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A review by thaurisil
Four Major Plays: A Doll's House / Ghosts / Hedda Gabler / The Master Builder by Henrik Ibsen
5.0
My first encounter with Ibsen was studying Hedda Gabler in school when we were 16. A week after we had all finished reading it, someone did a Google search and realised that Hedda was pregnant. At that point, some of us gave up on ever understanding Ibsen, while some of us re-read the entire play with increased zeal. I was one of the latter, and Hedda Gabler became one of my favourite texts studied in school, although I always had the feeling that I wasn't mature enough to understand parts of it.
So I came into this reading of these four Ibsen plays expecting hidden meanings, double entendres, and subtle communications hinted at only by body gesture or stage positions. I was not disappointed. Ibsen's plays are not the easiest to read, but they are so rewarding. Every ellipsis, every look or turn of the body, every piece of furniture or clothing carries a meaning, just as they do in real life.
The plays tackle societal issues. A Doll's House is about a lady trapped in a seemingly happy but deeply empty marriage to a man who expects her to entertain but not to think. Ghosts is about a lady who has brought her beloved son home after her adulterous husband died, only to discover that her son is more similar to her husband that she expected. Hedda Gabler is about a rich lady bored in a lifeless marriage to a naive academic who is unable to meet her expectations. The Master Builder is about an architect whose marriage has turned stale after his home burned down and his children died years ago, and, unable to connect with his wife despite loving her, finds comfort in younger girls.
Each of the plays focuses on a character who undergoes twists and developments, gains a deeper understanding of a certain situation, and makes a drastic decision. The main characters are well-rounded people, with their strengths and flaws and unreasonable expectations. The communication between characters are not in speech only, as often happens in other texts, and are instead contributed to largely by body language, as in real life. All of the plays end in tragedy, but in a few cases, the tragedy feels like a welcome reprieve for the protagonist.
This is highly recommended. Ibsen is truly one of the best playwrights, and his 19th century plays set in Norway remain relevant today around the world.
So I came into this reading of these four Ibsen plays expecting hidden meanings, double entendres, and subtle communications hinted at only by body gesture or stage positions. I was not disappointed. Ibsen's plays are not the easiest to read, but they are so rewarding. Every ellipsis, every look or turn of the body, every piece of furniture or clothing carries a meaning, just as they do in real life.
The plays tackle societal issues. A Doll's House is about a lady trapped in a seemingly happy but deeply empty marriage to a man who expects her to entertain but not to think. Ghosts is about a lady who has brought her beloved son home after her adulterous husband died, only to discover that her son is more similar to her husband that she expected. Hedda Gabler is about a rich lady bored in a lifeless marriage to a naive academic who is unable to meet her expectations. The Master Builder is about an architect whose marriage has turned stale after his home burned down and his children died years ago, and, unable to connect with his wife despite loving her, finds comfort in younger girls.
Each of the plays focuses on a character who undergoes twists and developments, gains a deeper understanding of a certain situation, and makes a drastic decision. The main characters are well-rounded people, with their strengths and flaws and unreasonable expectations. The communication between characters are not in speech only, as often happens in other texts, and are instead contributed to largely by body language, as in real life. All of the plays end in tragedy, but in a few cases, the tragedy feels like a welcome reprieve for the protagonist.
This is highly recommended. Ibsen is truly one of the best playwrights, and his 19th century plays set in Norway remain relevant today around the world.