The critique of neoliberalism in David Hare's plays

This study aims at exploring the significance of neoliberalism in the selected plays written by David Hare. Acknowledging that any literary production cannot be examined without considering a bigger and more complex social structure, the study attempts to find out about the dialectical relationships among Hare's selected plays, the societies which they reflect and the neoliberal policies which have been perceptibly dominant in the world politics since 1970s. Using dialectical method, this study deals with the analysis of the interactive arrangements between the plays and their socio-political context. The impetus behind this study is therefore to investigate the ways in which David Hare critiques neoliberalism which destroys the foundational values of the western society and the social consensus lying in its base by deepening the economic and social injustices. In the parts of analysis and discussion, the thesis argues that, first; Hare presents the historical development of the neoliberalism by underlining its current political dimensions such as neo-imperialism. Second, neoliberalism is examined as a thematic marker in Hare's plays implying politics of dispossession and privatisation. Consequently, corruption of institutions is analysed in terms of legitimacy market capitalism and cynicism of the labour. Keywords: David Hare, Neoliberalism, Theatre, New Imperialism, Dispossession, Privatization, Social Integrity