Ghosts Henrik Ibsen

Written in 1881 when melodrama and farce were still at their peak of popularity Ibsen’s Ghosts is a three-act tragedy that explores uncomfortable even forbidden themes. It is also a highly critical commentary on the morality of the day. The play centers around the widow of a prominent Norwegian sea captain whose son returns home and with tragic consequences revives the ghosts of the past that she has long labored to put to rest.. Ghosts immediately became a source of controversy for its inclusion of topics like venereal disease incest and euthanasia and it was banned from being performed in England for many years. Its arrival signals a shift in the nature of theatre and despite negative criticism it was translated into other languages and performed in Sweden Germany and New York within a few years of its debut. It stands now as one of the works considered to have ushered in the era of modern drama.