The Aim of Theatre

“The aim of theatre should be to give pleasure and not to make men better, but to make them happy.” – Harold Hobson

In response to the quote above by Harold Hobson, I don’t think theatre should be just about entertainment. Therefore, I disagree with Hobson on this issue but out of respect of course.
Theatre in Britain has in a way been a political arena ever since the Edwardian period. It is without doubt that the writer’s and playwrights have “passed on” their ideas of politics through their creative works in their plays. Though they did not make it as obvious as it should be, the message that lies within their plays are rather more subliminal. The use of comedy eases out the serious issues that the playwright’s wanted to tell the world. Approaching the year 1914, Britain may have seemed to be in prosperity but in reality the rich are getting richer and the poor even poorer. There were great conflicts amongst the working class. Furthermore, the issue o...