Ibsen Drama Collection (Complete 3 Volumes)

Author: (Norwegian) Ibsen
Publisher:
Publication Date: 2006-04-01
Features: The so-called important works primarily refer to a series of famous social issue plays that won the author worldwide acclaim. These include the five-act play Young Alliance (1869), which caused a stir by satirizing fake liberal politicians; the four-act play The Pillar of Society (1877), which exposes the betrayal of love and character for wealth and social status; the three-act play A Doll's House (1879), which celebrates women who uphold personal rights, opposes the traditional notion of "the husband rules the wife," and reveals the hypocrisy of arranged marriages; the three-act play Ghosts (1881), which metaphorically uses congenital venereal disease to critique the moral corruption of a decadent society and was attacked by moralists; the five-act play An Enemy of the People (1882), which defends the author against attacks made during the controversy over Ghosts; the five-act tragicomedy The Wild Duck (1884), which shifts from advocating the danger of lacking "ideals" to emphasizing the danger of forcing others to accept unrealistic "ideals," thus changing its style and filling it with poignant poetry; and the four-act tragedy Rosmersholm (1886), which calls for true democracy and freedom in Norway and praises "noble qualities of character, will, and soul."
Additionally, there are six late works with Symbolist styles: the five-act play The Lady from the Sea (1888), which the author believed portrayed "real, living people"; the four-act play Hedda Gabler, which emphasizes its characters as "real people"; the three-act tragedy The Master Builder (1892); the three-act play Little Eyolf (1894), where the protagonist, consumed by lust, causes an infant's death and, in remorse, dedicates maternal love to homeless children; the four-act play John Gabriel Borkman (1896), about a greedy miner's son who goes to prison after embezzling a large sum of money and failing in investments, leading to his downfall; and the three-act tragedy When We Dead Awaken (1899), which depicts a reunion between a couple who once parted, regretting their past adherence to the motto "art first, life second" and their easy abandonment of happiness, as they hope to relive their dreams and ascend together, only to be buried under snow.
Furthermore, when studying Ibsen, two exceptional works must be mentioned: one is Brand (1866, translated by Cheng Tian), where the protagonist adheres to the principle of "all or nothing" and dies in an avalanche while fighting for an absolute ideal. This volcanic work is said to have satisfied the transcendental ethical demands of the Scandinavian world, making the author its spiritual prophet. The other is a contrast to Brand, Peer Gynt (1867, translated by Xiao Qian), which portrays an opportunistic egoist who seeks to reform his ways. This work, by portraying his compatriots as archetypes, has always drawn mixed reader reactions in Norway.
These two early masterpieces, though not translated by Pan Sheng, are included in this book due to their importance in Ibsen studies, allowing readers to understand the author's persistent belief in drama: the form of drama is the natural expression of his inner struggles.