The Creation of the World and Other Business: Archetype and the Rhythm of Decorum

Measured by how often it has been performed, The Creation of the World and Other Business has not been a successful play, despite Miller's (perhaps facetious) line that “[t]his is the best goddamned play I've ever written” (Lamos 377). Yet the work occupies a significant position in Arthur Miller's theatrical oeuvre. Thus, the Miller centennial invites a timely reexamination of its chronology, of its critical reception, of its style, and of its crucial connection to myth and archetype.