William Archer
William Archer (1856-1924) was a prominent Scottish critic, playwright, and translator, known for his advocacy of the New Drama movement, which sought to address social issues through realistic theater. Born in Perth, Scotland, he began his writing career with the Edinburgh Evening News and later moved to London, where he became a significant figure in the literary scene. Archer was particularly noted for his translations of Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen's works, marking the first English-language production of an Ibsen play with his translation of *Pillars of Society* in 1880. He published a comprehensive five-volume set of Ibsen's translations and continued to promote Ibsen's ideas throughout his career, often aligning with the views of contemporaries like George Bernard Shaw.
His critical writings, including *Masks or Faces?*, showcased his belief in secular morality and challenged conventional societal norms, stirring controversy in the English-speaking theater landscape. Archer also collaborated with actress Elizabeth Robins to produce Ibsen's plays, further cementing his role as a critical champion of their work. He remained active in theater as a critic and producer until his death from cancer-related complications in 1924. Through his efforts, Archer significantly influenced the reception of modern drama and helped foster a greater appreciation for the complexity of human experiences in theater.
On this Page
Subject Terms
William Archer
Critic
- Born: September 23, 1856
- Birthplace: Perth, Scotland
- Died: December 27, 1924
- Place of death: London, England
Biography
William Archer was born on September 23, 1856, in Perth, Scotland. As a young boy he attended school in Edinburgh and later studied law there. In the 1870’s he began writing for the Edinburgh Evening News which launched his career as a writer. He toured the world in 1876 and 1877, then moved to London where he continued to write for various periodicals.
Early on, Archer was drawn to a type of theatrical realism known as New Drama. Proponents of this movement viewed New Drama as a progressive attempt to educate and enlighten the public through theater. One of the leaders of the movement was Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen. Many critics in the late nineteenth century were upset by the themes of Ibsen’s plays, such as dishonesty and family conflict, and felt these topics were distasteful and morally objectionable. Archer, however, admired Ibsen and wrote passionately in his defense. His own ideas about drama and society resembled those of Ibsen and of playwright George Bernard Shaw. Archer, for example, maintained that religion was detrimental to civilization and argued that morality should be based upon secularism and respect for the individual. Such ideas were especially controversial in the English-speaking nations, where theater tended to support, rather than challenge, accepted social norms.
Archer was the first writer to translate Ibsen’s works into English. His translation of Pillars of Society was performed in 1880, the first English-language production of an Ibsen play. Archer continued to translate Ibsen throughout the 1880’s, publishing a five-volume set of translations in 1891. Beginning in 1898 he also collaborated with actress and writer Elizabeth Robins to produce Ibsen’s plays. Although he achieved note as Ibsen’s primary champion in England, both Shaw and the American writer Henry James wrote essays supportive of Ibsen, having been drawn to the Norwegian writer, in part, by Archer’s essays. Archer later published a complete set of Ibsen’s works in translation in 1906, the year of Ibsen’s death.
Archer wrote many works of dramatic criticism, including Masks or Faces? (1888), and newspaper reviews of plays by Shaw, W. S. Gilbert, and other writers. Although many of his opinions were controversial, Archer was generally acknowledged to be highly intelligent, well read, and very eloquent.
Archer worked in theater throughout his life as a critic, producer, and playwright. In 1923 Archer published a large critical work, The Old Drama and the New, which continued to champion the value of writers like Ibsen and Shaw. In the same year he had a successful play produced, The Green Goddess. Archer developed cancer and died in London on December 27, 1924, during an operation to remove a tumor.