The woman from the sea
The Woman from the Sea is a play in five acts, written by Henrik Ibsen . Theoriginal Norwegian title is Fruen fra havet .
Emergence
The Woman from the Sea was written in Munich in 1888 .
Ibsen wrote about his first notes:
“The attraction of the sea. Longing for the sea. People are related to the sea. Would like to go back there. A species of fish forms an original link in the evolutionary series. Are there still rudiments in the human mind? In the minds of individuals? Pictures of the pulsating life in the sea and of the 'forever lost'. The sea rules the power of moods, a power that works like a will. The sea can hypnotize. Nature in general can. The great secret is the dependence of the human will on the "willless". She came out from the sea where her father's parsonage was. Grew up out there - by the free, open sea. Secretly got engaged to the reckless young helmsman - the designated sea cadet - who was lying in port with his ship for the winter because of an average. Had to break the connection at the request of the father ... "
The Woman from the Sea was published on November 28, 1888 by Gyldendalske Boghandel (F. Hegel & Sohn) in Copenhagen and Kristiania with an edition of 10,000 copies. On February 12, 1889, the play was premiered simultaneously in two locations: at the Court Theater in Weimar and at the Christiania Theater.
Bjørn Bjørnson directed the Norwegian production . The roles of Dr. Wangel and Ellida played Sigvard and Laura Gundersen. According to a congratulatory telegram to Ibsen, this production was received with “quite extraordinary applause”, and 26 performances took place in less than two years.
After the world premiere, the play was performed at Det Kongelige Teater in Copenhagen (premiere on February 17), at the Finnish National Theater in Helsinki (premiere on February 22) and at the Royal Dramatic Theater ( Dramaten ) in Stockholm (premiere in March).
action
Doctor Wangel is a doctor in a small town on the west coast of Norway. He lives with his two daughters from his first marriage, Bolette and Hilde, and his second wife named Ellida, whom he married after the death of his first wife. Ellida grew up as the daughter of a lighthouse keeper on the sea and, together with Wangel, had a son who died as a baby. Ellida does not feel comfortable in her marriage with Wangel, has no relation to his daughters and lives more and more of a longing that she soon reveals (see next paragraph). Wangel wrote to Bolette's former tutor Arnholm and invited him to come and visit because he thinks that would be good for Ellida. However, Arnholm misunderstood the invitation, he comes believing that Bolette is waiting for him, and at the end of the play he asks for her hand. Bolette agrees to marry her old teacher because she sees it as her only chance to get out into the world.
Ellida had met a seaman ten years ago with whom she had a kind of secret engagement on the open sea. However, the seaman was forced to flee shortly after murdering a captain. He promised Ellida to come back and asked her to wait for him. Although Ellida made it clear to the seaman in two letters that she wanted nothing more from him, this strange man, who ignored her break with him in his answers, steadily attracted her magically over the years. The seaman comes back on an English steamer and wants to fetch Ellida. Ellida can't decide, the sailor gives her the free choice of either going with him or never hearing from him again. However, Wangel holds on to her undiminished and does not want to leave her to her own decision. Finally Wangel realizes that he has to give Ellida the free choice of either staying with him or going away with the stranger. Wangel dissolves his relationship with Ellida, giving her absolute freedom to make decisions. Now Ellida decides to stay with her husband, since she could decide for herself and was no longer tied to anything. At the end of the play, Ellida speaks for the first time about Hilde and Bollette, now of their own children.
people
- Doctor Wangel, district doctor
- Ellida, his second wife
- Bolette and Hilde, his daughters from his first marriage
- Arnholm, senior teacher
- Lyngstrand
- Ballested
- A strange man
- Young people from the city, tourists, summer guests
Adaptation
The American writer and essayist Susan Sontag adapted Ibsen's play The Woman from the Sea . U: Teatro Communale Ferrara 1998; DE: Deutsches Theater Berlin 2003.
Film adaptations
- La Dama del Mar , Argentina, 1952 (production company: Interamericana-Estudios-Mapol, director: Mario Soffici, screenplay: José Ramon luna, Rafael Garcia Ibánes, camera: Pablo Tabernero, editing: Nicolas Proserpio, Vincente Castagno, music: Juan Ehlert, Cast :, Elisa :, Zully Moreno , Dr. Warren: Alberto Closas, Alonso: Roberto Airaldi, The stranger: Ernesto Bianco, Violeta: Mirta Torres, Hilda: Nina Brian, Ballester: Jesús Pampin, Don Miguel: Carlos Coto, Captain Mercante : Jacques Arndt)
- The Lady from the Sea , USA, 1911 (production company: Thanhouser, director: Theodore Marston, screenplay: Theodore Marston)
- Fruen fra Havet , Norge, 1979 (production company: NRK TV, director: Per Bronken, actors: Liv Ullmann et al.)
Opera versions
- Vom Meer , music: Alexander Muno , libretto: Francis Hüsers. Premiere: April 29, 2011, Opernzelt, Heidelberg
- The Lady from the Sea , music: Craig Armstrong , libretto: Zoë Strachan. WP: August 29, 2012, Edinburgh International Festival