Rosmersholm

Before I even began reading Rosmersholm, I knew enough about Ibsen and the actual text itself to know that something about the plot was going to be weird. After finishing Rosmersholm, I felt like the plot was creepy, but not necessarily creepy enough for what I had heard about Ibsen’s work. Then I read the introduction at the end of the text. I guess I did not pick up on the fact that Miss West had potentially been the mistress of her biological father or that the text had anything at all to do with the Oedipus Complex. Although the introduction tried to make sense of this to explain the motives for Miss West’s actions, I felt as though much of it might be speculation. I also would have liked more of an argument or explanation for the extent of the involvement that Miss West had in Rosmer’s wife’s death. Perhaps it means more if the audience member/reader has to figure the mysteries out for themselves, but another person’s opinion on the matter might be helpful.