1849-1912. Swedish playwright and novelist.
His plays, influential in the development of
dramatic technique, are in a variety of
styles including historical plays, symbolic
dramas (the two-part Dodsdansen/The Dance of
Death 1901) and `chamber plays' such as
Spoksonaten/The Ghost [Spook] Sonata 1907.
Fadren/The Father 1887 and Froken Julie/Miss
Julie 1888 are among his works. Born in
Stockholm, he lived mainly abroad after 1883,
having been unsuccessfully prosecuted for
blasphemy in 1884 following publication of
his short stories Giftas/Marrying. His life
was stormy and his work has been criticized
for its hostile attitude to women, but he is
regarded as one of Sweden's greatest writers.