Norma by Henrik Ibsen

Author: Henrik Ibsen

Published: 1851

Genre: Comedy

Norma, or a Politician’s love is an eight-page play by the Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen. It was published in 1851 and was inspired by Vincenzo Bellini’s opera Norma which Ibsen saw that same year.

1. Synopsis of Norma

The play is a political satire and opera parody. Its main character, Severus, is described as ‘a Liberal, or lacking that, Mr. A. B. Stabell.’ Adolf Bredo Stabell was a Norwegian politician in Ibsen’s time who shifted from a liberal standpoint to a more conservative line. In this play, Severus abandons his lover Norma, representing the opposition, for another woman, Adalgisa, who represents the conservative government.

2. Characters

• Norma
• Severus
• Adalgisa
• Ariovist
• Norma and Severus’s two sons
• Druids