By the turn of the century Henry Arthur Jones was among the most
prominent British dramatists. A contemporary of Pinero, Wilde and
Shaw, he did his best to elevate drama to the level of literature
whilst constructing plays that were also successful in the
commercial theatre. Though some of his contemporaries considered
Jones cynical and daring, he strove to confront major issues
without offending accepted social and dramatic conventions.
This volume contains three of Jones's ninety-odd plays,
representing the best of his work in different styles: melodrama
and society drama. The Silver King (1882), the story of Wilfred
Denver, falsely accused of murder, was Jones's first great success.
It is one of the best melodramas ever written, and won high praise
from Matthew Arnold, among others, for its literary merit and
convincing characterisation. (An appendix describes the evolution
of the present text). Jones's interest in the 'New Women' of the
1890s is expressed in the lively dialogue of The Case of Rebellious
Susan (1894), whose heroine is advised to renounce her new lover
and return to her faithless husband - scarcely a radical
conclusion, but sympathetically handled. The Liars (1897) is a fine
comedy of manners which again considers the question of marriage
and the role of women in society.
Dr Jackson's full introduction places Jones in the context of
late Victorian society and theatre and describes his other literary
activities -- the published letters and essays on drama -- as well
as discussing some of the plays not included here. The volume is
illustrated by contemporary production prints.
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