Theme of Pacifism in John Arden: A Study of Select Plays

Abstract

John Arden is one of the most popular dramatists who found a new place for verse in the theatre and his dramatic nature as covering a wide prospect of themes ranging from political violence, pacifism, repression and anarchy. Pacifism is most relevant theme is the John Arden has broadened his mural by search deep into the contemporary socio-political issues of this era and given voice to them without any hesitation. John Arden is a notable writer among the outstanding dramatists who were held responsible for the revolution in the mid 1950s. The dramatists of this period became popular because of offering many new insights through their dramatic pieces. In the light of these meanings, Arden’s plays are examined. Arden is found to be rather uncertain about what he is depicting on the stage, because he presents the conflicting ideas of a social or political problem rather impartially. Arden’s basic themes in his drama are based on the social issues related to man’s position in society as well as the existence of serious problems that are strongly fatal and lethal in different kinds of societies which are strongly fatal or lethal. John Arden dramatizes the attempts of individuals to deal with the problems of social condemnation. However John Arden felt that such an approach is rewarded not without the danger for the playwright because of the necessary political divisions with the contemporary audience. How can the playwright dramatize these issues of man’s conflict with his society in an action that will not isolate his audience? Arden does this by means of common man, changing roles of a character who directly addresses the audience by means of historical ballad form. His function was to draw the audience into the play, while qualities of character are intended to represent that is common to all. On a whole Arden provides a frame work regarding England’s corruption, colonialism as part in the procedure of politics.