HENRIK IBSEN

Ma. Ysabel Jeremiah P. Juachon

 Ibsen was often referred

to as the father of
theatrical realism
He was also one of the
founders of Modernism in
theatre
And is the most frequently
performed dramatist in
the world after
Shakespeare

March 20, 1828 May 23

1906
Source: http://www.wikiwand.com/it/Henrik_Ibsen

Early Life
Born in Skein, Norway
Family went from rich to poor
Became increasingly introverted
Wrote poetry in his spare time
Failed the entrance examination in the
Royal Frederick University in Christiania

Life as a writer
Ibsen was determined to forge a living
as a writer
1851-1857 in the National Theater in
Bergen
He was given the opportunity in 1857 to
manage a new theater
Unfortunately for him, again, it went
bankrupt in 1862

Life as a writer
He exiled himself for a 27-year period
During his self-imposed exile, he wrote
most of his finest plays.
Established himself as a well-known
playwright among both critics and
theatergoers

Life as a writer
an open drain, a loathsome sore, an
abominable piece, a repulsive and
degrading work
- a critic on Ghosts (1881)
Some of his plays aroused controversy
and provoked public outrage.

Works
Catiline(1850)
The Burial Mound(written in 1850, revised versionpublished
in 1854)
Norma(1851)
St. Johns Night(written in 1852, first published in 1909)
Lady Inger(written in 1854, first published in 1857)
The Feast at Solhaug(1856)
Olaf Liljekrans(written in 1856, first published in 1902)
The Vikings at Helgeland(1858)
Loves Comedy(1862)
The Pretenders(1863)
Source: ibsen.nb.no (the Ibsen website project) - http://ibsen.nb.no/id/11130436.0

 Peer Gynt(1867)

Works

The League of Youth(1869)

Poems(1871)
Emperor and Galilean(1873)
Pillars of Society(1877)
A Dolls House(1879)
Ghosts(1881)
An Enemy of the People(1882)
The Wild Duck(1884)
Rosmersholm(1886)
The Lady from the Sea(1888)
Hedda Gabler(1890)
The Master Builder(1892)

Source: ibsen.nb.no (the Ibsen website project) - http://ibsen.nb.no/id/11130436.0

Works
Ibsens dramatic works are often divided into four parts:
National-romantic and historical dramas
The dramas fromCatilinetoThe Pretenders.
Dramas of ideas
Loves Comedy,Brand,Peer GyntandEmperor and Galilean
Realistic contemporary dramas
Pillars of Society,A Dolls House,GhostsandAn Enemy of the
People.
Psychological and symbolical dramas
The Wild Duck,Rosmersholm,The Lady from the Sea,Hedda
Gabler,The Master Builder,Little Eyolf,John Gabriel
BorkmanandWhen We Dead Awaken.
Source: ibsen.nb.no (the Ibsen website project) - http://ibsen.nb.no/id/11130436.0

Final Years and Death

His deteriorating health showed in March 1900
He had flu, which was then followed by a stroke when
a clot developed in one of the arteries on the right
side of his brain
He suffered another stroke in the spring of 1901
His right arm and leg and the right side of his face
were paralysed and his speech became slurred
In March 1903, he recovered a bit from the stroke.
"Takk. H. I." ("Thank you, H.I.") were the last words he
wrote by his own hand
He died on 23 May 1906 at 2:30 PM

A Dolls House
Nora- The protagonist of the play and the wife of Torvald Helmer.
Nora initially seems like a playful, nave child who lacks knowledge
of the world outside her home. She does have some worldly
experience, however, and the small acts of rebellion in which she
engages indicate that she is not as innocent or happy as she
appears. She comes to see her position in her marriage with
increasing clarity and finds the strength to free herself from her
oppressive situation.
Torvald Helmer- Noras husband. Torvald delights in his new
position at the bank, just as he delights in his position of authority
as a husband. He treats Nora like a child, in a manner that is both
kind and patronizing. He does not view Nora as an equal but rather
as a plaything or dollto be teased and admired. In general, Torvald
is overly concerned with his place and status in society, and he
allows his emotions to be swayed heavily by theprospect of
societys
and the fear of societysscorn.
Source:respect
http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/dollhouse/characters.html

