THEME ANALYSIS In HENRY IBSEN’S ROSMERSHOLM Presented to fulfill DRAMA II Assignment

I. Biography of Henry Ibsen
Henry Johan Ibsen was born in Skein, Norwegian in 20 march 1828 and dead in Oslo, Norwegian when he got his 78 years of life. He was the most famous dramatist Norwegian. He played the big role to the development of realistic drama and he was called as “The Father of Modern Drama”. That call name was given to him because all of his dramas tried to converse the truth of life and broke through Victorian drama that recognized the social problem in good and bad only and put the structured European family on the top. Ibsen tried to converse his controversial idea that in life we not only recognized white and bad only, there was grey area that cannot mention it validity to judge it as wrong or right, Ibsen tried to converse that life is a bunch of conflicts and life is not a fairy tale that the winner is always the good one. He broke the illusion of his audience that goodness always brought happiness and immorality just gave pain. He was considered as the biggest dramatist of Norwegian and his idea was the most prominent one in the world history, he made the new concept that drama is not only an entertainment but art.
II. Synopsys of ROSMERSHOLM
ROSMERSHOLM is a house owned by Johannes Rosmer, former clergymen who decided become politician after he met Rebecca West, his wife’s friend, Beata. There was so many conflicts happened since the coming of Rebecca to the ROSMERSHOLM. Started by the mindset change of Rosmer who had political desire by supporting the new elected government until the guilty feeling of Beata for her infertility that led her into suicide, those incidents led Rebecca and Rosmer fell in love. They love affair had been interrupted by Dr. Kroll because he didn’t agree with Rosmer’s decision to be politician and betrayed his ruling-class roots as clergymen, so Dr. Kroll who was his brother in law tried to confront Rosmer that he and Rebecca had love affair in order to disturb Rosmer’s attention to his political project. As the story went, this drama was ended by the dead of Rosmer and Rebecca by commit suicide.
III. The meaning of the term of THEME
Theme is the idea of a story. It is divided into two kinds, the major theme and the minor theme.
Major theme is the main idea of the wholly story while the minor theme is the certain idea which is found in the certain part of the story.
Theme has so many variations such as love, brotherhood, humanity, and other.
IV. Theme Analysis in Henry Ibsen’s ROSMERSHOLM
Major theme of ROSMERSHOLM is the social and political change. The change is influenced by some idea concepts of emancipation and liberalism which later will be the minor theme found in the certain dialog.
The theme analysis will be divided into parts as it is shown in the drama which is divided into four acts. The minor theme will be supported by the supporting dialog which proper to the theme defined.
The major theme will be supported by the minor themes which are found in the certain dialog and lead it into general conclusion that is major theme.
• ACT 1
Act one shows some dialogs refer to the minor themes that support the major theme
The dialogs that intend to the minor theme: Emancipation
Kroll : well, under any circumstances, I shouldn’t expect you, as a woman, to take sides actively in the civic dispute civil war; I might call it- that is ranging here. But I expect you will have read the attacks these gentlemen of the people have been pleased to shower upon me... (Page: 32)
Brendel : To lay hold on life with a strong hand. Move forward. Move upward…. I mean to lay my mite upon the altar of emancipation. (page: 45)
Brendel : Not a word. That dull, mechanical task of wirting it down has always roused a sickening aversion in me. And why, moreover, should I prostitute my own ideals, when I could have them ….(Page 46)
Rosmer : a new summer has come into my spirit. A new youth into my vision. And that’s why I stand there now—(page: 49)
Kroll : Where….Where do you stand?
Rosmer : There, where your children stand
Kroll : You…You….but imposible
Rosmer : On the same side as Laurits and Hilda
Kroll : Apostate. John Rosmer, Apostate
Rosmer : I should have felt so contented, so deeply happy about this, that you call apostasy. But all of that I suffered keenly. Because I knew well enough that it would mean bitter distress for you
Kroll : Rosmer…..rosmer, ……..to help the work of destruction and ruin in this unhappy land
Rosmer : It’s the work of emancipation I want to share in(page 50)



The dialogs that intend to the minor theme: Liberalism
Kroll : Yes , I know all about that. That is what it’s called, both by seducers and victims. But do you really think there’s any emancipation to be expected from the spirit that now birds fair to poison the whole life our community? (Page 50)
Rosmer : I’m not attracted to the spirit that prevails. Nor to either of the parties. I want to try and get people together from all side……..to build up a true democratic outlook in the country.
Kroll : So you don’t think we have sufficiently democratic outlook!.......which usually suits only the common people
Rosmer : That’s just way I want to set democracy to its proper work

The dialogs that intend to the minor theme: Rebellion
Kroll : Will you believe it, that my own children……has embroiled a red portfolio to keep The LIGTHOUSE in
Rosmer : I should never have dreamt it, your family in your own house
Kroll : No, who would dream of thing like that? In my house, where obedience and order have always reigned, where up till now there has only been the one united purpose (page 38)

• ACT 2
The dialogs that intend to the minor theme: Emancipation
Kroll: Could I doubt for a moment, at that time, that she was out of her mind? Such an accusation against a man like you! And then she came again, about a month later. Then she seemed to be quieter in her mind. But as she was going, she said, ‘Now they can soon expect the white horse at Rosmersholm.’(page:61)
Rebekka: Yesterday evening, when our friend Ulrik Brendel was just going, I gave him a line or two to take to Mortensgaard.(page:56)
Rebekka: I said that he would be going you a service if took a little notice of the poor man and helped him in anyway he could.(page:56)
Mortensgaard: May I have leave to report in The Light House that you’ve arrived at other views—and that you support the liberal and progressive cause?(page:67)


• ACT 3
The dialogs that intend to the minor theme: Self-Knowledge
Rosmer: Just think, if I could rouse them to self-knowledge! Bring them to repent...(Page: 86)
Rosmer: love, yes my dear, that’s what I mean. Already while beate was a live, it was you alone that I longed for. It was with you that I felt that quiet….. (page:88)
Rebekka: however, since he now feels it a necessity to fee himself on all side (page:90)
Kroll: I assumed that a so—called ’emancipated’ man knew how to overcome all his scruples. But there we are, then! As a matter of fact, it was pretty much what I expected. …(page:91)
Kroll: well, I think the same thing has happened with most of what you term your emancipation. You’ve read up for yourself a whole lot of new ideas and opinions…(page94)
Rebekka: I wanted us two to go forward together toward freedom. Always forward. Always further on. But then there was…. (page:97)
• ACT 4
The dialogs that intend to the minor theme: Self-Acknowledgement
Rebecca : It is quite true that at one time I did play my car……..you understand
Rosmer : You succeeded……what you wanted
Rebecca : I think I could have carried it through…….for the rest of my life (page 106 – 107)

The minor themes found in the dialogs are emancipation, rebellion, liberalism, self knowledge and self acknowledgement that leads to the major theme that is social and political change. The major theme is the main idea of the drama which uses the minor theme as the supporting idea to support major theme. Trough this drama, Ibsen tries to converse about the development of free-thinking reflected by those characters and their role to the play. He also wants to say that the oppression is not the wise way to deliver new idea in the society. The oppression of the new idea should be seen in the way individuals deal with the established moral code of society.