Norwegian National Identity and Theatre Context

Norway had no strong national theatre tradition at Ibsen’s birth.

Theatre dominated by Danish language and Danish artists.

Cultural resentment toward Danish dominance.

Demand for distinctly Norwegian drama.

Ibsen initially aimed to build a national theatre identity.

Norwegian not fully established as theatrical language until 1872.

Ibsen later left Norway in self-imposed exile (Italy, Germany).

Strindberg called him “the angriest man in Europe” for his social criticism.