Act 1 Summary

Ghosts is set in the late 19th century in the spacious parlor of the country estate of the Alving family, near one of the large fjords (a narrow deep inlet of the sea between high cliffs) of Western Norway.

Mrs. Alving, the owner of the estate, is building an orphanage in the area as a memorial to her late husband, who died from a venereal disease at a young age. The orphanage is almost complete, and the dedication ceremony will take place the following day. While her husband, who was called by the honorary titles of both Captain and Chamberlain, has been considered a hero and a civic leader, his life was, in fact, a sham, lived out in dissipation. The success of the estate has come about because of Mrs. Alving's hard work and management skills, even though her husband received the...