1. Modern realistic Drama A Doll’s House
By Henrik Ibsen

2. Background: Ibsen (1828-1906) Born in Norway
Grew up in poverty after his merchant father experienced bankruptcy
Failed a college entrance exam—became determined to be a writer
After writing 2 plays, hired as a playwright
Moved to Italy after the theater he managed went into bankruptcy
Became a popular playwright among critics and theatergoers

3. The Modern Realistic Drama
Ibsen developed the modern realistic drama—a type of play unlike anything audiences had seen before
Characteristics included
Reflected ordinary language—written in prose, not verse
Depicts characters and situations as they really are
Addresses controversial issues and society’s assumptions
A Doll House focuses on the role and status of women in the late 19th century

4. Shift from Romanticism to Realism
Characteristics of –
Romantic and Realistic Literature

6. Romantic Authors Mary Shelley (Frankenstein)
Edgar Allen Poe (Narrative of Arthur
Gordon Pyme)
Nathanial Hawthorne (Scarlett Letter)
James Fenimore Cooper
(Last of the Mohicans)

7. Romantic Authors Herman Melville (Moby Dick)
Daphne DuMaurier (Rebecca)

8. Realistic Authors Stephen Crane (Red Badge of Courage)
Mark Twain (Adventures of Huck Finn)
John Steinbeck (Grapes of Wrath; Of Mice and Men)

9. Why were Ibsen’s plays so controversial?
Typical plays of the time were modeled after the Romantic movement, where plays:
1. were “plot heavy”
2. had idealized storylines
3. endings were unfailingly happy
His later works defied the prevailing tastes in theater of the day

10. Ibsen’s Controversial Plays
A Doll’s House (1879)—controversial because it portrayed a woman whose actions were unacceptable for that time
It was definitely a controversial ending for the time
It was SO controversial that when it was going to be staged in Berlin, the famous actress Hedwig Niemann-Raabe said she would only play the part of Nora if the ending was changed.

11. Ibsen’s Controversial Plays
A Doll’s House (cont.)
Alternate Ending—A Doll’s House
Since the playwright's wishes were not protected by copyright, Ibsen decided to avoid the danger of being rewritten by a lesser dramatist by committing what he called a "barbaric outrage" on his play himself and giving it an alternative ending

12. Ibsen’s Controversial Plays
Ghosts (1881) – hostile reception from the public due to Ibsen’s portrayal of realistic events and themes
Enemy of the People (1882) – written in response to the public’s hostile reception of Ghosts

13. A Doll House or A Doll’s House
In English, the title is traditionally A Doll’s House
Rolf Fjelde (translator of textbook version) takes issue with the title (hence the title that appears in the textbook)
How can this small change in a title change the manner in which the play might be perceived?

14. Ibsen’s Grave Picture of Ibsen’s Grave Tomb in Norway
Ibsen had the image of an arm holding a hammer on his tomb to symbolize the way in which his plays shattered illusions about life