Henrik Ibsen

Henrik Johan Ibsen (March 20, 1828–May 23, 1906) was an extremely influential Norwegian playwright who was largely responsible for the rise of the modern realistic drama. It is said that Ibsen is the most frequently performed dramatist in the world after Shakespeare.

Family and youth

He was born to Marichen and Knud Ibsen, a relatively well-to-do merchant family, in the small port town of Skien, Norway, which was primarily noted for shipping timber. Shortly after his birth, however, his family's fortunes took a significant turn for the worse. His mother turned to religion for solace, while his father declined into a severe depression. The characters in his plays often mirror his parents, and his themes often deal with issues of financial difficulty as well as moral conflicts stemming from dark private secrets hidden from society.

Related Topics:
Skien - Norway

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At fifteen, Ibsen left home. He moved to the small town Grimstad to become an apprentice pharmacist and began writing plays. In 1846, he fathered an illegitimate child with a servant maid that he rejected. Ibsen came to Oslo intending to attend university, but cast off the idea, preferring to commit to writing. His first play, the tragedy Catilina (1850), was published under the pseudonym Brynjolf Bjarme, when he was only 22, but it was not performed. His first play to see production was The Burial Mound (1850), however, it did not receive much attention. Still, Ibsen was determined to be a playwright, although he was not to write again for some years.

Related Topics:
Grimstad - Pharmacist - 1846 - Servant - Oslo - Catilina - 1850 - Pseudonym - The Burial Mound

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