The Feast at Solhoug

"The Feast at Solhoug" by Henrik Ibsen is a dramatic play written in the mid-19th century. The story unfolds against the backdrop of medieval Norway, centering on the lives and relationships of characters associated with the estate of Solhoug. Key figures include Margit, who grapples with the constraints of her marriage to Bengt Gauteson, and her kinsman, the valiant knight Gudmund Alfson. The play explores themes of love, freedom, and the impact of societal expectations on personal desires. At the start of the play, we are introduced to the household of Bengt Gauteson and his wife Margit, who is preparing for a wedding feast celebrating their anniversary. The atmosphere is tense as Margit is clearly unhappy in her marriage, feeling confined and longing for a more vibrant life. The arrival of Gudmund Alfson, recently returned from abroad, stirs old feelings and raises complicated emotions for Margit. Throughout this opening, hints of rivalry emerge, particularly with regard to the suitor Knut Gesling, who also desires Margit’s sister, Signe. The opening portion sets the stage for a conflict laden with unspoken love, ambition, and the constraints of societal norms. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Henrik Johan Ibsen was a Norwegian playwright and theatre director. As one of the founders of modernism in theatre, Ibsen is often referred to as "the father of realism" and the most influential playwright of the 19th century, as well of one of the most influential playwrights in Western literature more generally. His major works include Brand, Peer Gynt, Emperor and Galilean, A Doll's House, Ghosts, An Enemy of the People, The Wild Duck, Rosmersholm, Hedda Gabler, The Master Builder, and When We Dead Awaken. Ibsen is the most frequently performed dramatist in the world after Shakespeare, and A Doll's House was the world's most performed play in 2006.