History, Conflict and Socio-Religious Protest in John Osborne's Luther

Abstract

Luther, a historical play by John Osborne foregrounds the legendary figure of Martin Luther as the texture for the play. The play significantly portrays the age of heavy influence of rigid, orthodox Christianity and the oppression of Pope of the Rome. John Osborne deals with historical figure of Martin Luther as the strong opponent to evil practices of Princes, Electors, Dukes, Ambassadors, Bishops, Counts and Barons. Luther's revolutionary ideas were highly influential to propagate the true Christianity as professed by the Jesus Christ and the Scriptures. Luther, the protagonist is being mediated as an Angry Young Man who summarily exhibits the British Society with its contemporary evils and rejects their false, unrealistic ideals and simultaneously aims to restore the religiosity to its prestige. John Osborne, more prominently overcomes with deeper understanding of Historical ethos, successfully portrays the conflict between interior and exterior of Martin Luther and scornfully professes his social criticism through the play. The present paper aims to explore in the realm of historical account, Martin Luther's world of conflicting ideas of religiosity and under his socio-religious criticism over the evil practices of the propagators of Christianity. The paper would also talk about the exploitation of middle classes under the oppressive system of the then British society.