Henrik Ibsen’s
Biography
Emma Alcantar
Kameron Casey
Laura Covey
Morgan Guilbeau
Alec Heikkala
Michael Seo
Activity:
~Activity~
2 Truths
Two
Truths and a
&
A Lie
Lie
Which one is the lie?
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Ibsen had two other brothers, Joseph and
George.
Ibsen’s father was a well-off merchant and
his mother was the daughter of the richest
merchant in Skien.
At the age of 8, Ibsen’s father went bankrupt
and became an alcoholic.
Which one is the lie?
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At the age of 15, Ibsen left school and
became the apprentice of a Pharmacist.
In 1850, at the age of 22, Ibsen entered the
University of Christiania.
In 1851, Ibsen got a job at the National
Theater of Bergen.
Which one is the lie?
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Ibsen is referred to as the father of modern
Theatre.
Ibsen is referred to as the second
Shakespeare of the 18th century.
Ibsen is referred to as the father of realism.
Which one is the lie?
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One of Ibsen’s greatest influences was
Shakespeare.
Several of Ibsen’s plays involve influences
from his childhood.
Ibsen collaborated with Shakespeare in the
course of writing some of his plays.
Which one is the lie?
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Ibsen married Suzannah Thorese in 1858 in
Christiania.
Ibsen only had one son, Sigurd, who would
become an author and successful politician.
Throughout his life, Ibsen never had any
financial hardships due to his successful
plays.
Which one is the lie?
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In 1865, Ibsen wrote the play, Brand, which
caused an uprising in Scandinavia.
The first play Ibsen wrote was Catilina.
Ibsen was offered a job in the early 1950’s to
be writer and manager for the Norwegian
Theater in Bergen.
Which one is the lie?
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Ibsen wrote his first major playwright Peer
Gynt while living in Italy.
Ibsen wrote both Hedda Gabler and A Doll’s
House, consecutively, while living in
Germany.
Henrik wrote another major playwright,
Ghosts, which stirred up controversy.
Which one is the lie?
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Ibsen was self-exiled from his home country,
Norway, but returned in 1891 as a literary hero.
Ibsen’s Hedda Gabler and A Doll’s House
feature some of theater’s most notorious
characters.
Ibsen’s Nora in A Doll’s House is called the
female Hamlet, Shakespeare's famous tragic
figure.
Which one is the lie?
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Ibsen’s first playwright, Catilina, was a
tragedy.
Ibsen’s playwright, Ghosts, includes the
controversial topics of venereal disease and
incest.
The Master Builder was the last play Ibsen
wrote before he died.
Which one is the lie?
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Henirk Ibsen died in Christiania, Norway in
1906.
Ibsen wrote his last play, When We Dead
Awaken, in 1899.
Ibsen died from a series of strokes.
Video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CAxGNj83WQ0
Overview
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Born in Skien, Norway on March 20, 1828.
Exiled to Italy where he wrote Brand
(tragedy)
Moved to Germany in 1868 where he wrote
A Doll’s House in 1879.
Returned to Norway a literary hero in 1891.
Died in Oslo, Norway on May 23, 1906
Early Life
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As a child he showed very little sign of the
theatrical genius he would become.
Parents were Knud and Marichen Ibsen.
Father was a successful merchant and
mother was a painter and played the piano.
He was the oldest of 5 children.
Expressed interest in becoming an artist.
Influential People
The Danish poet Oehlenschlager
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following his apothecary
apprenticeship, Ibsen published
his first drama, then produced a
second, both while highly
influenced by this man
inspired Ibsen to get involved in
the literary arts, which was his
true passion
Influential People
His father, Knud Ibsen
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In 1836 Knud Ibsen became
insolvent, and his family moved
to a small cottage on the
outskirts of town
Due to his father’s actions, the
family withdrew to great poverty
Decided to pursue his passions
in order to escape the dreariness
of his father’s actions
Influential Events
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In 1843 he was forced to leave school.
In 1850 he moved to Christiania (modern day Oslo)
intending to enroll in college, and published his first
drama, a tragedy entitled Catiline.
In 1858 he became the creative director of the
Christiania theater.
In 1865 his first commercially successful play Brand
was published.
In 1879 A Doll’s House is published.
