Explore this Show
Overview
Synopsis
Miss Julie is perhaps the most famous play in the style of naturalism. It focuses on Miss Julie, a headstrong yet confused aristocratic lady who has just broken off her engagement. She is drawn to Jean, an enticing and educated valet who works for her father. The action takes place in the kitchen of Miss Julie's father's manor, where Jean's fiancée, a servant named Christine, cooks and sometimes sleeps while Jean and Miss Julie talk. One night the relationship between Miss Julie and Jean escalates rapidly to feelings of love and is subsequently consummated. Over the course of the play Miss Julie and Jean battle for the upper hand in the relationship, and struggle with a plan to move forward with their lives. Jean finally convinces Julie that the only way to escape her predicament is to commit suicide.
Today, Miss Julie is considered a classic because it’s more than just a story about two people—it’s a powerful look at how society, family, and personal choices trap people in struggles they can’t escape.
Show Information
- Book
- August Strindberg
- Text And Format
- August Strindberg
- Category
- Play
- Age Guidance
- Thirteen Plus (PG-13)
- Number of Acts
- 1
- First Produced
- 1888
- Genres
- Drama
- Settings
- Period, Unit/Single Set
- Time & Place
- 1800’s. Midsummer’s Eve. The estate of a Count in Sweden
- Cast Size
- small
- Licensor
- None/royalty-free
- Ideal For
- College/University, Professional Theatre, Regional Theatre, Small Cast, Star Vehicle Female, Star Vehicle Male, Mostly Female Cast, Includes Adult Characters
Context
Miss Julie was written in 1888 by August Strindberg, a Swedish playwright who wanted to show life as it really was, without the “happy endings” of traditional theatre. Strindberg was influenced by Naturalism, a style of drama that focused on how people are shaped by their environment, social class, and even their biology.
When it was first written, Miss Julie caused huge controversy. In the late 1800s, it was shocking to openly talk about sex, power, and class differences on stage. Swedish
to read the context for Miss Julie and to unlock other amazing theatre resources!Plot
It’s Midsummer’s Eve—a night of fire, music, and blurred boundaries. In the Count’s kitchen, Christine the cook is quietly working while Jean, the valet, polishes his master’s boots. But something’s off. Jean reports that Miss Julie, the Count’s daughter, is behaving… strangely. She’s out dancing with the servants, unchaperoned, bold as brass. Why hasn’t she gone to visit relatives with her father?
Christine shrugs. Miss Julie’s been “off” ever since she broke off her engagement to the county
to read the plot for Miss Julie and to unlock other amazing theatre resources!Characters
| Name | Part Size | Gender | Vocal Part |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Lead |
Male |
|
|
|
Lead |
Female |
|
|
|
Supporting |
Female |
|
Songs
A song with an asterisk (*) before the title indicates a dance number; a character listed in a song with an asterisk (*) by the character's name indicates that the character exclusively serves as a dancer in this song, which is sung by other characters.
Monologues
Scenes
Key Terms
Sorry! We do not currently have terms for this guide.
Videos
Quizzes
Themes, Symbols & Motifs
Sorry! We do not currently have learning modules for this guide.
Quote Analysis
Sorry! We do not currently have learning modules for this guide.
