[ten] The Master Builder + The Fall of the Roman Republic

In the class discussion of Solness and Hilda, some interesting symbolism for their roles within The Master Builder came to light. Symbolism surrounding Solness included his role as a “god-like” figure, a “ladies man”/philanderer and child molester (after he passionately kisses a twelve-year-old Hilda). Hilda on the other hand, is considered a “demon lover”/seducer and “home wrecker”. These characters also come to bear a close resemblance to one of the most famous “couples” in the history of the western world-Julius Caesar and Cleopatra. 

In 49 BCE, Julius Caesar crossed the Rubicon River into Rome with his armies from Gaul, ushering the calamitous fall of the Roman Republic. Within five years, Caesar became Rome’s dictator. In 48 BCE, he traveled to Egypt in order to annex the Ptolemaic Empire. However, in her bid to solidify her power as pharaoh of Egypt, Queen Cleopatra seduced Caesar. He eventually recognized Cleopatra as the rightful ruler of Egypt along with her remaining younger brother, rather than conquering the region for Rome.

It gets interesting when Solness and Hilda are compared to the historical figures of Caesar and Cleopatra. When Cleopatra traveled to Rome to visit Caesar with their son, Ptolemy Caesar , the people of Rome regarded her as a “home wrecker” since Caesar was already married. He had also had a daughter, Julia, who had died while giving birth to General Pompey’s child. On multiple occasions, Cleopatra also tried to persuade Caesar to name their son his legitimate heir. This further infuriated Romans. Caesar refused and named his grandnephew Octavian his heir instead.

Solness also closely resembles the figure of Julius Caesar. Both men were “masters” of their worlds, either building or the Rome. Caesar could also be considered a “child molester” because he was 52 when he started his scandalous affair with the 21-year-old Queen of Egypt.

Solness’ transition from building churches to declaring at God that he is a “free master builder” to building homes compares to Caesar’s transition from worshipping the sanctity of the Roman Republicàcrossing the Rubicon with his army, thus defying the authority of the Senate (“God”) àbecoming dictator of Rome and having the power to build the Roman Empire as he saw fit.

The wreath of laurel leaves that Caesar was crowned with for his military feats and eventually his position as dictator of Rome, also compares directly to Ibsen’s Master Builder. In the play, Solness places a wreath on the steeple of the churches he completes as well as the tower he finishes at the end of the play. Shortly after placing the wreath on the tower, Hilda sees Solness ‘struggling with someone’. He loses the battle with this “invisible someone”, (no one else sees him struggling against anything), and plummets to his death. Solness’ demise closely resembles to the death of Caesar on March 15, 44 BCE when he was assassinated by members of the Senate who had secretly plotted to end Caesar’s reign as dictator in order to restore their power. In Master Builder, Mrs. Solness becomes frightened when she hears her husband stealing himself to climb to the top of his tower. She believes that since he has such bad vertigo, he will become dizzy and perhaps fall to his demise (404). Solness ignores his wife’s pleas, climbs his tower and then falls to his death. This is a direct link to Shakespeare’s play The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, where Caesar’s wife, Calpurnia, warns her husband not to go to the Roman Senate because she has a bad feeling about the outcome of his trip. Instead he brushes her off and refuses to stay at home (lines 983-1030)-

 Calpurnia. What mean you, Caesar? think you to walk forth?
You shall not stir out of your house to-day.

Caesar. Caesar shall forth: the things that threaten'd me
Ne'er look'd but on my back; when they shall see
The face of Caesar, they are vanished.

Calpurnia. Caesar, I never stood on ceremonies,
Yet now they fright me. There is one within,
Besides the things that we have heard and seen,
Recounts most horrid sights seen by the watch.
A lioness hath whelped in the streets;
And graves have yawn'd, and yielded up their dead;
Fierce fiery warriors fought upon the clouds,
In ranks and squadrons and right form of war,
Which drizzled blood upon the Capitol;
The noise of battle hurtled in the air,
Horses did neigh, and dying men did groan,
And ghosts did shriek and squeal about the streets.
O Caesar! these things are beyond all use,
And I do fear them.

Caesar. What can be avoided
Whose end is purposed by the mighty gods?
Yet Caesar shall go forth; for these predictions
Are to the world in general as to Caesar.

Calpurnia. When beggars die, there are no comets seen;
The heavens themselves blaze forth the death of princes.

Caesar. Cowards die many times before their deaths;
The valiant never taste of death but once.
Of all the wonders that I yet have heard.
It seems to me most strange that men should fear;
Seeing that death, a necessary end,
Will come when it will come.
[Re-enter Servant]
What say the augurers?

Servant. They would not have you to stir forth to-day.
Plucking the entrails of an offering forth,
They could not find a heart within the beast.

Caesar. The gods do this in shame of cowardice:
Caesar should be a beast without a heart,
If he should stay at home to-day for fear.
No, Caesar shall not: danger knows full well
That Caesar is more dangerous than he:
We are two lions litter'd in one day,
And I the elder and more terrible:
And Caesar shall go forth.

Calpurnia. Alas, my lord,
Your wisdom is consumed in confidence.
Do not go forth to-day: call it my fear
That keeps you in the house, and not your own. 

“Cleopatra and Caesar” painting by Jean-Léon Gérôme 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Cleopatra_and_Caesar_by_Jean-Leon-Gerome.jpg

"Cleopatra" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cleopatra

"Julius Caesar" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julius_Caesar

"Roman Republic" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_Republic