The Master Builder, by Henrik Ibsen
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The Master Builder, by Henrik Ibsen
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The Master Builder is a play by Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen. It was first published in December 1892 and is regarded as one of Ibsen's most significant and revealing works. The setting and plot of The Master Builder can be taken as one of unrelenting, "frock-coated realism": the destructive outcome of a middle-aged, professional man's infatuation with a younger, teasing woman or, as critic Desmond MacCarthy prosaically describes this concept of the work: the tragedy of an "elderly architect who falls off his scaffold while trying to show off before a young lady". If, however, we take Solness's belief in his powers at their face value, the play can also be a lyrical and poetic fairytale, in the manner of Peer Gynt travelling the Earth in his magical adventures while the faithful Solveig waits for his return. On stage both interpretations are possible, although it is difficult to give equal weight to both meanings in the same production.
The Master Builder, by Henrik Ibsen - Published on: 2015-06-17
- Original language: English
- Number of items: 1
- Dimensions: 9.00" h x .24" w x 6.00" l, .34 pounds
- Binding: Paperback
- 104 pages
The Master Builder, by Henrik Ibsen From Library Journal Here the Ibsen classic gets an overhaul to make the language more accessible to modern audiences. For nontraditionalists only.Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Review Drama in three acts by Henrik Ibsen, originally published as Bygmester Solness in 1892 and first performed in 1893. The play explores the needs of the artist in relation to those of society and the limits of artistic creativity. There is an autobiographical element in the depiction of the aging architect, Halvard Solness, who feels pressure from a younger, more idealistic and ambitious generation of architects and fears the decay of his own creativity. -- The Merriam-Webster Encyclopedia of Literature
Language Notes Text: English (translation) Original Language: Norwegian
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful. 3 and 1/2 Stars By Bill R. Moore The first two reviews state as fact that this is often called Ibsen's masterpiece, but that is far from the majority critical view, which rightly gives that exalted title to The Wild Duck, with Rosmersholm probably second. However, this is generally considered one of his best plays, though in my view it is the least good of his major works. Ibsen's genius is thankfully such that it still shines through and makes the play worth reading over a century later.It certainly differs from most of his work, especially his best-known. A late drama, it is usually classified with mostly symbolic later works, in contrast to the "problem plays" that made his name by dealing with contemporary sociopolitical issues. The Master Builder may best be termed psychological and is a very interesting case study of a particular type - a Machiavellian schemer with a guilty conscience. The protagonist is Halvard Solness, a successful aging architect who has gotten his position by ruthlessly and selfishly holding back competition and by an astonishing string of luck he attributes to vaguely metaphysical forces. However, he is deadly certain his luck will soon end, and he fears the younger generation, which only increases his unscrupulous scheming. Worse, he is fully aware of how he has used and held back others and is thus tortured by a guilty conscience. Finally, he has a strange but overwhelming feeling of debt to his wife, whom he believes has suffered as he has gained - first through destruction of her family castle, the rebuilding of which made his career, and the death of their sons. The question of his sanity is present throughout, even to himself, and he often wonders how much, if at all, he is responsible for her trials. He begins to spiral out of control in an ever-widening series of deceits and manipulations, losing the loyalty of both long-time employees and his long-suffering wife, when Hilda, a vivacious young women he knew as a youth, returns. He unsurprisingly develops a great passion for her, and she becomes a double-edged influence - pushing him to literal heights of greatness and daring he had long ceased attempting but eventually driving him to ruin by making him overreach.Ibsen's usual mastery of dramatic tension is present throughout, and he skillfully keeps suspense high though even less actual action happens than is usual in his plays. What primarily separates The Master Builder from most of Ibsen is the overwhelming sense of unreality, which stands in vivid contrast to the canon of an acknowledged realist master. The character of Hilda is particularly ambiguous; from her improbable entrance on a flimsy, near-unbelievable pretext, her speech and behavior are extremely unnatural. She is interesting because we never quite know what she will do, but the contrast with Ibsen's usual characters is off-putting. Her motivations are unclear, and her effect on others is also very unreal. One can get somewhat used to it, but the strangeness never really fades. We must of course assume this was intentional, though what Ibsen intends is a very open question. She might almost be taken as a dream or figment of Solness' imagination, but everyone notices her and takes her seriously even at her most bizarre. It may be best to see her as a personification of Solness' conscience - or, rather, his anti-conscience, as she pushes him to overcome his scruples. She can thus also easily be seen as a sort of evil Succubus tempter figure, exaggerating his worst qualities by flattering his vanity and soon leading to ruin. Above all, she is another in Ibsen's long line of fascinating, highly nuanced female characters, perhaps most closely resembling the similarly manipulative and ambiguous Hedda Gabler. Other elements are also distinctly unreal, including Solness' constant talk of trolls and demons, which he seems to believe in quite literally. This may be a sign of encroaching madness but is also Ibsen's way of discussing free will, which the play is far from endorsing as real. Some may find all this an exciting change from most of Ibsen; others may think it distracting and/or unevenly executed.The critical crux is how to interpret the symbolism. Nearly everyone assumes the play is almost fully symbolic, though a few see it as purely psychological, but there are few real suggestions as to what the overarching symbols mean, much