Start Date
2 October, 2025
There will be 5 weekly meetings on Thursday, 2 - 4pm, starting from 2 October.
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 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. The course will 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.
The course is accessible to all students and 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 v. societal pressure
Week 5: Stockmann’s dilemma and the question of democracy.
Ibsen’s legacy
Please note that the ‘last date available to book’ date is only a guide. We reserve the right to close bookings earlier.
In order to avoid disappointment, please be sure enrol as soon as possible. Registrations will not be processed until the following day if received after 3pm.
Course Lecturer: Dr Kate O'Leary
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.
Courses fees: Full fee £80/Concession £40.
Back to: Continuing Education