Problem plays are the plays designed to confront viewers with modern social problems. Typically, the theme of the play is socially relevant, and the characters confront the issue in a variety of ways, presenting viewers with different approaches and opinions. After seeing a problem play, one is supposed to be filled with interest in the topic at hand, and hopefully inspired to enact social change.

The concept of problem plays arose in the 19th century, as part of an overall movement known as Realism. Prior to the 19th century, many people turned to art as a mode of escape which allowed them to look outside the world they lived in. In the 19th century, however, art began to take on a more introspective, realistic air, with a conscious focus on ongoing issues such as the social inequalities exacerbated by the Industrial Revolution.

Although the idea of creating problem plays was popularized in the 19th century, numerous works have been retroactively termed problem plays. Several Greek playwrights, for example, addressed ongoing social issues like war, in the case of Lysistrata, by Aristophanes. Several works of Shakespeare are also considered to be problem plays, like Measure for Measure, which has very Biblical themes of justice and truth, or Troilus and Cressida, which confronts viewers with infidelity, sexuality, and betrayal.