The Lady from the Sea
by Henrik Ibsen
When she meets the widow Dr. Vangel, the daughter of the lighthouse keeper Elida, she tries to leave her long-lost first love far behind and start a new life as her wife and stepmother. But the tide returns, a British ship descends from the fjord, and the downstreams threaten to drag an entire family beneath the surface in this passionate and far-reaching drama. Filtida has to choose between the values of the world: solidity and reliability towards the sea: mystery and fluidity. Ibsen's lyrical and still impressive modern masterpiece predicted the emergence of psychoanalysis and talking drugs. Like Heddy Gabler and the Dollhouse, "The Lady from the Sea" vividly explores the limited social position of women, exploring themes of choice, marriage, responsibility, and freedom.
