The Master Builder

Halvard Solness has climbed to the top of his profession through luck, ruthlessness, and a fear he cannot name, and he guards his position against the young talent rising behind him. Then Hilda Wangel appears at his door, a woman who insists he once promised, years ago, to build her a kingdom. She revives his ambition and dares him toward a final act of pride, a climb he knows he should not attempt. Ibsen loads the play with symbols of towers, heights, and the vertigo of a man who has built too much on guilt. Written late in his career, it reads as a strange, personal reckoning with age and desire. Free PDF and EPUB editions are available to download.