Henrik Johan Ibsen (1828 – 1906) is considered the ‘Father of Modern Drama’. He was an extremely influential Norwegian playwright, who was largely responsible for the rise of modern realistic drama. Some of his famous plays are A Doll’s House, Hedda Gabler, The Wild Duck, Enemy of the People, Master Builder, Peer Gynt, Brand, The League of Youth, Ghosts, The Lady from the Sea, among others.

He earned international repute for his psychological dramas that commented on social issues of the day. His plays are among the most frequently performed in the world today. He once said in a speech to students, “And what does it mean then to be a poet? It was a long time before I realised that to be a poet means essentially to see, but mark well, to see in such a way that whatever is seen is perceived by the audience just as the poet saw it. But only what has been lived through can be seen in that way and accepted in that way. And the secret of modern literature lies precisely in this matter of experiences that are lived through. All that I have written these last 10 years, I have lived through spiritually.”