The contribution of Erik Mattsson and Egil Törnqvist functions as an example of a more traditional notion of the national play, in which the Swedish king Gustav Vasa is displayed as founding father of the Swedish nation. The play was written at the end of the nineteenth century but is clearly set in the sixteenth century, when Gustav Vasa played an important role in unifying the nation. Törnqvist and Mattsson show that Vasa’s unifying qualities have long been emphasized, whereas his tyrannical and disruptive actions have been concealed. Recent more critical performances of the play have brought those less positive traits to light.