The Master Builder

In The Master Builder, by Henrik Ibsen, the playwright underlines Halvard Solness’ flaws and shows how they can have an impact on those around him as well as on himself. Throughout the play, Solness, the Master Builder, becomes overcome by an uncontrollable fear of his own mortality, fear of loss and fears that youth and fresh talents will overtake him in his work. As a result, he becomes overwhelmed by his own driving ambition as a means of proving himself.

In the play, Solness is described in his youth as being a strong, vibrant character, full of skill and the builder of some of the biggest towers in the area. Hilde says to him “I couldn’t have believed there was a master builder in the whole world who could build such a tremendously high tower”. Hilde, in her infatuation, encourages him to live up to his past, which fuels his overriding ambition to construct bigger and better buildings. However, he is overcome by fear of inadequacy and a dread that his impending old age will result in his youthful apprentices succeeding his talents and taking over his business.

This leads Solness to circumvent this happening by being derogatory about Ragnar Brovik’s “new modern” work and ideas, which have been praised by others, which feeds into Ragnar’s weak character and low self opinion and manipulates him into continuing to act as a subordinate. By crushing another’s ambition, Solness manages to feel stronger about his own obsessive compulsion to get his own way and to continue as the best master builder. Solness even refuses to grant Knut’s final wishes to see his son acknowledged as a talented professional by giving him the prospect of promotion and he dies disappointed.

Solness uses Kaja’s affection for him, pretending he is interes...

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...er attention on her dutiful husband and his efforts as a master builder to construct a new house for them, with a “very high tower”. This compounds Solness’ fear and ambition and drives him onwards to seek success. Solness feels guilty about letting Aline down by seeing Hilde and seeks to make it up to her the only way he knows.

All of Solness’ aspirations are epitomised in the building of the tower on his new house, but when falls from the top, it shows that his ambition was his greatest flaw, as he could not achieve everything that he thought he was capable of achieving.

In conclusion, Solness’ overpowering ambition and determination to succeed, along with his fear that someone else, younger, would exceed his capabilities, was his flaw and his downfall and affected not only himself, but also all those around him.

Works Cited

"The Master Builder" by Henrik Ibsen