The Morality of Mrs. Dulska

The Morality of Mrs. Dulska (Moralność pani Dulskiej)
Stage production of The Morality of Mrs. Dulska, Vilnius, 1935
Written byGabriela Zapolska
Characters
  • Aniela Dulska
  • Felicjan Dulski
  • Zbyszko Dulski
  • Mela Dulska
  • Hesia Dulska
  • Juliasiewiczowa
  • Tenant
  • Hanka
  • Tadrachowa
Date premieredKrakόw, 1906
Original languagePolish
Genre'a petty-bourgeois tragic farce'
SettingPolish Galicia

The Morality of Mrs. Dulska (Polish: Moralność pani Dulskiej) is a play by Gabriela Zapolska that debuted in Kraków in 1906.[1] Hailed as a key work in early modern Polish drama, Zapolska's play tackles issues of social justice, socialism, morality, conscience, and the performative duality of social identity. It has inspired many film adaptations and has appeared on stage in many forms, even as a musical comedy.

Mrs. Dulska's view that "a secure living is the base of life... And as for a husband, you can train him" perfectly encapsulates the elements of bourgeois realism employed by Zapolska to bitingly skewer the inadequacy and hypocrisy of bourgeois life.[2] As dramatist Alan P. Barr notes, "The Morality of Mrs. Dulska belongs to the social-protest literature that irritated the conservative sentiments of turn-of-the-century Europe". Zapolska's best known work, the enduringly popular play utilizes satiric wit to address the middle-class sensibilities of turn-of-the-century Galicia.

  1. ^ Murjas, Teresa; Zapolska, Gabriela (2007). The Morality of Mrs. Dulska. Bristol, UK: Intellect Books. ISBN 978-1-84150-166-6.
  2. ^ Barr, Alan P. (2001). Modern Women Playwrights of Europe. Oxford University Press. pp. 7–49.