Dramatic responses to US-Iraq war : a study in David Hare's stuff happens

Abstract EN

Contemporary War drama is described as a reaction to the profound suffering brought up by war that has, unfortunately, become a supreme language of communication in the Modern era.

Hence, the English contemporary political theatre has displayed unique interconnectedness between drama and politics: interest in US-Iraq war is indeed not an exception.

British playwright, David Hare, belongs to a trend of war drama that enables the world to witness the truth, trauma and the violence of US-Iraq war.

Stuff Happens subtly helps show how US coercive diplomacy manipulates other Powers to fulfill the new doctrine of " New American Century." In Stuff Happens, Hare documents the recent tragic history of Iraq in such an approach that blends the documentary with the fictional to display the events from 2000, till the actual invasion of Iraq in April, 2003.

The play traces the origins of US-Iraq war and unveils all the attempts and the procedures undertaken by Bush and his administration team to invade Iraq.

This study mainly focuses on the Power motif that characterizes the American leaders' impulses and ceaseless quest of power.

Hare’s Stuff Happens, however, contextualizes Bush’s Coercive strategy in relation to Iraq, as well as his manipulation of the UN, Blair, Powel, and other characters to help reaching his goals.