less agreement. The tower is an obvious phallic symbol, but there is clearly more to the drama than an old man's lust for a young flirt. Most critics have read the play biographically, seeing it as the mature Ibsen's uneasiness about his canonical position despite having attained great acclaim and fame, specifically his worries about younger writers. However, it certainly goes beyond this, raising issues of the artist's obligation to society vs. creative independence, capitalistic ethics, the artistic conscience, idealism vs. practicality, etc. The ending seems to condemn the darker side of these as leading to bitter doom but is probably the greatest weakness in pure story terms. Ibsen is rightfully known for highly effective, dramatic, and surprising endings, but this - pardon the pun - falls flat. It is predictable, arguably even inevitable; one could plausibly argue Ibsen meant just this, perhaps drawing on Greek tragedy, but it is ineffective, an anti-climax reinforcing already noted weaknesses. The Master Builder still has much to admire, and I would not put it past an enterprising director to bring out its latent genius, but this certainly does not rank with Ibsen's masterworks. I recommend it for fans, but those new to him should being with A Doll's House or The Wild Duck.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful. "One of these days the younger generation will come knocking at my door." By Mary Whipple Written in 1892, when Ibsen was a mature playwright, this tension-filled play focuses on an older man's fear that he will be replaced by the younger generation before he has been able to reconcile his professional success with his personal sacrifices. Halvard Solness is a Master Builder who once built churches and towers but who now builds only houses. Arrogant, manipulative, and often paranoid, there is little he will not do to control outcomes.When Hilde Wangel suddenly knocks on his door, the younger generation arrives. Exuberant and flirtatious, Hilde reminds Halvard that exactly ten years ago, when she was the twelve-year-old daughter of a client, he called her his little princess and promised to buy her a kingdom. Ingratiating herself with Halvard, Hilde listens as he reveals his accumulated guilt, his fear of godly retribution, and his simultaneous belief that he is one of the "special people" who can bring his desires to fruition through the summoning of demons, "called 'luck' by others." Hilde, believing she can free him creatively, urges the acrophobic Halvard to place a wreath at the top of the tower on the house he has built for his wife-a symbolic celebration of a new kind of life through Hilde, building castles in the air.The characters, though full of passion, are not always realistic. Their psychological grounding seems uncertain, and their behavior does not seem to flow out of a sense of personal unity. Halvard believes that certain people can make direct connections with him and read his mind. He also believes that that his success has occurred because years ago he made a bargain with demons which resulted in the loss of everything he and his wife held dear-he is successful, but guilty. Though he has rejected religion, he is tormented by the need for retribution. Hilde, for her part, became obsessed with Halvard at the age of twelve, and she believes that now, after ten years, they can build castles together.Ibsen's dark vision here seems to combine classical tragedy with a belief in the Nordic spirit world and in the newly evolving psychoscience of Freud. Often considered Ibsen's masterpiece, the play is powerful to watch, but eerie and unsettling--its pessimistic message equivocal--and one concludes the play not knowing how much free will Ibsen believes men really have and what kind of spirit world he thinks may control it. (5 stars for its period, 4 stars for its relevance to the present) n Mary Whipple
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. A somewhat obscure play that causes readers to think By Israel Drazin This is a new more colloquial English translation of this famous play. Halvard Solness is a well-respected master builder at the top of his profession. His success was due to a chance fire that destroyed his home and made it possible for him to build many new homes on the large land mass. However, the fire caused the death of his two children and left his wife unable to bear others. This mixture of good and bad luck gnaws at him. Solness is convinced that people have a demon inside them that can control them and force them to do evil. He also believes that certain people, such as he, can summon other demons outside themselves to do their will. He knows that he wanted his house, inherited from his in-laws, to burn down so that he could show his skill by using the land to build many houses. He thinks that the demons obeyed his will and he is therefore responsible for what happened to his children and his wife. It is difficult if not impossible to decide what Ibsen meant by the demons. Was he mocking a Christian belief, as he did in other plays? This interpretation fits well with Mrs. Solness thinking that the fire was a divine punishment for her sins, his notion that he deserves divine punishment, and the final outcome of the play. Or, was Ibsen describing a psychological guilt feeling? Or, perhaps Ibsen was portraying a man going insane because of his guilt feelings.Solness is also concerned that his "luck" will change. He fears that a younger man will compete with him and pass him by. He uses all kinds of strategies to keep his employee Ragner from leaving him and starting his own business. He claims, deceitfully, that Ragner's work as a draughtsman is not good enough for him to take a job on his own and refuses to give him permission to accept a job where he can show his talent. He hires an attractive young girl who Ragner likes solely to keep Ragner from leaving his employ. Ironically, while he is fearful of young people, the young girl falls in love with him. Then Hilda arrives. She says that Solness had kissed her several times when she was twelve or thirteen years old and promised her that he would give her a kingdom in ten years. She came, she says, because the ten years are up today. This young lady is also ironically seemingly fascinated with the builder who is deathly afraid of the young. Solness does not remember the kissing or the promise and Hilda may have imagined it. Her presence adds to the questions previously raised. Did she cause Solness to be punished? Was she sent by God? Is she insane?
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