One review, in The Daily Telegraph, did not hold back: The Norwegian’s honesty, defence of free love and attack on religion were deemed wholly inappropriate by critics. Ibsen had anticipated the scathing condemnation that was to come, which was one reason why he wrote the play in the first place – he expected the fury that it would stir up.

Things such as venereal disease and incest were hardly talked about in private quarters let alone in the public domain. The negative reception of the play at that time was charged by the moral traditions that societies held, particularly those in the U.K. Subjects such as venereal disease, incest, euthanasia and religion proved a little too much for its nineteenth-century audience. Much of the controversy surrounding Ghosts stems from the main themes contained within the play. Let’s take a closer look at the play, the controversies and the criticism that followed its release. It was a play that dared to tackle taboo subjects that simply weren’t talked about about at the time of its release. Perhaps the darkest and most shcking text of Ibsen’s writing career was his 1881 play Ghosts. In fact, almost no theme was off limits for one the world’s most renowned playwrights. Henrik Ibsen is often associated with dark narratives and controversial subjects in his plays. Here’s why it’s such a pivotal play and why you should check it out. Norway’s greatest playwright Henrik Ibsen wrote an important play in the middle part of his writing career called Ghosts.

Ghosts by henrik ibsen