Which playwright is linked to "Problem Play"?

Which playwright is linked to "Problem Play"?

• A. Henrik Ibsen
• B. George Bernard Shaw
• C. Eugene Ionesco
• D. Antonin Artaud

Answer: (A)

Problem plays foreground social issues and moral dilemmas in realistic settings, pushing the audience to think about reform. Henrik Ibsen is the most closely tied to this form because he shaped plays around pressing social problems of his time—like gender roles, family obligations, and public morality—using everyday, believable situations and deep, complex characters. This approach is exemplified in works such as A Doll’s House and Ghosts, where the drama centers on social questions rather than just personal plot. By contrast, Eugene Ionesco is associated with the Theatre of the Absurd, Antonin Artaud with the Theatre of Cruelty, and George Bernard Shaw, while also dealing with social issues, is not the figure most people link with the phrase “problem play.” So the link to problem plays is strongest with Henrik Ibsen.

Problem plays foreground social issues and moral dilemmas in realistic settings, pushing the audience to think about reform. Henrik Ibsen is the most closely tied to this form because he shaped plays around pressing social problems of his time—like gender roles, family obligations, and public morality—using everyday, believable situations and deep, complex characters. This approach is exemplified in works such as A Doll’s House and Ghosts, where the drama centers on social questions rather than just personal plot. By contrast, Eugene Ionesco is associated with the Theatre of the Absurd, Antonin Artaud with the Theatre of Cruelty, and George Bernard Shaw, while also dealing with social issues, is not the figure most people link with the phrase “problem play.” So the link to problem plays is strongest with Henrik Ibsen.