1 / 7

Henrik Ibsen Norwegian playwright

badu
Download Presentation

Henrik Ibsen Norwegian playwright

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

    1. Henrik Ibsen Norwegian playwright 1828-1906

    2. Biography Born in Skien, small coastal town Prosperous, merchant family brought to financial ruin Began writing plays in 1850s: prolific output Rise to eminence and wealth in 1860s

    3. Bio, contd 1864-91: travels around Europe, soaking in influences Long, high-profile career Drama interested in socio-economic issues, Victorian morality

    4. Major Works Peer Gynt (1867) Pillars of Society (1877) A Dolls House (1879) Ghosts (1881) An Enemy of the People (1882) Hedda Gabler (1890)

    5. Critical Evaluation from John Northam, The Relevance of Henrik Ibsen HIs appeal: intuitive and emotional, even on abstract issues and political topics Challenge to readers: critique our society, our place within it, resist complacency HIs heroes learn the burden of freedom, but are always limited by society Society stifles creative energy Heroes must break free from social values that they have internalized

    6. Northam on Ibsen, contd Central concern: dramatize experience of living through tragic paradox of modern world HIs heroes refuse to be totally conditioned by their socioeconomic roles Tragedies result from resisting the falsification of the essential self, which HI believes cannot be silenced

    7. Poet of Modern Society What are the contradictions inherent in the society that tear at the characters senses of who they are? HIs insight: whatever society does, whatever it expects, some individuals will refuse to succumb to its deadening power Dolls House, like other of HIs plays, is formally a tragedy, but one that includes acts of existential heroism

More Related