Ghosts (play)

Ghosts is a play written by Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen in 1881. It is a scathing critique of 19th-century morality and societal norms.

The play revolves around Helene Alving, a widow who is about to dedicate an orphanage in memory of her late husband, Captain Alving. As the play unfolds, Helene reveals the truth about her marriage and her husband's debauchery and infidelity, which she hid behind a façade of respectability to maintain her social standing.

Oswald Alving, Helene's son, returns home from Paris, where he has been working as an artist. He is suffering from a disease he believes he contracted through his own decadent lifestyle. However, the truth is far more complicated and rooted in his father's actions.

Pastor Manders, a family friend and representative of conventional morality, encourages Helene to maintain the façade and adhere to societal expectations, despite the underlying truths. He embodies the hypocrisy and restrictive nature of the society Ibsen critiques.

The play explores themes of inherited guilt, the burden of secrets, the hypocrisy of social conventions, and the conflict between individual freedom and societal expectations. Ghosts caused a major scandal upon its publication and initial performances due to its controversial subject matter, including its open discussion of syphilis and its challenge to traditional morality. It is considered a landmark work in the development of modern drama. The title, Ghosts, refers to the lingering effects of the past and the secrets that haunt the characters.