Henrik Ibsen’s The Wild Duck, first staged in 1884, centers on Gregers Werle, the principled and uncompromising son of a wealthy industrialist. On returning home, Gregers discovers that his childhood friend Hjalmar Ekdal lives a life built on comforting illusions. Convinced that truth will liberate his friend, Gregers inserts himself into the Ekdal household and begins dismantling its fragile foundations. His intervention sets in motion a chain of events that disrupts the family’s carefully maintained equilibrium.

The play contrasts Gregers’ ideological convictions with the quiet resilience of Hedvig, Hjalmar’s young daughter, who retreats into a private world centered around a wounded wild duck. Her bond with the injured bird becomes a central image in the play, reflecting themes of sacrifice, illusion, and emotional fragility. Widely considered one of the first modern tragicomedies, The Wild Duck blends psychological insight with moments of disquieting humor. George Bernard Shaw described the experience of watching it as descending into the Ekdal home—and into oneself.