Editing Kaj Munk (section)

==Playwright==
Munk often used a historical background for his plays—among his influences were [[William Shakespeare]], [[Adam Oehlenschläger]], [[Henrik Ibsen]], and [[George Bernard Shaw]].<ref name="gyldendal">[http://www.denstoredanske.dk/Kunst_og_kultur/Litteratur/Dansk_litteratur/1914-40/Kaj_Munk Kaj Munk], ''Den Store Danske'', [[Gyldendal]]</ref> As a playwright, Munk became known for "strong characters"—integrated people who fight wholeheartedly for their ideals (whether good or bad). In his play ''En Idealist'', for example, the "hero" is [[Herod the Great|King Herod]] whose fight to maintain power is the motive behind all of his acts until he is at last defeated by a show of kindness to the Christ child in a weak moment.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Kaj Munk |url=https://www.oxfordreference.com/display/10.1093/oi/authority.20110803100216675 |website=Oxford Reference |language=en }}</ref>

His 1925 play ''[[Ordet]]'' (''The Word'') is generally considered to be his best work; it is an investigation of miracles from the unique (at least, to theatre) viewpoint of one who was not prepared to dismiss them. A family of farmers—of differing degrees of faith—find themselves reconciled to their neighbours through a miracle. A 1943 film adaptation titled ''[[The Word (1943 film)|The Word]]'' was directed by [[Gustaf Molander]]. A 1955 film version of ''[[Ordet]]'' was directed by [[Carl Theodor Dreyer]], and won numerous awards, including the [[Golden Lion]] at the [[16th Venice International Film Festival]] and the 1956 [[Golden Globe Award]] for Best Foreign Language Film.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.carlthdreyer.dk/Filmene/Ordet.aspx|title=Carl Th. Dreyer - Ordet|access-date=22 October 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110719121257/http://www.carlthdreyer.dk/Filmene/Ordet.aspx|archive-date=19 July 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref>{{citation needed|date=September 2018}}

Munk's plays, many of which have been performed at the [[Royal Theatre, Copenhagen]], and elsewhere, include:
* ''[[Pilatus (play)|Pilatus]]'' (1917; published 1937)
* ''Ordet'' (tr. ''The Word'') (1925)
* ''Kærlighed'' (1926)
* ''[[En Idealist]]'' (1928)
* ''[[I Brændingen]]'' (1929)
* ''[[Kardinalen og Kongen]]'' (1929)
* ''[[Cant (play)|Cant]]'' (1931)
* ''[[De Udvalgte]]'' (1933)
* ''[[Sejren]]'' (1936)
* ''[[Han sidder ved Smeltediglen]]'' (1938)
* ''[[Egelykke]]'' (1940)
* ''[[Niels Ebbesen]]'' (1942)
* ''[[Før Cannae]]'' (1943)

His play ''[[Niels Ebbesen]]'' has been translated into English (2006) by his granddaughter Arense Lund and Canadian playwright [[Dave Carley]].<ref>[http://davecarley.com/media/uploads/text-plays/niels_ebbesen_translation_and_adaptation.pdf Niels Ebbesen (2006) English Translation]</ref>