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An original and beautifully written book on changing perspectives in the art of theater. Through a study of nine plays—Oedipus Rex, Bérénice, Tristan und Isolde, Hamlet, Ghosts, The Cherry Orchard, Six Characters in Search of an Author, Noah, Murder in the Cathedral—the author shows how all playwrights seek to "hold the mirror up to nature" and how in this respect the art of drama is always the same, varying only with the philosophical and aesthetic concepts of each age. The Idea of a Theater will delight both readers with a special interest in drama and those who read drama as a source of insight into man's nature and man’s changing ideas of himself.

Originally published in 1949.

The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.

Table of Contents

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  1. Cover
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  1. Title Page, Copyright
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  1. Contents
  2. pp. vii-ix
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  1. Acknowledgments
  2. p. x
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  1. Part I
  1. Introduction
  2. pp. 3-14
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  1. 1. Oedipus Rex: The Tragic Rhythm of Action
  2. pp. 15-43
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  1. 2. Berenice: The Action and Theater of Reason
  2. pp. 44-69
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  1. 3. Tristan und Isolde: The Action and Theater of Passion
  2. pp. 70-99
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  1. 4. Hamlet, Prince of Denmark: The Analogy of Action
  2. pp. 100-144
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  1. Part II
  1. Introduction
  2. pp. 147-149
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  1. 5. Ghosts and the Cherry Orchard: The Theater of Modern Realism
  2. pp. 150-181
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  1. 6. The Theatricality of Shaw and Pirandello
  2. pp. 182-197
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  1. 7. Poetry of the Theater and the Poet in the Theater
  2. pp. 198-232
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  1. Part III
  1. Appendix
  2. pp. 235-246
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  1. Other Titles
  2. pp. 247-248
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