Henrik Ibsen was one of the most popular poet and dramatist in his time. He is considered as the father of modern realistic drama because he is responsible for the transition of the Romantic style going to modern realistic style of writing a play. The Norwegian playwright was born on Skien from Knud Ibsen and Marichen Altenburg, a relatively well-to-do merchant family. The family of Ibsen was one of oldest and distinguished family in their country. But the fortune of his family was taken away when he is going to its adulthood.
Her mother turned to religion for support while his father financial situation was ruined because his father’s friend broke all connections with him and forced to bankruptcy in 1836 (Bellinger). Ibsen was motivated to go into playwriting by his mother. His mother was an enthusiastic painter and she loves theater. But because of situation of their family which was made them in to poverty, Ibsen at the age of 15 decided to go to Grimstad to be a pharmacist (Bellinger).
In 1850, Ibsen goes to Christiania which is now called Oslo where he earned his journalistic writings in Heltberg. In this year also when his first written work was made and these were Catiline, a tragedy, which reflected the atmosphere of the revolutionary year of 1848, and The Burial Mound, written under the pseudonym of Brynjolf Bjarme. In 1858, returned to Christiania to apply his education in writing plays at Christiania’s National Theater and the same year when he married Suzannah Thoresen.
All of the plays that were written by Ibsen were based on poverty and family problems. This was because on his past experience on his family. One of the plays that were written by Ibsen was the A Doll’s House. The said play, after being published received many criticisms about the traditional Victorian marriage. A Doll’s House-Critical Essay A Doll’s House was the first play that was written by Ibsen that has sensational effect on the audiences because it tackles on the norms of Victorian marriage.
It is the most popular works that was written by Ibsen. The center of the story is about on Nora Helmer, who is the mother of the three children and the wife of Torvald Helemer who is a banker. The story is about on the marriage of the two characters that was ruined because the wife did not do her role as the mother and that she made an action that broke a law. The main points of Isben in his play were the family structure on his time and the way society thinks on the role of the father and the mother.
The society in his time, after reading the play was patriarchal. It is very obvious because the play gives more importance on the male rather than equal opportunities. Ibsen designed the play in such a way that the audience can see the inequality of men and women as well the breakage of the norms in a marriage between husband and wife. The first secession of Nora in the society was when she committed a crime just to save the life of her wife.
He was forced to forge the signature of his father so that he can borrow money that will be used for her husband’s treatment. The incidence showed that women can also make decision on their family and not the husband only. This is one of the norms in a Victorian marriage, were work, politics and decision are left from men while the household chores are women. The second secession of Nora in the society was when she decided to divorce her husband. In that time, divorce in never allowed by the society because it breaks the relationship of husband and wife.
From the two secessions, it can be seen that the society dictates the relationship of a husband and wife and favors men. Nora secessions are very deliberate and thought out. She knows what society expects of her and continues to do what she feels is right despite them. Her secessions are used by Ibsen to show faults of society. Reference: Bellinger, Martha Fletcher. “A Short History of the Drama. ” (1927). November 14, 2007 <http://www. theatredatabase. com/19th_century/henrik_ibsen_001. html>.