Henrik Ibsen: Four Major Plays

by Henrik Ibsen, William Archer (Introduction)

Four Major Plays by Henrik Ibsen A Doll's House Hedda Gabler Translated by Edmund Gosse and William Archer With an introduction by William Archer The Master Builder Translated by Edmund Gosse and William Archer Introduction by William Archer Ghosts A Domestic Tragedy in Three Acts Translated by R. Farquharson Sharp Henrik Johan Ibsen; 20 March 1828 - 23 May 1906, was a major 19th-century Norwegian playwright, theatre director, and poet. He is often referred to as "the father of realism" and is one of the founders of Modernism in theatre. His major works include Brand, Peer Gynt, An Enemy of the People, Emperor and Galilean, A Doll's House, Hedda Gabler, Ghosts, The Wild Duck, When We Dead Awaken, Pillars of Society, The Lady from the Sea, Rosmersholm, The Master Builder and John Gabriel Borkman. He is the most frequently performed dramatist in the world after Shakespeare, and A Doll's House became the world's most performed play by the early 20th century.

Genres: Literature, Classics

320 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1879

About the author

Henrik Johan Ibsen was a major Norwegian playwright largely responsible for the rise of modern realistic drama. He is often referred to as the "father of modern drama." Ibsen is held to be the greatest of Norwegian authors and one of the most important playwrights of all time, celebrated as a national symbol by Norwegians.

His plays were considered scandalous to many of his era, when Victorian values of family life and propriety largely held sway in Europe and any challenge to them was considered immoral and outrageous. Ibsen's work examined the realities that lay behind many facades, possessing a revelatory nature that was disquieting to many contemporaries.

Ibsen largely founded the modern stage by introducing a critical eye and free inquiry into the conditions of life and issues of morality. Victorian-era plays were expected to be moral dramas with noble protagonists pitted against darker forces; every drama was expected to result in a morally appropriate conclusion, meaning that goodness was to bring happiness, and immorality pain. Ibsen challenged this notion and the beliefs of his times and shattered the illusions of his audiences.

Reviews

[Zach Brown]

These plays slap. Kind of old though. I like Ibsen

[Stephen Burling]

Took a break then came back to it, classic!!! I like that they sampled 2 institutional critique plays and 2 later interpersonal snafu ones. His writing style persisted but subject material evolved a lot as he aged I guess.

A Doll’s House
Chud Torvald. Classic. I feel like it did a great job at dissecting gender roles in a way that makes the whole concept implode.
I can’t believe this got so much backlash that he had to rewrite the ending for German audiences being like “Wait at the end of the day I am a natural mother….. I must forgo any autonomy I thought I wanted”

Ghosts
This was cool because it’s slightly connected to A Doll’s House and deals with similar subject matter. But I also felt like this is where he starts to dip into the complex drama kind of thing which makes it crazier. Starts introducing insane concepts for the time like incest and cheating and whateva

Hedda Gabler
Ok I have to spoil this one. This one made me laugh so hard when at the end of act one Hedda Gabler randomly is like “Maybe I will greet him indeed. With my pistols 😈 *pulls out pistols*”
Big Michael Scott improv scene energy. Very fun read though

The Master Builder
Bro was moving like Bill Clinton in the architects office. Not my favorite but still cool, stuff just kind of happened in this one. But also maybe I was getting ready to be done with this collection

[Connor Girvan]

Already own a copy of Ghosts and A Doll House but never read Ghosts or Hedda Gabler/The Master Builder.

Love A Doll’s House, still my favourite play ever. I remember doing my advance higher dissertation on this play and would LOVE to revisit that but such a good play. I enjoyed the addition of the German alternative ending even though it was rubbish. Takes away all the power from Nora and I’d be fooming if I seen a production with that ending but I guess it made sense at the time that they wouldn’t show the original ending…cowards

Ghosts was okay, meant to be a more nuanced take on some of the themes from A Dolls House but I still prefer the former. Hedda Gabler was good, loved Hedda....queen. The Master Builder was probably my least favourite tbh

[Kurly Fry]

Was there really a time you could just be a guy walking around and your title everyone referred to you by was "Master Builder" ? it's giving George Costanza pretending to be an architect. oh Henrik, you strange man, inventor of the modern drama, thank you for these plays. i was particularly fond of The Wild Duck. Hedda Gabler wasn't too bad either. And of course, A Doll's House has proven its timelessness many times over. your climaxes aside from Nora slamming the door, i don't know... they feel a bit much. Perhaps obvious. but that's probably by virtue of me being exposed to about a century's worth of drama and cinema since your death, and i'm sure seeing it all expertly brought to life by a competent company would likely render nothing short of catharsis. anywho, on to tha next one! #excelsior

[Alison Congro]

“I’ll try to discover who’s right, the world or I”

[Luby K.]

The Master Builder was the best one.