"Trifles" by Susan Glaspell

For one of my English Literature classes, I had to read the play Trifles by Susan Glaspell. I really enjoyed reading this play. It was written in 1916 and it gives a voice to women during a crime. In that time, women did not have a voice in court so this play lets you hear the women’s opinions and verdict for a murder that was committed by a woman that they know.

You can read the play on Project Gutenburg here: The Project Gutenburg EBook of Plays, by Susan Glaspell

This is an ebook collection of four plays written by Susan Glaspell. Trifles is the first play in the EBook.

Once you are finished reading the play, I really recommend reading this scholarly article: “Murder, She Wrote”: The Genesis of Susan Glaspell’s “Trifles” by Lisa Ben-Zvi

It is a really interesting article in which Lisa Ben-Zvi provides background information about Susan Glaspell’s past and how she based her play on a murder case for which she was a reporter. Lisa Ben-Zvi also explains the message of the play.

And finally, here is a 25 minute Alfred Hitchcock episode based on the play Trifles by Susan Glaspell:

I hope you enjoy this play and learning about the history behind it as much as I did!

-Kaylie