Mythic Plot and Character Development in Eugene O'Neill's The Great God Brown

Abstract

The Great God Brown (1925) (hereafter The Great) marks a milestone in Eugene O'Neill's dramatic career. Of this, O'Neill wrote to Kenneth Macgowan in March 1923: "I think it's a grand stuff, much deeper and more poetical than anything I've ever done."( Gelb, p.322) Several reasons account for this. The play, as a matter of fact, is a typical example of the new masked psychological drama which O'Neill eagerly sought to write (Eugene Waith in Gassner, p.31). It is also a part of his attempt to recreate Greek tragedy in terms that are acceptable to modern audiences. Moreover, it tackles a very important issue, i.e. the position of religious faith in man's life.