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Henrik Ibsen: The Father Of Modern Drama


Henrik Ibsen was a play writer that influenced a lot of changes in the writing industry. During his time, there arose many new writers that were determined to experiment different forms of playwriting. Most of them, however, followed the already existing conventions. For Ibsen, he convinced himself on how the theater should look. He thought that theater should evolve in a different way to achieve diversity. This was his vision, and he fulfilled it to become the father of the modern drama. Prior, theater in both the United States and Europe was at its lowest. From the 1850s up to 1889, The School for Scandal was the only play of significance that was produced. This became better after the arrival of the Doll’s House in the year 1889. During the same period when the drama field was so barren, literature was thriving in Europe. Fiction writers like Bryon, Tennyson, Whitman, George Eliot and Browning were flowering in the field of Romantic Poetry.

Henrik Ibsen Major Obstacles

In his vision to revolutionize drama writing, he faced many challenges. He, however, did not give up, and he made significant contributions that led to him being labeled the father of the modern drama. One of the major obstacles that he faced was that Ibsen hailed from Norway. Denmark ruled Norway for over half a century. Most of the drama work in Norway was done in Danish and by Danish companies. New companies of drama theaters were not welcome by people. They struggled to thrive and most collapsed before they could make a debut.

Ibsen’s Rise to Prominence

Ibsen risked his career and his work with going against the then drama and theater rules. He was, however, lucky because, at the same time, there was a high demand for new intelligentsia for the theater. The drought in the drama industry sparked lot expectations. Many people were, therefore, looking for new thinking that would make the drama theater active and compete favorably with the poetry and fiction sectors. Ibsen’s thought saw the creation of plays like Ghosts, A Doll’s House and An Enemy of the People. Following these plays, new theaters were created in Berlin, Paris, and London. These theaters were purely dedicated to performing Ibsen’s plays. It did not take long before the Ibsen’s thought controlled the theater industry. The old industries shook off the dominance of the old way of performances. There was, however, a major controversy and conflict between the modern and the ancient culture.