Ibsen Henryk: biography, creativity, quotations

Ibsen Henryk did an incredible thing - created and opened for the whole world Norwegian drama and Norwegian theater. His works were originally romantic, having as subjects the ancient Scandinavian sagas ("Warriors Helgelade", "Struggle for the throne"). Then he turns to the philosophical and symbolic comprehension of the world (Brand, Per Gynt). And finally, Ibsen Henryk comes to the sharp criticism of modern life ("Doll House", "Ghosts", "Enemy of the People"). Dynamically developing, G. Ibsen requires in later works the complete emancipation of man.

Childhood playwright

In the family of a wealthy Norwegian merchant Ibsen, who lives in the south of the country, in the town of Skien, in 1828 Henryk's son appears. But only eight years pass, and the family is ruined. Life falls out of the usual circle of communication, they suffer hardships in everything and ridicule those around them. Little Ibsen Henry painfully perceives the changes. However, already at school he begins to amaze teachers with his writings. His childhood ended at the age of 16, when he moved to a neighboring town and became a pupil of an apothecary. He has been working in the pharmacy for five years and all these years he dreams of moving to the capital.

In the city of Christiania

A young man, Ibsen Henryk, comes to the big city of Christiania and, financially distressed, takes part in political life. He manages to deliver a short drama "Bogatyrsky mound". But he still has the drama Catilina. He is noticed and invited to Bergen.

In the folk theater

In Bergen, Ibsen Henrik becomes director and director of the theater. With him, the repertoire of the theater includes plays by the classics - Shakespeare, Scribe, also Dumas-son - and Scandinavian works. This period will last in the life of the playwright from 1851 to 1857. Then he returns to Christiania.

In the capital

This time the capital met him more affably. Ibsen Henryk was promoted to theater director. A year later, in 1858, his marriage to Susanna Thoresen, which will be happy. At this time, heading the Norwegian Theater, he is already recognized as a playwright in his homeland thanks to the historical play "Feast in Sulhaug." His previously written plays are repeatedly put on stage. This is the "Warriors Helgelade", "Ulaf Liljekrans". They are played not only in Christiania, but also in Germany, Sweden, Denmark. But when in 1862 he presented to the public a satirical play - The Comedy of Love, in which the idea of love and marriage is derided, the society is so strongly opposed to the author that in two years he is forced to leave his homeland. With the help of friends, he gets a scholarship and leaves for Rome.

Abroad

In Rome, he lives alone and in 1865-1866 he wrote a poem play "Brand". The hero of the play - the priest Brand wants to achieve inner perfection, which, as it turns out, is absolutely impossible in the world. He refuses his son and wife. But his ideal views are not needed by anybody: neither to the secular authorities, nor to the spiritual authorities. In the end, without renouncing his views, the hero dies. This is natural, since his whole nature is alien to charity.

Moving to Germany

After living in Trieste, Dresden, G. Ibsen finally stops in Munich. In 1867 another verse work comes out - the exact opposite of the play about the insane priest "Per Gynt". The action of this romantic poem takes place in Norway, in Morocco, in the Sahara, in Egypt and again in Norway. In a small village where a young guy lives, he is considered a bastard, a fighter who does not think about helping his mother. He liked the modest beautiful girl Solveig, but she refuses him, because his reputation is too bad. Per goes into the woods and meets the daughter of the Forest King, where he is ready to marry, but for this he needs to turn into an ugly troll. With difficulty escaping from the clutches of forest monsters, he meets with the mother dying on his hands. After that, he travels the world for many years and finally, completely old and gray, returns to his native village. Nobody will know him, except the magician Pugovicnik, who is ready to melt his soul into a button. Per begging for a respite, to prove to the sorcerer that he is a one-man person, not faceless. And then he, rolling the field, meets his faithful old Solveig. Then he understands that he was saved by the faith and love of a woman who had waited so long for him. This is a completely fantastic story, which Henrik Ibsen created. Works as a whole are built, proceeding from the fact that some whole personality struggles with the lack of will and immorality of insignificant people.

World glory

By the end of the 1970s, Ibsen's plays began to be staged around the world. Sharp criticism of modern life, the drama of ideas is the work of Henrik Ibsen. He wrote such significant works as: 1877 - "Pillars of Society", 1879 - "Doll House", 1881 - "Ghosts", 1882 - "Enemy of the people", 1884 - "Wild Duck" 1886 - "Rosmersholm", 1888 - "Woman from the Sea", 1890 - "Gedda Gabler."

In all these plays, G. Ibsen asks the same question: is it possible in modern life to live truthfully, without lying, without destroying the ideals of honor? Or it is necessary to obey the generally accepted norms and to close your eyes to everything. Happiness, according to Ibsen, is impossible. Oddly preaching the truth, the hero of "Wild Duck" destroys the happiness of his friend. Yes, it was based on lies, but the person was happy. The flaws and virtues of ancestors stand behind the backs of the heroes of "Ghosts", and they themselves are like the traces of their fathers, and not independent individuals who can achieve happiness. Nora from the "Doll House" is fighting for the right to feel like a person, not a beautiful doll. And she always leaves home. And for her there is no happiness. All these plays, with the possible exception of one, are subject to a rigid authorial scheme and the idea that the heroes are doomed to fight against the whole society. They become rejected, but not defeated. Hedda Gabler is fighting against herself, against the fact that she is a woman who, having married, is forced to give birth against her will. Born as a woman, she wants to behave freely, like any man. She is impressionable and beautiful, but she is not free to choose her own life, nor to choose her own destiny that she does not understand. So she can not live.

Henrik Ibsen: quotes

They express only his outlook, but, perhaps, they will touch the strings of someone's soul:

• "The strongest is the one who fights alone."
• "What you sow in your youth, you'll reap in maturity."
• "Thousands of words will leave less trace than the memory of one act."
• "The soul of a man is in his affairs."

At home

In 1891, G. Ibsen returned to Norway after a 27-year absence. He will also write a number of plays, his jubilee will also be celebrated. But in 1906, a stroke will forever interrupt the life of such an outstanding playwright as Henrik Ibsen. His biography is finished.