This article critically examines Henrik Ibsen?s three-act play Ghosts (1881) with a focus on its bold and controversial portrayal of incest within a family. It analyzes how Ibsen exposes the hidden moral corruption beneath respectable social relationships through characters such as Mrs. Alving, Oswald, Regina, Engstrand, and Pastor Manders. The study explores themes of illicit sexual relations, hereditary moral degeneration, obsession, repression, and social hypocrisy, highlighting Oswald?s incestuous relationship with his half-sister Regina and his psychological breakdown. It also discusses the historical backlash against the play, including severe criticism and a 25-year ban, emphasizing Ibsen?s courage in confronting taboo subjects that challenged nineteenth-century civil morality. The paper concludes that Ghosts reveals the haunting persistence of suppressed sins and societal denial, making it a powerful critique of family, society, and moral pretence.
Assistant Professor, Department of English, K.B. Women?s College, V.B. University, Hazaribag
