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Ibsen Four Major Plays
Paperback
Published January 1, 1965
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About the author
Henrik Ibsen
2,259 books2,107 followersHenrik 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.
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.
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December 11, 2023
Goodreads doesn't show the cover image, but the edition I have is the 1965 Signet Classic paperback (cover price 75¢).
The plays are:
A Doll* House (1879)
The Wild Duck (1884)
Hedda Gabler (1890)
The Master Builder (1892)
*Yes, in this edition the title is rendered "A Doll House" rather than the more familiar (to me) "A Doll's House."
This translator is Rolf Fjelde, who also wrote a foreword for this edition.
Of course, Ibsen is someone everyone should read, and in fact, is reportedly the second most-performed playwright after only Shakespeare. I probably read a play or two of his in high school, but I remember nothing of it.
So reading these four plays now was a real treat, and this from me who doesn't generally read plays.
It's amazing how relevant and intriguing these little dramas remain, after all these years. Ibsen lived from 1828 to 1906, and I added the years of the plays above (information courtesy of Wikipedia), so the oldest one is about 144 years old now. Which is kind of mind-blowing if you think about it—something a Norwegian man wrote so long ago is still relevant and interesting to modern American readers in the 2020s. Quite an achievement.
I think the plays succeed even today because they're such fascinating character studies. (And human nature really hasn't changed over the past century and a half.)
Ibsen's sharper, more concise focus allows him to present individuals in sharp relief. Yes, rather than the huge, sweeping casts typical of Shakespeare's plays (I just looked at "Richard III" at random, and there are so many characters I'm not going to count them, but it looks to be over two dozen; "Hamlet" isn't so crowded, with just over twenty), Ibsen's works have but a handful: "The Master Builder" features seven characters with lines, but three characters together have the vast majority of dialogue. Similarly, "Hedda Gabler" has but seven characters, and a couple of those are fairly minor.
What this means is that we are given an in-depth view of the characters and what makes them tick. We hear them talk and react more, and be talked about more. And Ibsen's characters are absolutely fascinating, even more so by how they are presented and how their backstory is so skillfully doled out.
I don't want to reveal any plot details, and I'm sure countless others have reviewed these plays far more incisively than I ever could, but I'll give this example: "The Master Builder" was agonizingly engrossing. I couldn't put it down. It quickly became clear to me that someone was, if not insane, then "off." But who? I kept changing my mind as more information came out. Finally, I have to believe that pretty much all of them (and all of Ibsen's main characters) are mentally unstable or even "mad" to some degree.
The plays all seem "tragic" or at least gloomy and a good bit depressing to me, but in a good way. Realism, irony, passive-aggressive interpersonal relationships, social critique—there's a lot to unpack. Enjoy!
The plays are:
A Doll* House (1879)
The Wild Duck (1884)
Hedda Gabler (1890)
The Master Builder (1892)
*Yes, in this edition the title is rendered "A Doll House" rather than the more familiar (to me) "A Doll's House."
This translator is Rolf Fjelde, who also wrote a foreword for this edition.
Of course, Ibsen is someone everyone should read, and in fact, is reportedly the second most-performed playwright after only Shakespeare. I probably read a play or two of his in high school, but I remember nothing of it.
So reading these four plays now was a real treat, and this from me who doesn't generally read plays.
It's amazing how relevant and intriguing these little dramas remain, after all these years. Ibsen lived from 1828 to 1906, and I added the years of the plays above (information courtesy of Wikipedia), so the oldest one is about 144 years old now. Which is kind of mind-blowing if you think about it—something a Norwegian man wrote so long ago is still relevant and interesting to modern American readers in the 2020s. Quite an achievement.
I think the plays succeed even today because they're such fascinating character studies. (And human nature really hasn't changed over the past century and a half.)
Ibsen's sharper, more concise focus allows him to present individuals in sharp relief. Yes, rather than the huge, sweeping casts typical of Shakespeare's plays (I just looked at "Richard III" at random, and there are so many characters I'm not going to count them, but it looks to be over two dozen; "Hamlet" isn't so crowded, with just over twenty), Ibsen's works have but a handful: "The Master Builder" features seven characters with lines, but three characters together have the vast majority of dialogue. Similarly, "Hedda Gabler" has but seven characters, and a couple of those are fairly minor.
What this means is that we are given an in-depth view of the characters and what makes them tick. We hear them talk and react more, and be talked about more. And Ibsen's characters are absolutely fascinating, even more so by how they are presented and how their backstory is so skillfully doled out.
I don't want to reveal any plot details, and I'm sure countless others have reviewed these plays far more incisively than I ever could, but I'll give this example: "The Master Builder" was agonizingly engrossing. I couldn't put it down. It quickly became clear to me that someone was, if not insane, then "off." But who? I kept changing my mind as more information came out. Finally, I have to believe that pretty much all of them (and all of Ibsen's main characters) are mentally unstable or even "mad" to some degree.
The plays all seem "tragic" or at least gloomy and a good bit depressing to me, but in a good way. Realism, irony, passive-aggressive interpersonal relationships, social critique—there's a lot to unpack. Enjoy!
Displaying 1 of 1 review