Ibsen and the Modern Breakthrough – The Earliest Productions of The Pillars of Society, A Doll’s House, and Ghosts

Abstract

As literary scholars it is our profession to understand and interpret texts. We usually do this by reading them and then subsequently comparing them with other texts and analyzing those using established theories or contexts. As literary historians, however, we should also be able to detail their emergence, relate them to specific historical changes, and point to reasons for both their contemporary and later significance. Ibsen’s contemporary dramas are often read in light of Scandinavian literature’s Modern Breakthrough, and Ibsen is indeed the author from Georg Brandes’ book Det moderne g jennembruds Mænd [The Men of the Modern Breakthrough], published in 1883, who has since had the greatest success. But how do we understand or explain the success Ibsen eventually had with his contemporary dramas? When analyzing Ibsen, it must be emphasized that he wrote for two different markets; publishers aimed at selling books to a reading audience, and theaters aimed at selling tickets to an audience of spectators. These two markets followed their respective conventions and rules, which were often in conflict and changed significantly during Ibsen’s fifty years as a playwright. Of main concern were issues of copyright, provisions regarding honorariums or fees,