**early life and career** august strindberg, a swedish playwright, novelist, poet, essayist, and painter, was born on january 22, 1849, in stockholm, sweden. his early life was marked by emotional insecurity, poverty, and religious fanaticism, which later influenced his writing style. **artistic breakthrough** strindberg's breakthrough in the art world came with his play master olof, rejected by the royal theatre in 1872. however, it w…