be governed by reason, then religion seemed to offer little value, suggesting that people should depend more on technology, economics, and science for their survival. Jeremy Bentham and his followers aimed to evaluate every institution through the perspective of human reason. However, religion is founded on faith, not reason. Consequently, religion was often viewed as a luxury unnecessary for modern survival.

Thus, Ibsen's conclusion in Peer Gynt can be seen as a rebuttal to this scientific outlook on life. Ibsen essentially argues that for a man's life to be meaningful, it must have a moral foundation. The societal fear of science and the dehumanization brought about by rapid change reinforced, for many, the need to embrace religion to ensure the endurance of humanity.

Act
A significant division within a play. In Greek dramas, these sections were marked by the chorus's appearance and typically consisted of five acts. This structure was adopted by the Romans and continued by Elizabethan playwrights like William Shakespeare. The five acts represent the progression of dramatic action: exposition, complication, climax, falling action, and catastrophe. This format remained standard until the nineteenth century when Ibsen began merging some acts. Although Peer Gynt follows the five-act structure, Ibsen deviates somewhat from the traditional format. The exposition is in the first act with Peer's kidnapping of Ingrid. The complication arises in the second act when Peer hastily aligns himself with the Mountain King's daughter. The climax occurs in the third act as Peer escapes from the woman in green and the troll child. The fourth act recounts Peer's adventures. The falling action appears in the fifth act when Peer faces his own selfishness, and Solveig's love offers him salvation. There is no catastrophe in this play, as Solveig prevents it.

Character
A character is a person in a dramatic work. The actions of these characters drive the story forward. Character also encompasses an individual's morality. Characters can range from simple, stereotypical figures to complex, multifaceted individuals. They may be defined by traits, such as a rogue or a damsel in distress. ''Characterization'' refers to the process of creating a lifelike person from an author's imagination. Authors give characters personality traits to define who they are and how they will behave in specific situations. For example, Peer is immediately recognized as lazy and deceitful, and he is quickly established as selfish and reckless.

Drama
Drama is generally described as any work intended for stage performance. It includes a story, actors portraying characters, and action. Historically, drama also encompassed tragedy, comedy, religious pageants, and spectacles. In contemporary terms, drama addresses serious subjects and themes but does not reach the intensity of tragedy.

Genre
Genres classify literature into different categories. The term "genre" is French for "kind" or "type." It can refer to categories such as tragedy, comedy, epic, poetry, or pastoral. It also includes modern literary forms like drama, novels, or short stories. Additionally, the term can denote specific types of literature, such as mystery, science fiction, comedy, or romance. Peer Gynt is a fantasy work, written in a blend of prose and verse.

Plot
The term "plot" refers to the sequence of events in a story. Typically, plots have a beginning, a middle, and an end, but they can also consist of a series of interconnected episodes. Essentially, the plot gives the author a framework to delve into major themes. Students often confuse plots with themes; however, themes explore ideas, while plots simply narrate the events in a straightforward manner. For example, the plot of Peer Gynt details Peer's adventures, whereas the theme examines how Solveig's love rescues Peer from the ruin caused by his own selfishness.

Setting
The setting refers to the time, place, and cultural context in which the play's action occurs. Elements of the setting can include geographic location, physical or psychological environments, prevailing cultural attitudes, and historical period. In Peer Gynt, the settings include a small Norwegian village, a nearby forest, Africa, and a boat at sea. The story starts with Peer as a young man and spans many years, showing his progression from youth to middle age and finally to old age. Specific ages and exact time periods are not provided in the play.

1876: The International Association for the Exploration and Civilization of Africa is established under the direction of Belgian King Leopold II.

Today: With few unexplored regions left on Earth, the pursuit of space exploration remains a key motivator for the United States' support of NASA.

1876: U.S. Army Engineer Corps Officer Henry Martyn Robert publishes Robert's Rules of Order. This nonfiction book sets forth guidelines for maintaining order and democratic procedures in self-governing groups, such as church or civic organizations.

Today: The rules from Robert's book continue to be the standard for governance and decision-making in civic, volunteer, and church organizations, more than a century after their introduction.

1876: Although typewriters were first introduced a few years earlier, an improved model is showcased at the Philadelphia Centennial Exposition this year. However, their high cost limits demand and production, so most people still use pens and pencils.

