Structure Of Dreams In Barbara Strindberg's A Dream Play

The structure of A Dream Play seeks to replicate the unclear defined structures of dreams. As Barbara Lipman-Wulf writes in her work, “Thematic Structure of Strindberg’s ‘A Dream Play’”, there is no concrete plot structure in A Dream Play. There is “only a semblance of an outer shell that contains interacting and changing images to reproduce… the disunited- although apparently logical form of dreams” (319). There is a randomness to the events that occur in A Dream Play, with only Agnes acting as a consistency between scenes and characters. Lipman-Wulf suggests that the disjointed structure of the play, that seeks to imitate a similar structure in dreams, draws attention to our usual expectation of a clearly defined plot. Rather than have scenes

Agnes has the same freedom to move through time in the play, suggesting that Strindberg anticipates later thinking of the fluidity of time. When Agnes and the Poet visit a cave, she asks him what poetry is and he, a thoughtful companion, states “I know what dreams are… but what is poetry?” (230). So, the Poet starts to connect the idea that they, or more likely Agnes, are dreaming right now. In fact, as Strindberg had made note of to his first director, there is a certain element of imagining life as a dream. He goes on to say that there is similarities between “the apparent medley of the dream and the motley canvas of our disorderly life” (300). Strindberg starts to anticipate the later popularity of dream theory, stemming from Freud’s Interpretation of Dreams. Strindberg is aware that the time does not work as it does in waking life as it does in dreams. He connects the randomness (yet patterned) life to the randomness (yet patterned) dream. As later described by Dunne and Priestley, Strindberg starts to understand that we can move freely through time in

The first act introduces us to the charming and affluent Conway family; Madge, the intelligent socialist teacher, Alan, the unambitious yet good-natured son, Kay, the aspiring novelist, Hazel, beautiful and haughty, Robin, a former soldier, Carol, the sweet youngest child, and Mrs. Conway, the innocently frivolous mother. The family spends the evening celebrating the end of World War One and each expresses their optimistic hopes for the future. The family amiably interacts with other characters like Joan Helford, Ernest Beevers, and Gerald Thornton. However, Act two opens with Kay coming to visit home after working at meaningless job in the city in 1937. The second act has a much gloomier tone and there are several notable differences between the optimism of the 1919 Conways and the embittered 1937 Conways, on the verge of another World War. None of the characters has done what they had hoped and each is unhappy in their own way; with the exception of Carol, who has died many years prior to act two. As the family disperses into disarray, Kay returns to 1919 time in act three. No time has passed since the end of act one. The mood is still jolly as before but the audience, and to an extent Kay, has the foreboding feeling that the 1919 Conways will become the 1937 Conways. Kay becomes unable to join in the gaiety of her party as she