Henrik Ibsen, Master Playwright

5 weekly sessions on campus, on Thursdays at 2pm-4pm, starting from Thursday 2 October - we are no longer taking enrolments for this course.

Overview

Henrik Ibsen is arguably the greatest playwright since Shakespeare. His works range from Symbolist dramas to 'realistic' plays that address social and psychological issues that were often found shocking at the time. He has been called the founder of modern drama.

This course will examine two of Ibsen’s plays, A Doll’s House and An Enemy of the People, both of which caused consternation and revulsion when first shown. We'll also consider how Ibsen's innovative styles in works like Peer Gynt and Ghosts reveal a consummate artist whose dramas are both strikingly fresh but also deeply humane. No prior learning is required.

Syllabus

• Week 1: Introduction to the playwright. Ibsen’s life and works - from symbolism to realism: Peer Gynt and ghosts
• Week 2: A Doll’s House: Nora’s dilemma and the patriarchal imperative
• Week 3: The slamming of the door: how Nora’s act of dissent sent shockwaves across Europe
• Week 4: An Enemy of the People: personal integrity versus societal pressure
• Week 5: Stockmann’s dilemma, the question of democracy, and Ibsen’s legacy.

Course lecturer

Dr Kathleen O’Leary has taught on Continuing Education courses for almost nine years and in that time has offered courses on European literature, Jane Austen, poetry and Shakespeare. Her work focusses on the impact that early modern/medieval writers had on not only the development of the English language, but also on how character, irony and form influenced later writers, and indeed our modern perceptions of literature.

Course fee

• Standard fee: £80
• Concession fee: £40.