Reading Notes W11: Ibsen, Part B

During the 19th century drama was considered low-brow with not many literary figures of the time considering the genre as real art. During this time most writers turned to poetry and novels in trying to express themselves through writing. This time period is often compared to modern day Hollywood with a stronger emphasis towards spectacle as displayed in the following passage from The Norton Anthology of World Literature Volume E: "One might compare nineteenth-century theater with present-day Hollywood and its focus on blockbuster action movies packed with special effects and star actors" (778). Henrik Ibsen was a writer who both embraced theater and also chose to break the then status quo of theater's creative direction. Ibsen went against type and presented serious stories through an artful lens as presented in the following section providing historical context of Ibsen and his work: "Ibsen showed Europe that theater could be an art form addressing the most serious moral and social questions of the time" (778). Ibsen introduced realism into drama with his many plays that garnered acclaim and popularity. He portrayed the good, bad, and ugly; pulling no punches when portraying the ill's of the middle-class he knew so well. As this upcoming passage states, his ability to tap into the reality of many folks lives provided the excitement surrounding his work: "The main reason why these plays caused such consternation and excitement is that they introduced realism to the theater. Realism had already been established in the novel, but not in the drama" (779). The play provided in this anthology to sample Henrik Ibsen's work is "Hedda Gabler". The play revolves around a marriage of two individuals from different social classes, with varying expectations of each other and their lives moving forward. Hedda is the wife and George Tesman is the husband.

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