ɹˈaɪɾɪŋ ɪnðə nˈuː jˈɔːɹk tˈaɪmz, hˈaʊɚd tˈɔːbmən dᵻskɹˈaɪbd ðɪ ˌaɪdɪəlˈɑːdʒɪkəl ɹˈɛlᵻvəns ʌvðə plˈeɪ tə kəntˈɛmpɚɹˌɛɹi ˈɔːdiənsᵻz, stˈeɪɾɪŋ "ðɪs plˈeɪ ænd ɪts pɹˈoʊɾɐɡənˌɪst, ðˌoʊ ðeɪ ɑːɹ ʌvðə nˈaɪntiːnθ sˈɛntʃɚɹi, ɑːɹ spˈiːkɪŋ tə tədˈeɪz kənsˈɜːnz: ɐn ʌnwˈɔntᵻd wˈɔːɹ ɪn ɐnˈʌðɚ lˈænd, sˈɪvəl dɪsoʊbˈiːdiəns, ðɪ ˌɪntɚdᵻpˈɛndəns ʌv mˈæn ænd nˈeɪtʃɚ, ˌɛdʒuːkˈeɪʃən, ðə ɹˈoʊl ʌv ɡˈʌvɚnmənt ænd ðə ɡˈʌvɚnd.
Writing in The New York Times, Howard Taubman described the ideological relevance of the play to contemporary audiences, stating "this play and its protagonist, though they are of the 19th century, are speaking to today's concerns: an unwanted war in another land, civil disobedience, the interdependence of man and nature, education, the role of government and the governed.