The Lady from the Sea

Written in 1888 by Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen, "The Lady from the Sea" is a play inspired by the ballad Agnete og Havmanden. It was the first of several mystical psychological dramas by Ibsen.

"The Lady from the Sea" is notable in the Ibsen corpus for introducing the portrayal of Hilde Wangel who is again portrayed in Ibsen's later play "The Master Builder."

The play traces the increasing distraction of Ellida Wangel, the second wife of Dr. Wangel. She is obsessed with images of the sea because she once loved a sailor with a powerful will who promised to someday claim her. When the sailor does arrive, her husband releases her from her wedding vows. This act restores her equilibrium and breaks the sailor’s spell over her.