A Dolls House
Krogstad- A lawyer who went to school with Torvald and holds a
subordinate position at Torvalds bank. Krogstads character is
contradictory: though his bad deeds seem to stem from a desire to
protect his children from scorn, he is perfectly willing to use
unethical tactics to achieve his goals. His willingness to allow Nora
to suffer is despicable, but his claims to feel sympathy for her and
the hard circumstances of his own life compel us to sympathize
with him to some degree.
Mrs. Linde- Noras childhood friend. Kristine Linde is a practical,
down-to-earth woman, and her sensible worldview highlights Noras
somewhat childlike outlook on life. Mrs. Lindes account of her life
of poverty underscores the privileged nature of the life that Nora
leads. Also, we learn that Mrs. Linde took responsibility for her sick
parent, whereas Nora abandoned her father when he was ill.
Source: http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/dollhouse/characters.html

A Dolls House
Dr. Rank- Torvalds best friend. Dr. Rank stands out as the one
character in the play who is by and large unconcerned with what
others think of him. He is also notable for his stoic acceptance of his
fate. Unlike Torvald and Nora, Dr. Rank admits to the diseased
nature (literally, in his case) of his life. For the most part, he avoids
talking to Torvald about his imminent death out of respect for
Torvalds distaste for ugliness.

A Dolls House opens on Christmas eve in the living room of the

Helmers household
Source: http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/dollhouse/characters.html

A Dolls House
Prior to Ibsens time, dramas were written predominantly in
verse and generally did not depict events in an accurate manner
Ibsen sought to depict life accurately and realistically in his
plays, while delving into the types of conflicts and dilemmas that
he viewed as characteristic of his time
He patterned his dialogue after real-life conversations
He also revolutionalized the way in which plays were staged, by
introducing elaborate, detailed sets that often changed from act
to act

A Dolls House
Before I write down one word, I have to have the
character in mind through and through, I must
penetrate into the last wrinkle of his soul. I always
proceed from the individual; the stage setting, the
dramatic ensemble, all that comes naturally and does
not cause me any worry, as soon as I am certain of
the individual in every aspect of his humanity. But I
have to have his exterior in mind also, down to the
last button, how he stands and walks, how he
conducts himself, what his voice sounds like. Then I
do not let him go until his fate is fulfilled. - Ibsen

A Dolls House
Characterization is the means by which a writer
reveals a characters personality.
The verse dramas written before Ibsens time often
included soliloquies in which the characters revealed
their innermost thoughts directly to the audience
In contrast, characters in a realistic drama must be
developed through their physical appearances,
comments, and actions and through other characters
remarks about them
The Christmas Tree in the play somehow parallels
Nora

A Dolls House
The slamming of the door symbolized Noras assertion of her
freedom and independence. The sound represented a direct
challenge to the existing beliefs concerning sex roles
At the time the play was written, it was widely believed that
women were inferior to men
Women were expected to marry and to devote their lives to
serving their husbands and raising their children
They were expected to respect and obey their husbands without
question
When Nora tells Torvald that she plans to leave him, he at first
tries to forbid her, then warns her that she is not even thinking
about what people will say
Like Torvald, the audiences were shocked and dismayed when
Nora left and slammed the door

A Dolls House
Yet, this forced many people to begin re-evaluating the role
of woman in society
In the years that followed, women began to gain some of
the rights and privileges that the had previously been
denied
Because of Noras actions, Ibsen is often regarded as one of
the pioneer spirits in the feminist movement
There are two kinds of spiritual law, two kinds of
conscience, one in man and another, altogether different,
in woman. They do not understand each other, but in
practical life the woman is judged by mans law, as though
she were not a woman but a man A woman cannot be
herself in the society of the present day, which is
exclusively a masculine society

A Dolls House
The play is an example of a literary work with numerous possible
themes (the central idea or insight into life):
-the need for women to escape from the confinement and
restrictions in the nineteenth-century European society
-partners should know and trust each other, should view each other
as equals, and should have separate identities
-true love has little to do with such superficial qualities
-people are often faced with an internal conflict between natural
feeling on the one hand and belief in authority on the other
-society and authority place restrictions on people that inhibit the
development of individuality
-it is wrong to apply a rigid moral code to all situations and that
people who claim to such a moral code sometimes expose
themselves as hypocrites