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Abstract
Henrik Ibsen, the creator of theatrical realism and modern prose drama as well as an important social critic, dealt with several contemporary issues in a realistic setting, which provoked public discussions in the nineteenth century in Norway. The subjects and themes he treated in his plays are still disputed today because they are considered taboo and inappropriate by societies worldwide. Ibsen reflected the social problems of his time in his plays, yet the audience and the critics of the time were not ready to hear about the realities. Therefore, they were scandalized by the impropriety of the plays. Additionally, some of his plays were banned from performance. People were being cautious about not mentioning them during social gatherings. Ibsen pointed out the undermined or covert social issues and revealed the real façade of the bourgeois, which made him a figure scorned by the public. The suppressed truth he revealed in his plays made the bourgeois uncomfortable as their hypocrisy was uncovered and laid bare. This study aims to deliberate on Ibsen’s plays, The Pillars of Society, A Doll’s House, and Ghosts, in terms of the controversial social issues that were also present during his time, brought to light by Ibsen.