Criticism of the Political System on a Microcosmic Level: Global Politics in an Industrıal Town in John Arden's The Workhouse Donkey

Abstract

John Arden's The Workhouse Donkey depicts the local politics of a northern English town in order to criticise the corruptions within the local government in a mocking way. Derived from a real-life story, the play specically focuses on the political life that can be experienced in an industrial town in the United Kingdom. According to Arden, the setting and the characters are important for the theme of the play. Nevertheless, what is portrayed in the play transcends the regional problems of a northern town. On the other hand, what is treated in the play on a microcosmic level is, in fact, a reection of politics on a macrocosmic, global level since it is the system that is being criticised in the play regardless of its local representation. Hence, the play has a political tone that criticises the political system rather than targeting a political party or a political view. Thus, this study aims to offer a detailed analysis of John Arden's play The Workhouse Donkey in order to justify the signicance of the play as a criticism of contemporary political system caricaturised as in the scope of local politics in a northern town in line with the muchdebated denitions of politics proposed by Bernard Crick.

Keywords

• John Arden
• Political Drama
• Bernard Crick
• Jonsonian Comedy