The collected works of Henrik Ibsen, Vol. 01 (of 11)

In Short

This collection gathers three early works—Lady Inger of Östråt, The Feast at Solhoug, and Love’s Comedy—representing a formative stage in the author’s career. Ranging from a dark historical tragedy set in occupied Norway to a sharp, satirical verse comedy about the stifling nature of marriage, these plays explore themes of duty, betrayal, and the struggle for personal authenticity. Though they rely on the period conventions of romantic drama, they already display the psychological depth and moral tension that would define the author’s later, more famous achievements.

The Story

The collection opens with Lady Inger of Östråt, a tragedy set during Norway’s decline under Danish rule. Lady Inger, a powerful and ambitious woman, finds her life fractured by a conflict between her secret, long-held patriotic desire to liberate her country and her frantic, protective love for her son. Her past actions—marrying her daughters to Danish nobles to secure her own position—haunt her, and she is forced to navigate a treacherous web of political intrigue, including the arrival of a pretender who claims to be her son. As the plot tightens, she discovers that her own maneuvers have led her into a devastating trap; she is forced to sacrifice everything she holds dear, ultimately losing her child to the very chaos she helped cultivate.

The Feast at Solhoug shifts the tone to lyric drama, centered on two sisters, Margit and Signë, and their kinsman, the wandering minstrel Gudmund Alfson. Margit, unhappily married to the older Master of Solhoug, feels the heavy weight of a life bartered for security and wealth. Her suppressed desires and her jealousy toward her sister drive a wedge through the household, leading to a fateful banquet. The play moves through accusations of infidelity and the threat of political ruin, as the characters struggle to reconcile their hidden yearnings with the rigid expectations of their social standing. Unlike the darker tragedy of Inger, this play finds a resolution that emphasizes the reconciliation of past wrongs, though the emotional toll remains visible.

Finally, Love’s Comedy offers a biting, contemporary look at the institution of marriage. The protagonist, Falk, is a fierce, idealistic poet who views conventional marriage as the death of creative and romantic spirit. He surrounds himself with engaged couples who view their relationships through the lens of social utility and financial security rather than genuine feeling. As Falk debates the nature of love with the merchant Guldstad—who argues for a more pragmatic, stable union—he finds himself pulled toward Svanhild, a woman who mirrors his own disdain for convention. However, as the pressures of their environment mount, they are forced to decide whether their love can survive in a world that demands conformity. Ultimately, they choose to part ways, concluding that the integrity of their feelings can only be preserved by avoiding the compromises of marriage itself.

How It Unfolds

The burden of history In Lady Inger, the protagonist struggles with the crushing weight of a nation’s degradation and her own desperate attempts to preserve her family’s legacy. She is caught between playing a man’s political role and the private, agonizing reality of a mother whose child is held as a pawn.

The banquet of secrets In The Feast at Solhoug, the setting of a festive gathering masks the brewing resentment between family members who feel trapped by their choices. As the wine flows, the hidden, unfulfilled desires of the past emerge, threatening to tear the household apart.

The poet’s crusade In Love’s Comedy, Falk arrives as an iconoclast, determined to expose the hollowness of the social norms that define the relationships around him. He engages his friends and elders in a debate that challenges the very foundations of modern life and the expectations placed upon the young.

The final reckoning In the closing acts of each play, the characters reach a point of no return. Whether through the tragic realization of a parent’s failed sacrifice or the melancholy decision to abandon a love that cannot flourish in reality, the plays end with the characters forced to accept the consequences of their ideals.

The People

Lady Inger is the collection’s most complex figure, a woman whose immense power is undermined by her own pragmatism and her desperate, singular love for her son. She ends the tragedy shattered by the realization that her political maneuvering has cost her the only thing she truly valued.

Margit, in The Feast at Solhoug, represents the internal cost of a life without passion. Trapped in a marriage of convenience, she lashes out at those around her, her misery serving as a warning against sacrificing one’s heart for "the pride of pelf."

Falk, the fiery poet of Love’s Comedy, acts as the author’s voice of protest. He is relentless in his attack on the complacency of his peers, yet he finds that his idealism leaves him isolated. His counterpart, Svanhild, shares his vision of a pure, uncompromised love. Her decision to walk away from Falk at the end is a testament to her strength; she refuses to allow their relationship to be tarnished by the mundane compromises of a domestic life that she views as a cage.

In Its Own Voice

In Lady Inger, the protagonist reflects on the impossible burden of being both a mother and a political leader:

“Has God a right to do this?—To make me a woman—and then to lay on my shoulders a man’s work?”

In Love’s Comedy, Falk critiques the way society prioritizes future security over present joy:

“This dull forethought, bent on future prizes, that millionaires in gladness pauperises.”

In the same play, Svanhild recognizes that her connection to Falk is a departure from her previous existence:

“My life that sped in frolic and fantastic visions gay, henceforth shall grow one ceaseless working day!”

What It's Really About

These plays are meditations on the cost of freedom and the paralyzing nature of social duty. The central argument is that when individuals allow their lives to be governed by external expectations—whether national politics, financial security, or the rigid conventions of marriage—they inevitably lose their own identities. The author questions whether it is possible to live authentically in a world that demands constant compromise. Each play presents a different facet of this struggle: the tragic loss of self through public duty, the emotional decay caused by a loveless marriage, and the sacrificial act of renouncing personal happiness to save love from becoming routine.

Why Read It Today

Readers who enjoy the sharp psychological insight of the author’s later, world-famous plays will find the seeds of his genius here. These early works are written with a raw, earnest energy, and while they follow the structural patterns of the mid-19th-century drama, they pulse with a modern anxiety about the individual’s place in society.

The prose—translated with a stately, mid-period rhythm—can feel formal to the contemporary ear, and the historical references in Lady Inger may require a moment to get your bearings. Yet, the emotional core of these stories remains remarkably accessible. You will find yourself drawn to the characters’ struggles, particularly in Love’s Comedy, which captures the universal feeling of standing on the threshold of adulthood and fearing that the world will strip away one's convictions.

This collection is not for the reader seeking a light, breezy experience; it is for those who enjoy literature that invites deep reflection on the compromises we make every day. It stays with you not because of its plot twists, but because of its haunting insistence that the choices we make for the sake of "fitting in" often carry a price we are not fully prepared to pay.