Peer som fortvilet: Ibsens "Peer Gynt" fortolket i lys av Kierkegaards "Sygdommen til Døden"

Abstract

The treatise tries to interpret Henrik Ibsen's drama "Peer Gynt" in light of Søren Kierkegaard's concept of despair as it is described in his work "The Sickness Unto Death" (original title: "Sygdommen til Døden" [1849]). The main thesis is that Peer is in despair and that his development throughout the drama - his development from the spontaneous and rollicking bride-robber in his youth, via the selfish, distinguished and voluptuous cosmopolitan in his manhood, until he at the end of his life stands as an unguarded and resigned "no-one" ready to get wrecked and discarded as useless material, but still gets hold of a salvation at the edge of the abyss - largely can be understood and received as a development in despair. According to Kierkegaard despair is always: not to be one's self, but this can nevertheless take three different forms or expressions: in despair not to be conscious of having a self; in despair not to will to be oneself; in despair to will to be oneself. The three forms represent a graduation in despair regarding to the level of consciousness of the self, of what despair is, and that one's state is despair. The treatise examines whether and in what sense Peer undergoes Kierkegaard's three forms of despair, and how and to what extent this perspective on the character Peer Gynt contributes to enlighten our understanding of the literary work "Peer Gynt".

Avhandlingen søker å fortolke "Peer Gynt" i lys av Kierkegaards begrep om fortvilelse slik dette beskrives i hans verk "Sygdommen til Døden". Avhandlingens tese er at Peer Gynt lider av det Kierkegaard kaller fortvilelse, og at hans eksesser verket igjennom - hans utvikling fra ungdommens lystige bruderøver på Hæggstad, via manndommens verdensmann i Egypt, til han på slutten av livet står som en ribbet og resignert "Ingen" moden for vrakgodskassen, men likevel griper en frelse på avgrunnens rand - i stor grad lar seg forstå og forklare i lys av Kierkegaard sin teori om fortvilelse.