Eco-Consciousness and Human-Nature Relations in Contemporary British Drama: An Ecocritical Study of Selected Plays

Ayu Melati   Ningsih; Vera   Kristiana; Dewi   Nurmala; Risnawaty Risnawaty

doi:10.31849/pbwkdn65

Authors

Ayu Melati Ningsih Universitas Muslim Nusantara Al-Washliyah, Medan, Indonesia
Vera Kristiana Universitas Muslim Nusantara Al-Washliyah, Medan, Indonesia
Dewi Nurmala Universitas Muslim Nusantara Al-Washliyah, Medan, Indonesia
Risnawaty Risnawaty Universitas Muslim Nusantara Al-Washliyah, Medan, Indonesia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.31849/pbwkdn65

Keywords:

Eco-consciousness, Ecocriticism, Contemporary British drama, Human-nature relations, Environmental ethics

Abstract

Environmental crisis has become a lived condition that reshapes cultural imagination, ethical reasoning, and everyday language about the more-than-human world. Despite the rapid growth of ecocriticism, contemporary British drama remains comparatively underexamined, since existing work often prioritizes novels and climate fiction or focuses narrowly on theatrical performativity and environmental symbolism rather than the textual construction of eco-consciousness across multiple plays. To address this gap, this qualitative descriptive study investigates how eco-consciousness and human nature relations are articulated in three contemporary British plays, Colder Than Here by Laura Wade, Greenland by Moira Buffini et al., and Earthquakes in London by Mike Bartlett, focusing on how dramatic texts construct eco-consciousness and human–nature relations. Methodologically, the research employs qualitative close reading and systematic coding of dialogues, monologues, stage directions, and setting descriptions, guided primarily by Garrard’s ecocritical concepts and informed by Buell’s environmental criticism. The findings reveal convergent patterns across the corpus: anthropocentric ideology is normalized through everyday language that frames nature as a resource for development; ecological awareness and environmental ethics surface through characters’ moral reasoning, grief, and responsibility narratives; and human–nature interconnectedness is dramatized as an affective and social condition in which ecological loss disrupts relationships, well-being, and imagined futures. By combining comparison with close textual evidence, the study offers an original contribution to ecocriticism and contemporary drama studies, demonstrating how British theatre provides a distinctive cultural arena for articulating ecological anxiety, ethical deliberation, and sustainability discourse within the wider environmental humanities.

Author Biographies

Ayu Melati Ningsih, Universitas Muslim Nusantara Al-Washliyah, Medan, Indonesia

Ayu Melati Ningsih is a senior researcher and lecturer at the Faculty of Letters, Universitas Muslim Nusantara Al-Washliyah. She earned a bachelor’s degree in Education and completed her master’s studies in English Literature and English Language Education. Her academic interests focus on English Language Teaching (ELT), English literature, and educational technology. Her research explores language learning, digital pedagogy, literary criticism, ecocriticism, and human–nature relations in contemporary literary works. She is particularly interested in integrating technology into English language learning to support critical thinking and student engagement. In literary studies, her work emphasizes contemporary British literature and eco-consciousness in drama and fiction.
Vera Kristiana, Universitas Muslim Nusantara Al-Washliyah, Medan, Indonesia

Vera Kristiana is a researcher and senior lecturer at the Faculty of Literature, Universitas Muslim Nusantara Al-Washliyah. Her research interests include English language education, educational technology, and the integration of digital tools in language pedagogy. She is particularly interested in how technology-enhanced learning environments shape classroom interaction and how digital platforms can be utilized to improve language learning practices in contemporary educational contexts.
Dewi Nurmala, Universitas Muslim Nusantara Al-Washliyah, Medan, Indonesia

Dewi Nurmala is a PhD student with a research focus on linguistic landscape studies. Her academic interest in this field examines the use of language in public spaces, including signs, advertisements, public notices, and multilingual representations in social and cultural environments. Her research particularly explores how language reflects identity, power relations, culture, and social interaction within multilingual communities. She is also interested in the relationship between linguistic landscape, globalization, education, and digital communication in contemporary society.
Risnawaty Risnawaty, Universitas Muslim Nusantara Al-Washliyah, Medan, Indonesia

Prof. Dr. Risnawaty is a professor in the field of linguistics whose academic interests focus on applied linguistics, sociolinguistics, discourse analysis, and English language education. Her research explores language use in social and educational contexts, particularly the relationship between language, culture, communication, and pedagogy. She has contributed extensively to studies on language learning, linguistic analysis, and contemporary issues in English education. In addition to her scholarly publications, she has actively participated in academic research, conferences, and higher education development related to linguistics and English language studies.

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