Ibsen's Plays II: Ghosts, An Enemy of the People & The Wild Duck (Cliffs Notes) [Paperback]

Marianne Sturman (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0822006170 | ISBN-13: 978-0822006176 | Publication Date: June 18, 1965

Ibsen's plays are wide open to interpretation, yet his absurd expression of human analysis stimulates and enlightens. These Cliff's Notes are ideally used as a basis for critical dialogue, to help amplify the reader's comprehension and appreciation of his plays, which are highly absurd, abstract, and yet filled with noble ideas and the struggle inherent in human existence.

Product Details

• Paperback: 80 pages
• Publisher: Cliffs Notes (June 18, 1965)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0822006170
• ISBN-13: 978-0822006176
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.1 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,061,813 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars I thought it was AN ENEMY OF THE STATE, March 10, 2000

By 

niles (heads up) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ibsen's Plays II: Ghosts, An Enemy of the People & The Wild Duck (Cliffs Notes) (Paperback)

I guess I am the only person who ever read this book because I am here writing the first on-line review of it, and usually there are hundreds of reviews already posted. It is truly a shame that potentially no one else has ever read this play ( An Enemyof the People ) by Henrik Isben because it is truly a solid piece. More of a socio-political comentary than anything else, An Enemy of the People is very enjoyable. The play is about Dr. Thomas Stockmann, a townsman in Norway who discovers that something is teribbly wrong wrong with the towns water supply. From here on out the play becomes a battle between brothers for power, people for freedom, civilians versus government, the town against Thomas, and most basiaclly: justice versus repression. Because this play is so rich and universal its themes are reflected in many contemparary workers. Enemy of the State starring Will Smith for instance is basically the same idea. Also the book A Civil Action deals with on man fighting a larger power over a tainted water supply. Finally, and my favorite, Tupac's '95 release Me Against the World in which the rapper raps about how "Politicians are hippocrites, they don't want to listen". So, If you have the two hours, and I am sure that you do, you might as well read this play because afterall, I did.

3.0 out of 5 stars STUDENTS: READ FOR REPORTS!, April 24, 2000

By 

Mindy - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ibsen's Plays II: Ghosts, An Enemy of the People & The Wild Duck (Cliffs Notes) (Paperback)

Im very bored and decided since practically no one has cared to write a review for this wonderful book, I would put my two cents worth in and hopefully help other students out like myself. "An Enemy of the People" is one of Ibsen's greatest 5 act plays. After being assigned "A Doll's House"~ (BEWARE BORING! ) and "Hedda Gabler"~ (Um, WEIRD!) I decided to try to find a play by Ibsen that didn't deal with a woman against society and authority. I came up with the play "An Enemy of the People" which proved to be a lot more interesting and entralling than some of Ibsen's other dramas. If your looking for a report with literary elements that are very easy to identify and that actually has a fairly interesting storyline you should definetely give this play a try! Hope this helps!

1 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Understanding three classic dramas by Henrik Ibsen, May 20, 2001

By 

Lawrance M. Bernabo (The Zenith City, Duluth, Minnesota) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (COMMUNITY FORUM 04)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Ibsen's Plays II: Ghosts, An Enemy of the People & The Wild Duck (Cliffs Notes) (Paperback)

This is a review of the Cliffs Notes by Marianne Sturman of three of Ibsen's classic plays: "Ghosts," "An Enemy of the People," and "The Wild Duck." Sturman offers a fairly detailed Brief Biography of Ibsen and then provides summaries of five of his plays (adding "A Doll's House" and "Hedda Gabler," which are treated in a companion Cliffs Notes volume). In terms of summary and commentary, Sturman breaks down each of the three plays into its respective acts, which means you are dealing with much bigger sections than you will usually find in these little yellow books with the black stripes. With my copy I have gone back and broken the plays into more discrete scenes and then made corresponding notations, which I find more useful in teaching/reading these plays. In terms of General Analysis Sturman looks at structure and technique as well as character analysis for all three plays, with additional analysis on theme and symbolism for "Ghosts" and "The Wild Duck." The concluding sections provide a concise evaluation of the Drama of Ibsen and his Contributions to the Theater.

Despite the cumbersome way she structures the play and a tendency to provide too much analysis, Sturman does provide insights into each of these Ibsen plays. One of the nice things about these particular plays is that they represent three consecutive dramas written from 1881 to 1884. "A Doll's House" precedes this trio, and all four plays are available in a paperback collection. This gives teachers of drama/literature a great opportunity to look at four consecutive plays by one of the more important dramatists in history and see how Ibsen struggled to find his voice. The path from "A Doll's House" to "The Wild Duck" is certainly worth pursuing and these Cliffs Notes help chart his growth as a writer.