"The League of Youth" (1869) was Ibsen's first venture into realistic social drama and marks a turning-point in his style. By 1879, Ibsen was convinced that women suffer an inevitable violation of their personalities within the context of marriage. In "A Doll's House", he portrayed the wife struggling to break free: this was unheard of at the time and Ibsen's play caused a sensation. Continuing the theme of tensions within the family in "The Lady from the Sea", Ibsen put forward the view that freedom with responsibility might at least be a step in the right direction.

Translated by: Peter Watts