Today: Computers have revolutionized writing, making it much easier than it was a century ago, rendering typewriters nearly obsolete.

1876: The publication of Charles Darwin's Origin of Species in 1859 has sparked significant interest in anthropology, subsequently fueling a fascination with archaeology. This scientific focus provided material for Henrik Ibsen's new play, Peer Gynt.

Today: Public interest in humanity's past, particularly through archaeological discoveries, continues to captivate those seeking answers about human existence.

1876: The completion of the Suez Canal in 1869, the transcontinental railroad in the United States, and the invention of the telephone in 1876 have significantly shrunk the world.

Today: Instant communications and satellite technology have made the world even smaller. People in developed countries routinely travel to destinations that would have taken weeks or months to reach in the 19th century. Overseas phone calls are now commonplace, and internet access has made instant communication easier and more affordable.

An American adaptation of Peer Gynt was produced in 1915.

In 1934, German director Fritz Wendhausen created a film version of Peer Gynt. This movie incorporates some of Ibsen's themes but does not faithfully represent the original play. Instead, it reflects Nazi ideology and propaganda, diverging significantly from Ibsen's intended message. The availability of any surviving copies of this film is currently unknown.

Sources
Beyer, Edvard. ‘‘The Reception of Ibsen's Brand and Peer Gynt in Scandinavia 1866-68,’’ in Contemporary Approaches to Ibsen VIII, edited by Bjorn Hemmer, Norwegian University Press, 1994, pp. 4-69.

Englert, Uwe. ‘‘Ibsen and Theatre Life in Nazi Germany,’’ in Contemporary Approaches to Ibsen VII, edited by Bjorn Hemmer, Norwegian University Press, 1991, pp. 85-99.

Esslin, Martin. ‘‘Ibsen and Modern Drama,’’ in Ibsen and the Theatre: The Dramatists in Production, edited by Errol Durback, New York University Press, 1980, pp. 71-82.

McLeish, Kenneth. Henrik Ibsen Peer Gynt: A Poetic Fantasy, translated and adapted by Kenneth McLeish, Nick Hern Books and the Royal National Theatre, 1990.

Paul, Fritz. ‘‘TextTranslation-Performance. Some Observations on Placing Peter Stein's Berlin Production of Peer Gynt (1971) within Theatre History,’’ in Contemporary Approaches to Ibsen VII, edited by Bjorn Hemmer, Norwegian University Press, 1991, pp. 75-83.

Popova, Lilia and Knut Brynhildsvoll. ‘‘Some Aspects of Cinematic Transformation: The 1934 German version of Peer Gynt,’’ in Contemporary Approaches to Ibsen VII, edited by Bjorn Hemmer, Norwegian University Press, 1991, pp. 101-111.

Further Reading
Gunnarsson, Torsten. Nordic Landscape Painting in the Nineteenth Century, translated by Nancy Adler, Yale University Press, 1998.
This book explores the themes and the socio-political environment in which Scandinavian artists worked, with a strong representation of the forests and fjords of the region.

Hanson, Karin Synnove, editor, Henrik Ibsen, 1828-1978: A Filmography, Oslo, 1978.
Provides details on the film adaptations of Ibsen's works.

Hemmer, Bjorn, editor. Contemporary Approaches to Ibsen VII, Norwegian University Press, 1991.
A compilation of essays on Ibsen's plays, including several insightful discussions on Nazi-era productions.

Hemmer, Bjorn, editor. Contemporary Approaches to Ibsen VIII, Norwegian University Press, 1994.
Features a discussion on the first production of Peer Gynt in 1876.

Lambourne, Lionel. The Aesthetic Movement, Phaidon Press, 1996.
This text discusses a movement that significantly influenced architecture and culture, an influence Ibsen references in Peer Gynt. The movement's motto, "art for art's sake," led to both aesthetic and cultural transformations explored by the author.

McFarlane, James, editor. The Cambridge Companion to Ibsen, Cambridge University Press, 1994.
Consists of 16 chapters examining various aspects of Ibsen's life and work, including major themes.

Von Franz, Marie Louise. Psychological Meaning of Redemption Motifs in Fairytales, Inner City Books, 1985.
Using Jungian theories, the author assigns psychological significance to fairytales, appealing to students who believe these stories hold deeper meanings beyond mere entertainment.