The Master Builder by Henrik Ibsen Wonderful

 The Master Builder by Henrik Ibsen

Wonderful

 

This is an excellent play that seems to fit the paradigm described by Somerset Maugham, in one of his books.

In his fabulous autobiography- The Summing Up, Maugham is a bit harsh with Ibsen, GB Shaw and a few others.

The plays of Ibsen, in Maugham’s view, follow a simplistic pattern:

-          Somebody comes in the middle of the play and opens the windows, letting air in

Maugham wrote that both Ibsen and Shaw have benefited from a fashion and some issues that were the main topic of the day.

Women’s rights are debated in Ibsen’s plays and people were interested in this hot subject right when the plays were opening.

Of course, this would not explain their success in the present, when women rights might be a topic for Saudi Arabia –if a debate would be allowed in a Sharia governed land.

Ibsen is the most produced playwright after Shakespeare.

Coming back to the play in question, I must say that I have enjoyed it.

The main character is the Master Builder Solness, obviously. He is married to Aline Solness but entertains desires for at least another, much younger woman- Hilda Wangel.

There is yet another young woman in this complicated polygon of relationships- Kaia Fosli, who keeps the accounts.

Kaia is supposed to marry Ragnar Brovik, who works for Solness but has plans to set up his own business.

Sonless does not like that and tries to hire Kaia, to keep her somehow “captive „and in this way to prevent Ragnar from leaving his employment.

The Master Builder understands that Ragnar, once on his own feet, will be the competition which will drag him down.

He plays dirty in this game, although he is not a negative personage. The fact is that all involved are more or less complex.

The Master Builder represents on one hand the Creator, gifted and appreciated, making all the effort to build beautiful houses.

On the other side of the same character, we can see a vain man, who is using tricks in order to keep a potential overwhelming competitor from setting up his business.

Things take an ugly turn, when Knut Brovik, Ragnar’s father is on his death bed.

There is a request that Solness would write nice words on the drawings of Ragnar, which would be presented to Knut.

This appreciation would soothe the dying man, especially since The Master Builder stands accused of shaking the confidence of the father in the abilities of the son.

-          Solness has even made me doubt of myself!

Shouts Ragnar in a heated dialogue with Hilda, who reproached him for not being grateful to Solness.

Hilda comes to Solness at the age of twenty four:

-          Ten years ago you promised me castles in the sky

Sonless is at first reluctant to talk too much about some vain words he uttered to a girl who was only fourteen years old.

But gradually, the older man becomes somehow entangled in a Dangerous Liaison, much like the ones described by de Laclos.

Indeed the Master Builder is challenge into going on the top of the finished construction, in spite of his fear of heights and the tragic precedents.

-          What happens?

-          I am not going to give it all away, am I??