History Theatre / ThePretenders

%%* MrViceGuy: {{Envy}} for Skule Bårdsson, and for Nikolas as well.

''The Pretenders'' (''Kongsemnerne'') is the last of four {{period piece}}s written by Creator/{HenrikIbsen. The play is based on the ''Saga of Håkon Håkonsson'' (Håkon IV of Norway), and set in the 13th century, a turbulent time of Norwegian history. The plot concerns the young Håkon and his claims to the Norwegian throne, and his rivals to the same position, hence the name. The main antagonist is Skule, earl from the start, then duke (the first Norwegian to hold that title), and in the end self-proclaimed king, a fact that makes another round of civil war break out. The play ends with Skule's death, and the final rival to the throne gone.

'''The Pretenders''' (''Kongsemnerne'') is the last of four {{period piece}}s written by Creator/{{Henrik Ibsen}}. The play is based on the ''Saga of Håkon Håkonsson'' (Håkon IV of Norway), and set in the 13th century, a turbulent time of Norwegian history. The plot concerns the young Håkon and his claims to the Norwegian throne, and his rivals to the same position, hence the name. The main antagonist is Skule, earl from the start, then duke (the first Norwegian carryin that title), and in the end self-proclaimed king, a fact that makes another round of civil war break out. The play ends with Skule`s death, and the final rival to the throne gone.

'''This play carry examples of the following tropes''':

* ArtisticLicenceHistory: mostly averted. But why is the bishop of Oslo attending, and seemingly overseeing a ritual in the main church of Bergen? Only for the {{rule of cool}}, one presumes.

* BornLucky: Håkon seems to have luck, and fate, on his side. Heavily lampshaded by Skule.

* CivilWar: well, yeah. The ending of the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Civil_war_era_in_Norway Norwegian ones]].
* ChewToy: Skule. But he tries, he really does.

* TheChosenOne: Discussed, as Håkon seemingly is, and Skule wishes to be.
* CompressedAdaptation: Avoided. The play spans several years, from the {{trial by fire}} undergone by Håkon`s mother, and the election of Håkon in 1217, over the battles in Oslo, to the death of Skule Bårdsson in 1240. The locations also shift rather quickly.
** In {{real life}}, Håkon was 14 years of age when he was elected. This part seems compressed for practical reasons, and because of {{dawson casting}}. In fact, Håkon seems to age fairly little in the 23 years the play is meant to span (he would be abt 37 years old in 1240).
* DeadpanSnarker: Jatgeir, the bard in service of Skule. Also Nikolas and several others.
* EvilMinion: After Nikolas died, he quickly got a job offer from the devil. His assignment was apparently to keep Norway under surveillance, and ''[[FridgeHorror he is still around!]]''
* TheFinalTemptation: Nikolas offers the kingdom to Skule and his son for the life of Håkon`s child. In that bargain, he also throwns in Skule`s soul, and the soul of Peter. As Peter recently violated the holy shrine of Saint Olav, this is unbearable to Skule, and the temptation fails.
** After this, Nikolas turns to his audience, that would be us, and saying: "OK, I failed this time, but beware, every time you (Norwegians) show signs of pettyness, I am here. And as I have power over you, [[ParanoiaFuel I will ''never'' leave!]]"
** RealitySubtext: This was the last play Henrik Ibsen wrote before turning his back to Norway completely and set up abode in Italy for many years. The last speech of Nikolas can arguably be seen as Ibsen`s personal {{The reason you suck speech}}, before leaving.
* TheFourthWallWillNotProtectYou: The last speech of Nikolas. Surely the only time Ibsen used this trope (and possibly one {{older than radio}}).
* GoodIsNotNice: Håkon serves as a benign ruler, for sure, who actually wish to reconcile the parties after years of bloody strife - as long as none of said parties threaten his position. The lesser pretenders (Jon Kuvlung, Sigurd Ribbung), are rooted out one by one, and when Skule proclaims himself king, Håkon goes seriously batshit. The battling is on for three years.

* HeroAntagonist: Skule comes across as this. In spite of his resentments towards Håkon, he is a likable and well meaning man, with moral standards. He even accepts the marriage of his daughter Margrethe and Håkon. But he is constantly pushed into it by Nikolas the Bishop.
* HistoricalDomainCharacter: In ''spades''. A possible exception for Peter Skulason, though.
* HistoricalVillainUpgrade: Nikolas the bishop. In {{real life}}, he was not that evil.

