Bury the Dead
Encyclopedia
Bury the Dead is an expressionist
anti-war
drama
by the American playwright Irwin Shaw
. It dramatises the refusal of six dead soldiers during an unspecified war—who represent a cross-section of American society—to be buried. Each rises from the grave to express his anguish, the futility of war, and his refusal to become part of the "glorious past" to the woman who has survived him. It was first staged by the Group Theatre in New York
in 1936 to great acclaim.
Expressionism
Expressionism was a modernist movement, initially in poetry and painting, originating in Germany at the beginning of the 20th century. Its typical trait is to present the world solely from a subjective perspective, distorting it radically for emotional effect in order to evoke moods or ideas...
anti-war
Anti-war
An anti-war movement is a social movement, usually in opposition to a particular nation's decision to start or carry on an armed conflict, unconditional of a maybe-existing just cause. The term can also refer to pacifism, which is the opposition to all use of military force during conflicts. Many...
drama
Drama
Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance. The term comes from a Greek word meaning "action" , which is derived from "to do","to act" . The enactment of drama in theatre, performed by actors on a stage before an audience, presupposes collaborative modes of production and a...
by the American playwright Irwin Shaw
Irwin Shaw
Irwin Shaw was a prolific American playwright, screenwriter, novelist, and short-story author whose written works have sold more than 14 million copies. He is best-known for his novel, The Young Lions about the fate of three soldiers during World War II that was made into a film starring Marlon...
. It dramatises the refusal of six dead soldiers during an unspecified war—who represent a cross-section of American society—to be buried. Each rises from the grave to express his anguish, the futility of war, and his refusal to become part of the "glorious past" to the woman who has survived him. It was first staged by the Group Theatre in New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
in 1936 to great acclaim.
Characters
- Private Driscoll
- Private Morgan
- Private Levy
- Private Webster
- Private Schelling
- Private Dean
- Joan Burke
- Bess Schelling
- Martha Webster
- Julia Blake
- Katherine Driscoll
- Elizabeth Dean
- Three Generals
- Captain
- Sergeant
- Four Soldiers on Burial Detail
- Priest
- Rabbi
- Doctor
- Reporter
- Editor
- Two Whores
- Three Business Men