The Master Builder (Unabridged‪)‬

Henrik Ibsen’s play The Master Builder was published in 1892 and performed the next year. The architect and builder Halvard Solness receives a visit from the young Hilda, who persuades him to employ her in the household. When Hilda learns of the completion of Halvard’s project - a tall building with a towering steeple - she makes a point of persuading him to climb the steeple at the public opening ceremony. Halvard of course, suffers from acrophobia, a morbid fear of extreme heights....

In The Master Builder, Ibsen blends realism and symbolism to remarkable effect. Characters are introduced in a realistic way, whereupon the narrative shifts to the inner space of the protagonist’s mind.