When talking about art and reinterpretation, theatre is an inseparable part of literary works. Playwrights like Christopher Marlowe, Henrik Ibsen, Anton Chekhov and William Shakespeare have given us unforgettable memories with their excellent writings. Subsequently, the theatre artists have magnificently portrayed the plays on the stage.
Top 15 Best Plays Of All Time
1. Ghosts
Scripted by Henrik Ibsen, this play vividly describes how anything can happen in a night. Syphilis revelations, blasts from the past, and the symbolic burning of an orphanage suggest an ineluctable ending. Throwing light on guilt and fate, this is a must-read for all literature lovers.
2. A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Penned down by William Shakespeare, here you will find some of the most beautiful sonnets by the renowned writer. Written in the comedy genre, the plot is in numerous parts connected to the celebration of the wedding of the Duke.
3. Life Is A Dream
With the matters of the state being at stake, this play by Pedro Calderon de la Barca makes us question if the presented work is theatre or reality. If you want to know whether King Segismundo of Poland sleeps through the state matters, you should immediately grab a copy and dive into the play.
4. Top Girls
Written by Caryl Churchill, this play gloriously debates the roles of girls as mothers and professionals. Top Girls depicts the images of women in history and literature and brings to its audience the beauty and strength that a woman holds.
5. Doctor Faustus
In this play, Christopher Marlowe fuses his fashionably sumptuous language with a moral behind them. This play takes you on a ride about deciding whether to sell your soul to Satan for gaining endless knowledge in life.
6. Hamlet
It is a masterpiece by William Shakespeare. This drama depicts the protagonist’s dilemma and his continued procrastination about making a choice. We also get to see varying ranges of languages, from bawdy to beauty. This play is a must-read for all Shakespeare fans.
7. The Importance Of Being Earnest
This trivial comedy by Oscar Wilde is a play for serious people. One of the protagonist’s themes is escaping the burdensome social obligations in this farcical comedy.
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8. The Crucible
Scripted by Arthur Miller, The Crucible is partially a fiction and partially dramatized story based on the witch trial that took place in Massachusetts Bay Colony during 1692-93. If you are a sucker for works that combine non-fiction and fiction, then this play is the one for you.
9. The Tempest
Considered to be the last solo work by William Shakespeare, this is the story of an exiled ruler. Based on the themes of magic, love, forgiveness and betrayal, it is about how the ruler conjures a storm, torments the survivors, and restores him and his daughter back to power.
10. A Raisin In The Sun
Written by Lorraine Hansberry, this play takes its title from the poem “Harlem”. It is a story about the dreams of a black family getting fulfilled by escaping their ghetto life. The story depicts raw and unchanged power through its character.
11. Waiting For Godot
Written by Samuel Beckett, with his objection to female actors, this play is about two men waiting for Godot, who never arrives. After numerous unfavourable incidents, the two men consider suicide but live due to the unavailability of a rope.
12. Death Of A Salesman
Written by American playwright Arthur Miller, this Pulitzer Prize-winning drama revolves around a 63-year-old salesman who is unstable, insecure and deluded. Based on the theme of conflicting reality and illusion, this play will undoubtedly make you think hard about life and its struggles.
13. Oedipus Rex
This is the first part of the series The Theban Plays by Sophocles. It is the story of a king who kills his father and marries his mother. The play focuses on the hero who struggles hard to find a solution to the eternal question of “Who am I?”
14. Far Away
Known as the Picasso among modern playwrights, Caryl Churchill has depicted a twisted fairytale in this play, where she shows a mixture of fantasy and the apocalypse. Cosmic warfare, partisan brutality, and ethnic cleansing are the major themes in the play. If you’re looking for an apocalyptic fairytale, then this one’s made for you.
15. An Oak Tree
This masterpiece by Tim Crouch perfectly defines the love of a father. Here, we see a father whose daughter dies in a road accident. Thereafter, he believes that his daughter is now an oak tree. This play is sure to take you on a roller coaster of love and emotions.
In Conclusion
If you’ve reached this far reading the article, we’re sure that you’re a literature lover. Now that you know some of the best plays of all time grab your copies and dive into the world of plays.
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