Ibsen

             style after rebelling against conventions. When Ibsen appeared on the literary .
             screen, drama was almost non-existent in Norway. In his hands Norwegian .
             drama developed which brought its founder international fame. "He became one .
             of Europe's most influential figures both as a dramatist and an intellectual .
             leader." Observes Brown. Ibsen experienced multiple shifts in dramatic mode .
             and philosophy as he slowly came to terms with the intellectual, spiritual and .
             emotional forces that were at war within his psyche. His plays are often .
             characterized by rebellious spirit and unforgiving scrutiny of his own faults and .
             virtues. .
             Ibsen's works can be classified into three periods. His early dramatic .
             works were historical and romantic plays and also consisted of some verses. .
             The Pillars of society was Ibsen's first truly realistic play, whose title hinted .
             sarcastically about the corruption and hypocrisy that had deep-rooted itself in .
             the society. Ibsen's early works included two verse dramas: The first, Brand .
             (1866; first produced in 1885), dramatized the tragedy of blind devotion to a .
             false sense of duty; the second, Peer Gynt (1867), related, in allegorical terms, .
             the adventures of a charming opportunist.
             Ibsen's early plays were wild concentrating on visions both romantic and .
             poetical of the rebel in search of the truth. In Brand, the revolt is against God, .
             howling at heavens, like Prometheos, only to be punished eventually with a .
             huge avalanche, which buries him alive. In Peer Gynt, the rebel is against.
             society where a young man chooses to live a life of a waste, only to find himself, .
             ultimately, living in a world of lost opportunities. But with The League of .
             Youth, he began a modern phase where focus was directed towards the problems .
             of a modern society. The play deals with social justice, political theories, and .
             ideas of liberty. These plays created a stir which both fascinated and shocked .
             the spectators.