A Dialectical Reading of David Hare’s Plenty

Exposing the concealed truth beneath the ideological appearance lies at the heart of the anti-capitalist plays written in the 20th century. Hare (1978) aspired to fulfil this social function by writing one of his masterpieces, Plenty. In this play, Hare creates a milieu of the clash between the main rebellious female characters and the overwhelming stains of a patriarchal context. He shows the interaction of the characters and the repressive context which changes the characters’ consciousness and identity. The present article offers a dialectical analysis to delineate the changes that occur both in the characters and the context in three successive decades (1943-1962). It is argued that such developments are viewed both as positive and negative because the rebellious characters of this play exhibit progression and degradation simultaneously. This paper aims to demonstrate how, as a social critique and committed writer, Hare reveals the true state of post-war England. The writer’s goal is to change the audience’s consciousness. He dispels the illusion of post-war peace and abundance which was believed by conservative, idealistic, and reactionary men. To do so, Hare contrasts male figures with rebellious and progressive women who act as history makers and represent the future of England.