuals, she evolves from a hopeful figure to one filled with compassion for the human condition, ultimately recognizing the constraints of physical existence on spiritual aspirations.
The character of Alfred, a disillusioned officer, embodies romantic idealism as he grapples with the repetitiveness and injustice of life while yearning for true love. In contrast, Axel, the Attorney, serves as a realist who confronts the harsh realities of poverty and societal obligations, reflecting the trials of existence. The Poet, with his idealistic yet cynical outlook, underscores the notion that redemption is intertwined with suffering. Other characters, such as the Quarantine Officer and the Doorkeeper, highlight the pervasive nature of human misery and disappointment.
Together, these characters illustrate a tapestry of human experience that reveals the complexities of desire, love, and existential struggle. Through their interactions and journeys, "A Dream Play" invites audiences to reflect on the nature of happiness, fulfillment, and the often-painful realities of life.
A Dream Play: Analysis of Major Characters
Author: August Strindberg
First published: Ett drömspel, 1902 (English translation, 1912)
Genre: Play
Locale: Sweden
Plot: Expressionism
Time: The late nineteenth century
Daughter of Indra, incarnated as Agnes, a goddess who comes down to Earth in the form of a beautiful woman to find out why humanity is so discontented. Like Christ, she experiences the pain of being human. At first, she is hopeful that love will conquer all, but after she listens to the anguished cries of humanity, experiences the pain of family life, and discovers that reform always will be stifled by the self-righteous, she can look on humanity only with compassion. She finally realizes that human beings are creatures who hopelessly harbor spiritual aspirations but are held down by the weight of their fleshly existence. When she ascends back into the heavens, she throws her shoes into the fire of purification as she leaves a world of never-ending conflicts and contradictions.
The Officer, Alfred, a high-ranking military officer and teacher. As the action of the play telescopes in time, he changes from a youthful, effervescent, well-groomed soldier to an aging, weary, unkempt derelict as he hopelessly spends a lifetime waiting for his dream lover, the opera singer Victoria. Restless and self-pitying, he is constantly irritated by the injustice and repetitiveness of life but continues to hold on to the romantic notion that love will cure all ills. When he rescues the Daughter of Indra (Agnes) from the drudgery of domestic life and takes her to Fairhaven, a romantic paradise, he lands in Foulstrand, where he witnesses the everlasting misery of the human condition. In his constant failure to find true love, he represents disillusioned romanticism.
The Attorney, Axel, a lawyer. Through his dealings with the crimes and viciousness of humanity, he has acquired a pale, haggard, and discolored face, along with blackened and bleeding hands. Denied his doctorate by the self-righteous academicians, he becomes a Christ figure who suffers rejection because he defends the poor and helpless. More of a realist than the Officer, he sees human beings as flawed creatures trapped between their commitments to odious duties and their desire for life's elusive pleasures, which always result in recriminations. Through their marriage, he enlightens Agnes on the inhuman torments of living in poverty and the constant antagonisms of family life. Later, he continually reminds her of her sacred duty to her child.
The Poet, an erratic visionary who bathes in mud to come down from the ethereal regions of lofty thought and immerse himself in the dirt of life. Caked with mud, he is protected from the stings of horseflies. Being both idealistic and cynical, he sees through life's injustices and hypocrisies and rails against the gods. Although he is an earthbound creature hampered by his bodily existence, he still reaches for spiritual rejuvenation. When those around him are abandoning hope, he realizes that human redemption will come only through suffering and death.
The Quarantine Officer, the overseer of Foulstrand who rehabilitates the overindulgent and the diseased by having them work out their disabilities on instruments of torture and execution. Disguised as a blackamoor, he paints himself to be blacker than he is while indulging in a masquerade to escape from the odiousness of his job. In dealing with profligates and incurables, he has grown callous and indifferent to human misery. He makes the Daughter of Indra and the Officer aware that even love is not immune to corruption.
The Doorkeeper, the guardian of the entrance to the opera house. Wrapped in a shawl of woes, she has spent twenty-six years crocheting a bedspread. Once a famous ballerina, she deteriorated when her lover abandoned her, and now she listens to all the griefs of humanity. She gives the Daughter of Indra the shawl of human miseries and lets her become a doorkeeper so that she can witness human disappointment.
The Billposter, a poster of signs who is overjoyed because he has finally received the fishnet and fish box that he has wanted all his life. He soon becomes dissatisfied with the net and discovers that the box is the wrong shade of green. From him, the Daughter of Indra learns that humans cannot be satisfied.
The Glazier, a worker. He uses his diamond to unlock the cloverleaf door behind which is supposed to be the mystery of the universe.
The Deans of Philosophy, Theology, Medicine, and Jurisprudence, pompous academicians who constantly bicker among themselves as to who has the greater claim to the truth. They open the mysterious cloverleaf door and find nothing behind it. They try to stone the Daughter of Indra when she attempts to teach them.
He and She, Ugly Edith, The Coal Heavers, and The Blind Man, all characters who suffer life's disappointments.
Husband and Wife, a happy couple who go off to commit suicide because they know that their happiness cannot last.