Love's Comedy by Henrik Ibsen a problem play exploring the tension between idealism and reality, societal expectations, and the fleeting nature of love. It was considered scandalous upon its initial publication due to its perceived immorality. The play is set in a country house where two students, Falk and Lind, are competing for the affections of...More
Henrik Johan Ibsen was a renowned Norwegian playwright and theatre director, considered to be one of the founders of modernism in theatre. Ibsen's major works, including A Doll's House, Peer Gynt, and Hedda Gabler, among others, introduced a new order of moral analysis to the European stage that was placed against a severely realistic middle-class background and developed with economy of action, penetrating dialogue, and rigorous thought. He influenced other playwrights and novelists such as George Bernard Shaw, Oscar Wilde, Arthur Miller, Marguerite Yourcenar, James Joyce, Eugene O'Neill, and Miroslav Krleža. Ibsen's dramas had a strong influence upon contemporary culture, making audiences reexamine with painful earnestness the moral...More
Henrik Johan Ibsen was a renowned Norwegian playwright and theatre director, considered to be one of the founders of modernism in theatre. Ibsen's major works, including A Doll's House, Peer Gynt, and Hedda Gabler, among others, introduced a new order of moral analysis to the European stage that was placed against a severely realistic middle-class background and developed with economy of action, penetrating dialogue, and rigorous thought. He influenced other playwrights and novelists such as George Bernard Shaw, Oscar Wilde, Arthur Miller, Marguerite Yourcenar, James Joyce, Eugene O'Neill, and Miroslav Krleža. Ibsen's dramas had a strong influence upon contemporary culture, making audiences reexamine with painful earnestness the moral foundation of their being.
Book Summary
Love's Comedy by Henrik Ibsen a problem play exploring the tension between idealism and reality, societal expectations, and the fleeting nature of love. It was considered scandalous upon its initial publication due to its perceived immorality. The play is set in a country house where two students, Falk and Lind, are competing for the affections of Mrs. Halm's daughters. Falk, a poet who criticizes bourgeois society, rejects the idea of loveless marriages and advocates for living in the passionate moment. When Lind chooses a comfortable life with his wife over pursuing his missionary ambitions, Falk denounces him and society at large. Falk and Svanhild plan to run away together, but they ultimately realize that their love cannot survive beyond the initial infatuation. Svanhild chooses a financially secure marriage, while Falk leaves to write about untainted love.
Henrik Ibsen
