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Glite Dictionary
Henrik Ibsen

Henrik Ibsen

1 6.3
A Norwegian writer of plays about social and political issues who helped start modern realistic drama
  • proper noun
: Henrik Ibsen
  • Many consider Henrik Ibsen the father of modern drama.

Examples

  • Many critics regard Henrik Ibsen as the father of modern drama.

  • Henrik Ibsen is best known for his play "A Doll's House."

  • I studied several works by Henrik Ibsen in my theatre class.

  • Have you read any plays by Henrik Ibsen?

  • Henrik Ibsen is celebrated for his influential plays that explore social injustice.

  • Many students study the works of Henrik Ibsen to understand modern drama.

  • One of his most famous plays is 'A Doll's House', written by Henrik Ibsen.

Synonyms

Ibsen
vsHenrik Ibsen
6 5.6

A Norwegian writer of plays known for realistic stories about people's lives and social problems

means the same but uses the full personal name

Surface Forms

Henrik Ibsen main

Morphology

Henrik + Ibsen

This is a proper name referring to a specific historical person; the meanings of the individual name parts ('Henrik' and 'Ibsen') do not compose to yield 'Norwegian playwright and poet'. Identifying who he is requires cultural/historical knowledge rather than knowledge of the constituent words, so a B1 learner would not be able to derive the meaning from the parts alone.

Etymology

Henrik Ibsen was a Norwegian writer who made plays about ordinary people and social problems. One famous play, A Doll's House, shows a woman leaving her 'doll house' life, a clear picture that helps explain why people call him a founder of 'modern drama'.