The Theatre as a Moral Institution or the Failure of the Court of Justice

Abstract

The belief propounded by the German poet Friedrich Schiller (1759-1805) that the theatre can function as a moral institution, has been substantiated by a strategy whereby the failure of the court of justice can be manipulated by the dramatist. This is done in such a way as to challenge the audience to continue to reflect on the unsolved problems and try to find solutions for them in real life. The author draws on dramatic literature from Thailand and Germany in order to drive home the comparability and universality of the two dramatic traditions that, in this essay, engage in a significant cross-cultural dialogue.