Education
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From an early age, Henrik shared an interest
in being an artist like his mother
After financial difficulties, Henrik spent
most of his young life reading, painting, and
performing magic tricks
By age 15, Henrik quit school in order to
pursue work and an apprenticeship to follow
his interests of art
Apprenticeship
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Served as an apprentice in an apothecary for
six years after dropping out of school
Wrote poetry and painted on free time
Wrote his first play Catilina at the end of his
apprenticeship modelled after the writings of
one of his great influences, William
Shakespeare
Cultural Events
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Ibsen did not agree with many social norms and the
oppressive society that he lived in.
Women had few rights and were mainly controlled by
their husbands.
People were expected to obey the norm and stay in line.
Ibsen wanted to break away from that.
He tried to uncover the negative sides of society and
exploit it and he demanded truth and fairness.
Influence on Ibsen and writing
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The characters in his works and the challenges they face
reflect his views.
Many times characters are caught in a moral struggle or
a struggle against society.
He depicts female characters as struggling to gain
acceptance and a place in society.
Many of his characters are searching to find
“themselves” or to find freedom from some form of
oppression.
Economic events
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The economy of Norway was stabilizing after the
independence of the country in 1814
The young life of Henrik consisted of an economic
boom to occur within Norway, where economic
growth was seen for decades
The end of Henrik’s life was plagued by economic
stagnation due to the industrialization of Europe
and Norway
Influence on Ibsen and writing
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The stagnant economy caused by the
independence of Norway was partially a
cause to the poverty Henrik and his family
faced at a young age
Many of Henrik’s writing (such as in A Doll’s
House) deals with poverty and struggle with
money, the same struggle he had during his
young life
Political Events
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Foundation for modern industry laid in 1840s.
Economic developments led to class conflict.
February Revolution of 1848 called for
democratic reform.
The majority featured radicals and farmers,
frustrated with the actions of the monarchy.
Eventually, parliamentarianism was introduced.
Influence on Ibsen and his Writing
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The conversation between Nora and Mrs. Linde describe
some of the class conflict evident during this time.
“How very kind of you, Nora to be so concerned over me
- doubly kind, considering you really know so little of
life’s burdens yourself”
(2192).
o Nora has lived a comfortable life, while Mrs. Linde
has fallen subject to many injustices that Nora will
not be able to understand.
Career as a writer
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Held a mostly meager career as a writer.
Failed his matriculation exam, and still not
qualified by the time he had served
apprenticeship under Oehlenschlager.
First few works (Catiline, The Warrior’s
Barrow) received harsh criticism, but Brand
(1865) is regarded as the beginning of his
critical acclaim.
Career as a writer
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Most famous works….
o Hedda Gabler (1891)
o Ghosts (1881)
o An Enemy of the People (1882)
o The League of Youth (1869)
o The Wild Duck (1884)
o Peer Gynt (1876)
o Brand (1865)
Career as a writer
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Was one of the few original male feminists.
Has been called the “father of modern
drama”
Career falls into several distinct periods
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First two decades (from 1850) = verse drama
1873 - 1877 = prose
Post - 1877 = realistic dramas (wrote 8)
Close Read
Passage: Page 2186-2187
Read it! Enjoy it! Actually do it!
Close Read
Look out for:
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word meaning
structure
sound and rhythm
syntax
textual context
irony
tone and narrative voice
imagery
rhetorical devices
themes
gender
Close Read
Now… Create a thesis!
(Tie all of the things we just talked about
together.)
Be prepared to share with the class.
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Works Cited
"A Short History Of Henrik Ibsen." YouTube. YouTube, 08 Apr. 2013. Web. 19 Oct. 2013.
"Henrik Ibsen Biography." Bio.com. A&E Networks Television, n.d. Web. 19 Oct. 2013.
Kim, Cindy. "A Doll's House- The Cultural Context." Prezi.com. N.p., 3 Nov. 2012. Web. 19 Oct. 2013.
Hemmer, Bjorn, Prof. "The Dramatist: HENRIK IBSEN." Great Norwegians. Metropolitan News Company, n.d. Web. 21 Oct.
2013.
"Henrik Ibsen." NNDB: Tracking the entire world. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Oct. 2013.
"Henrik Ibsen Biography - Childhood, Life Achievements & Timeline." Famous People - Famous People in History, Famous
People List & Biography. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Oct. 2013.