The Wild Duck Compariosn

The Wild Duck compared to Oedipus.

Sophocales was a greek playwright, his style of writing is much different than Ibsen. In the Wild Duck Ibsen's original romanticism background truly shows through, especially when hjalmar is talking to or about Hedvig, often both have "tears in their eyes" or Hedvig is "throwing her arms" around Hjalmar. This is a definate contrast to Sophacles who has very bland emotions for his characters, generally greek theater chooses to have a character remain in one or maybe to emotions throughout the play. Ibsen also chooses to have a description of the character's actions while they are speaking, this could show the conformity of society to react certain ways in specific situations, where in early society, like Grecian society, natural reaction where all they knew. Both authors choose to keep a bit of mystery through the play, Sophocales with his prophacy, and Ibsen hiding small details, like the wild duck, from the reader. But, Sophocales often exposes these mysteries to the audience before the characters know, in Ibsen's writing we find out when the characters do. The characters are also more thorougly described, or even pin pointed for their appearance in The Wild Duck, with such characters as "the thin-haired guest". In Oedipus the character's appearances are hardly depicted. This could be that Grecian plays focused solely on teaching a lesson and having a moral. But, as theater developed, the character's also become an intruige for the play, and their different appearances begin to mean different things through society. Both plays focus on power, scandal, as well as blindness, and secrets.