Ibsen and Cosmopolitanism: A Chinese and Cross-Cultural Perspective

This essay suggests that a discussion of Henrik Ibsen and his relationship with cosmopolitanism should start with the redefinition of this controversial concept. After reconsidering cosmopolitanism, I note that Ibsen’s relevance to cosmopolitanism can be broken down into three topics: his cosmopolitan ideas and diasporic experience; the cosmopolitan subject matter of his plays and the global significance of his works; and his position in world literature. I analyze his most representative play, Peer Gynt, from a cosmopolitan perspective and argue that Ibsen’s cosmopolitan elements find particular embodiment in the different adaptations and productions of his plays in China.