Playwright, Author, Painter. Born in Stockholm, Johan August Strindberg was the third son of Carl Oscar Strindberg and his wife, Ulrika Eleonora (Nora) Norling. Strindberg's mother had been her father's housekeeper and of a lower social order than his father. His relationship with his father was never a good one, and it grew worse following the death of his mother. His father ultimately married the family governess, a woman that Strindberg grew to despise. Strindberg received his education first at a progressive prep school called Stockholms Lyceum and then at the University of Uppsala. He began at the University in 1867 and remained there on and off until 1872 leaving without graduating. He had spent the "off" times from his education trying to determine what he wanted to do with himself. Among other things, he considered medicine as a field. He tried his hand at playwriting as well and saw his first play produced at the Royal Theatre in 1870. After leaving the university he worked as a critic and journalist for newspapers in Stockholm. He went on to write several plays novels, novella, short stories, and essays. He was said to be one of the fathers of modern European Theater. Strindberg's personal life was chaotic and troubled. He was married three times, each ending in bitter divorces. Strindberg has been called a misogynist, but a more modern interpretation of his personality suggests more complicated issues. In fact, he wrote essays in which he challenged the traditional roles of the sexes, showing some support for giving woman more opportunities. Many of his works floated social conventions. Politically, Strindberg called himself a socialist and his work has been popular in countries in which Socialism was the way of life. Strindberg went through different phases with his work first allying himself with Natuaralistic movement as seen in the novel "The Red Room" and his plays, "The Father" and "Miss Julie." He moved onto to be influenced by the Symbolist and Expressionist movements when producing the plays "The Dance of Death" and "The Ghost Sonata." Aside from writing, Strindberg tried his hand at painting, photography, and alchemy. It has been said that his paintings often represented the inner turmoil of the man.