ABSTRACT
The concept of theater, from Greek θέατρον, denotes a place for viewing plays, that is, the place where drama is performed. One may distinguish between six main meanings in Danish.1 The first and most common usage is that of a place where dramas are performed. The second is related to the idea of the theater as an institution. Thirdly, the concept may be used to refer to the temporal duration of a theater play. Fourthly, the concept functions in an analogous way to drama in that it may also refer metaphorically to theatrical aspects of events in society or in the life of an individual. Fifthly, the concept may refer to a specific person’s artificial and affected behavior. Lastly the concept may also designate the humorous and even ludicrous nature of a given event. All of these six meanings can be found in Kierkegaard’s writings. The concept of drama derives from Greek δρᾶμα (deed, action) and Latin drama (play). Its lexical meaning in Danish is twofold. First, it denotes a play meant for the stage, and, second, the concept may suggest something happening in the world of an intense and/or shocking character.2
