The Poet and the Laws of Life: Narcissism and Object Relatedness in Ibsen’s Late Plays

This essay approaches the tension between narcissism and object relatedness as a major theme in the dramatic works of Henrik Ibsen. Focusing on Ibsen’s The Master Builder and When We Dead Awaken, the essay suggests that certain laws of life, a concept with roots in the pre-modern era, give structure to the playwriting. Selections from Ibsen’s dialogue not only provide examples of these underlying laws and patterns in the text but also indicate the close connection between his dramas and clinical situations. Like several major writers, Ibsen anticipates central elements in psychoanalysis.