"Der Tag; or, The Tragic Man" by J. M. Barrie is a play set around World War I that looks at leadership, moral decisions, and what a leader is responsible for. It shows a powerful ruler deciding whether to start a war and what that choice means for them and their country. The story kicks off with the Emperor thinking hard about declaring war on France and Russia. As he wrestles with his desires and worries, the Spirit of Culture pops up to warn him about the terrible effects of going to war. She begs him to choose peace, but the Emperor can't resist the pull of power and fame. Ultimately, he realizes the awful destruction his choices have caused. The play wraps up with a strong message about how damaging ambition can be and how empty victories are, showing the Emperor's quest for glory leading only to sadness for himself and his people.
"Der Tag"; or, The Tragic Man
By J. M. (James Matthew) Barrie
Torn between ambition and morality, a powerful leader ignores a haunting warning and plunges his nation into devastation.
Summary
About the AuthorSir James Matthew Barrie, 1st Baronet, was a Scottish novelist and playwright, best remembered as the creator of Peter Pan. He was born and educated in Scotland and then moved to London, where he wrote several successful novels and plays. There he met the Llewelyn Davies boys, who inspired him to write about a baby boy who has magical adventures in Kensington Gardens, then to write Peter Pan, or The Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up, a 1904 West End "fairy play" about an ageless boy and an ordinary girl named Wendy who have adventures in the fantasy setting of Neverland.
Sir James Matthew Barrie, 1st Baronet, was a Scottish novelist and playwright, best remembered as the creator of Peter Pan. He was born and educated in Scotland and then moved to London, where he wrote several successful novels and plays. There he met the Llewelyn Davies boys, who inspired him to write about a baby boy who has magical adventures in Kensington Gardens, then to write Peter Pan, or The Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up, a 1904 West End "fairy play" about an ageless boy and an ordinary girl named Wendy who have adventures in the fantasy setting of Neverland.
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