Politics and Drama

By comparing the literary works of two of the greatest playwrights of our time, Önder Cakirtas reveals the similarities and contrasts between their political views and the political backdrop of their respective nations.

In Britain, George Bernard Shaw, the leading British dramatist for the first half of the twentieth century, wrote his plays to explicitly reflect his socialist political and economic views, and highlight the need for equal rights for women.

In Turkey, decades later, Orhan Asena confronted similar issues with plays that challenged the dominant political powers of his time - a stance which ultimately led to his political exile from Turkey.

Reviews

"Comparing Shaw with a Turkish playwright in the second half of the century not only gives the later dramatist a solid basis for discussion, it also demonstrates the continuing significance of Shaw's plays."

Christopher Innes, Distinguished Research Professor, York University

"It is quite a challenging task for an author to write about G.B. Shaw and Orhan Asena from such a fresh perspective. But Önder Cakirtas has succeeded with an arresting portrait of both playwrights"

Ömer Sekerci, Associate Professor, Suleyman Demirel University

About the Author

Önder Cakirtas is Assistant Professor of English Language and Literature at Bingöl University, Turkey. His major areas of study and research include Modern British, Turkish and Comparative Drama, and Political Drama.

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