Peer Gynt Summary

Henrik Ibsen wrote Peer Gynt in the summer of 1867 while traveling through Italy. It was one of his first plays, inspired by the fairy tale Per Gynt and influenced by Peter Christen Asbjørnsen’s Norwegian Folktales, which had just been published. Ibsen also included parts of his own life and family history in the play. Later, he became known as the Father of Realism through more famous works like A Doll’s House (1879) and Hedda Gabler (1891). However, Peer Gynt is different from those plays because it mixes fantasy and mythology with a deep, philosophical story about a man searching for his true self.

Ibsen grew up in a poor family. He got a housemaid pregnant and supported the child financially but was not involved in his life. He wanted to become a doctor but failed the university entrance exam. Instead, he wrote his first play when he was twenty. At twenty-two, he left his parents and never returned. Eventually, he became one of the most important figures in Norwegian drama and Western theatre.

Summary

Peer Gynt is about a hot-tempered young man with a wild imagination. Peer is twenty years old and lives in the village of Haegstad. People in town laugh at him, and his mother is frustrated with his constant lying and storytelling. Many of his stories sound like Norwegian folk tales. One day, Peer impulsively runs away with a bride named Ingrid on her wedding day. The town thinks he kidnapped her and banishes him.

While on his journey, Peer pretends to be a prince to impress a troll princess. He dreams of ruling his own kingdom, but when the trolls discover he is lying, the troll king orders him to be thrown off a cliff. Peer is saved when Solveig's younger sister, Helga, rings the church bells, scaring the trolls away.

Peer then has a chance to settle down in the woods with Solveig, the woman he truly loves. But when the troll princess and their child appear, Peer runs away again instead of facing his problems. He promises Solveig that he will return, but he leaves her behind. When he comes back to town, he finds that his mother, Åse, is dying. She forgives him for all his bad behavior, including running away with Ingrid and fighting Aslak the blacksmith. She gives him all she has before she dies. Instead of staying to bury her, Peer leaves again, hoping to find himself and make his fortune.

As a middle-aged man, Peer now lives in Morocco. He calls himself a "citizen of the world" and dreams of becoming the emperor of the world. He believes that by thinking only about himself and never getting married, he can achieve his goals. He makes a lot of money by selling goods, but he is later robbed and left with nothing. He watches as his yacht, which was taken over by people he thought were his friends, explodes. Instead of being upset, he thanks God. He then tries to build a new kingdom in Morocco but is robbed again, this time by a woman named Anitra. Frustrated, he decides to give up his search for wealth and his interest in women.

Meanwhile, Solveig, now also middle-aged, still waits for Peer in the forest hut. But Peer has decided to become a traveling scholar. In Egypt, he solves the riddle of the Sphinx and, by accident, becomes the "emperor" of a madhouse. When two of his "subjects" die by suicide, he gives up this role as well, calling himself the "emperor of the self".

Now an old man, Peer is on a ship near the Norwegian coast. He refuses to give money to the crew, saying that no one is waiting for him, so he will not pay for other people's children. The ship sails past a wreck, and although they cannot help the people in distress, Peer feels a sudden urge to help. Then, he meets a stranger who seems to know him. The stranger calls himself a "friend" and asks Peer for his dead body, which confuses Peer. Shortly after, the ship crashes into rocks.

A cook begs Peer to save him, saying he has children. Peer, thinking about his own life, says that he has never had children. The cook drowns. The mysterious stranger returns, again asking for Peer’s corpse. Once Peer reaches land, he decides to return home to Haegstad.

Back in his village, he meets Aslak, who is mourning his wife, Ingrid, and Mads Moen, who was supposed to marry Ingrid long ago. No one recognizes Peer. At a property auction, he offers imaginary items. When he hears someone say his name, he asks who Peer Gynt is. The townspeople say Peer Gynt was "a hopeless case. A yarn-spinner", meaning he was nothing more than a liar.

Finally, Peer finds his old hut in the woods and hears Solveig singing. At that moment, he realizes that his true home and his true "kingdom" had always been with her. Throughout his long and eventful journey, Peer has searched for himself, but he has only lived in lies and illusions.

Now let’s have a look into the analysis

Henrik Ibsen’s Peer Gynt is a dramatic poem that blends Norwegian folklore with a deep philosophical exploration of identity, self-deception, and redemption. The play follows the life of Peer Gynt, a dreamer and a liar who continuously evades responsibility in search of grandeur and self-fulfillment. The drama critiques Romantic idealism and presents a character study of a man who refuses to confront reality.

Themes and Analysis

1. Identity and the Self

Peer’s journey is a quest for self-discovery, but he repeatedly avoids true self-reflection. His life is shaped by fantasies—pretending to be a prince, seeking wealth and power, and running from responsibilities. The idea of "being oneself" is central to the play, culminating in the moment when Peer asks, “Who is Peer Gynt?” and realizes he has lived as no one at all. The play critiques the notion of an unchanging, heroic self, showing instead that identity is shaped through choices and responsibilities.

2. Romanticism vs. Realism

Peer embodies Romantic heroism—he desires adventure, freedom, and grand achievements. However, Ibsen undermines this by showing that Peer’s fantasies lead to failure and emptiness. The play juxtaposes Peer’s illusions with Solveig’s steadfast love and moral integrity, highlighting the value of grounded, realistic devotion over grand but hollow dreams.

3. Selfishness and Avoidance of Responsibility

Peer repeatedly runs away from challenges: he leaves Solveig, avoids his dying mother’s burial, and refuses to help the drowning cook. His refusal to take responsibility reflects his fear of reality. His so-called "freedom" is actually a life of isolation and meaninglessness.

4. The Symbolism of the Button-Moulder

Late in the play, Peer meets the Button-Moulder, a figure who tells him that he is neither good enough for heaven nor bad enough for hell—he is simply insignificant and must be melted down and recast. This moment reinforces the existential theme that without true self-awareness and meaningful action, a person is reduced to nothingness.

5. The Role of Solveig

Solveig is Peer’s moral counterpoint. While he wanders, she remains constant, embodying faith, patience, and unconditional love. In the end, she tells Peer that he has always been himself in her heart, implying that love and forgiveness offer redemption where ambition and deception fail.

So, Peer Gynt is a powerful exploration of human identity and moral responsibility. Ibsen presents a protagonist who, despite seeking greatness, ultimately realizes that his illusions have left him with nothing. The play critiques self-indulgence and idealism while suggesting that true fulfillment comes through love, integrity, and accepting one’s responsibilities. Peer’s final moment with Solveig offers a glimpse of redemption, but it remains ambiguous whether he has truly changed or simply found solace in another illusion.