* MrViceGuy: {{Envy}} for Skule Bårdsson, and for Nikolas as well.
* PeriodPiece: Yep.
* TheResenter: Nikolas to a T. "My mind was set on killing men and embrace women, but I managed neither".
* SinisterMinister: Nikolas, of course.
* TakeThat: or rather ''Take that, Norway'', in the last speech of Nikolas Arnesson. Nikolas also states that he finally learned proper latin, because hell is already filled with clergymen.
** The first, but not the last time Ibsen pulled this one.
* ThenLetMeBeEvil: Nikolas decided to solve his life this way. Skule considers it.
* TookALevelInJerkass: Bishop Nikolas, being promoted to an {{evil minion}} in the last act, with Norway as his special assignment.
* TheUnreveal: Nikolas claims to have certain letters concerning the fosterage of Håkon, putting his rightful heritage in doubt. Skule, claiming the kingdom for himself, would like to get his hands on them, but Nikolas tricks him to burn them, not knowing what they were. To add insult to injury, Nikolas tells him afterwards.
** The entire plot verges on {{Hitlers Time Travel Exemption Act}}. Håkon became the greatest king of Norwegian history, and ''nobody'' can change that fact.
* TrialByFire: Håkon`s claim to the throne is strengthened by this. His mother Inga takes it on at the start of the play.

* LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters: Being a historical play, the list is quite long. Almost the longest cast list in the writings of Ibsen (Only surpassed by {{Emperor and Galilean}}).

* AllTheLittleGermanies: Or Norways in this case. Håkon`s vision is to mould the Norwegian areas into one people, putting an end to the constant bickering between the different parts. Skule envies him for this.

* LuckyBastard: Håkon is a straight example, being the bastard son of the late king Håkon Sverreson, and {{born lucky}} to boot.

'''The Pretenders''' (''Kongsemnerne'') is the last of four {{period piece}}s written by {{Henrik Ibsen}}. The play is based on the ''Saga of Håkon Håkonsson'' (Håkon IV of Norway), and set in the 13th century, a turbulent time of Norwegian history. The plot concerns the young Håkon and his claims to the Norwegian throne, and his rivals to the same position, hence the name. The main antagonist is Skule, earl from the start, then duke (the first Norwegian carryin that title), and in the end self-proclaimed king, a fact that makes another round of civil war break out. The play ends with Skule`s death, and the final rival to the throne gone.

* TrialByFire: Håkon`s claim to the throne is strengthened by this. His mother Inga takes it on at the start of the play.

** The entire plot verges on {{Hitlers Time Travel Exemption Act}}. Håkon became the greatest king of Norwegian history, and ''nobody'' can change that fact.
* {{Woobie}}: Margrethe, Håkon`s spouse, queen of Norway and daughter of Skule. She has a long {{heroic BSOD}}, knowing that Håkon really loved another and married her for alliance, carrying his eldest son, and then living with a widening rift between her husband and her father.

* GoThroughMe: Håkon has to go through Skule to claim full control of Norway. Lampshaded at the very end of the play, when Skule is dead and Håkon complains that his body lies in his direct path. The answer: "If the king wishes to claim his full dominion, he has to go over the dead body of Skule Bårdsson". And Håkon does.

* CompressedAdaptation: Avoided. The play spans several years, from the "iron testing" of Håkon`s mother, and the election of Håkon in 1217, over the battles in Oslo, to the death of Skule Bårdsson in 1240. The locations also shift rather quickly.

* ThenLetMeBeEvil: Nikolas decided to solve his life this way. Skule considers it.
* TheResenter: Nikolas to a T. "My mind was set on killing men and embrace women, but I managed neither".

* TookALevelInJerkass: Bishop Nikolas, being promoted to an {{evil minion}} in the last act, with Norway as his special assignment.

* AllTheLittleGermanies: Or Norways in this case. Håkon`s vision is to mould the Norwegian areas into one people, putting an end to the constant bickering between the different parts. Skule envies him for this.

* CompressedAdaptation: Avoided. The play spans several years, from the "iron testing" of Håkon`s mother, and the election of Håkon in 1217, over the battles in Oslo, to the death of Skule Bårdsson in 1240. The locations also shift rather quickly. In {{real life}}, Håkon was 14 years of age when he was elected. This part seems compressed for practical reasons, and because of {{dawson casting}}. In fact, Håkon seems to age fairly little in the 23 years the play is meant to span (he would be abt 37 yers old in 1240).

* CompressedAdaptation: Avoided. The play spans several years, from the "iron testing" of Håkon`s mother, over the battles in Oslo to the death of Skule Bårdsson in 1240. The locations also shift rather quickly.

* TheFourthWallWillNotProtectYou: The last speech of Nikolas. Surely the only time Ibsen used this trope (and possibly one {{older than radio}}.