▁two ▁princip als ▁engaged ▁a ▁new ▁supporting ▁cast ▁and ▁secured ▁a ▁transfer ▁to ▁the ▁nearby ▁V au dev ille ▁Theatre ▁but , ▁again , ▁reviews ▁were ▁host ile . ▁ ▁Crit ic ism ▁▁ ▁The ▁Master ▁Bu ilder ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁work ▁Ib sen ▁wrote ▁upon ▁his ▁return ▁to ▁Norway ▁from ▁Europe ▁in ▁July ▁ 1 8 9 1 . ▁It ▁is ▁usually ▁grouped ▁with ▁Ib sen ' s ▁other ▁works ▁written ▁during ▁this ▁late ▁period ▁of ▁Ib sen ' s ▁life ▁such ▁as ▁Little ▁E y olf , ▁John ▁Gabriel ▁B ork man , ▁When ▁We ▁Dead ▁Aw aken , ▁and ▁Hed da ▁Gab ler . ▁Early ▁re actions ▁to ▁the ▁play ▁by ▁Ib sen ' s ▁critics ▁were ▁mixed , ▁possibly ▁due ▁its ▁height ened ▁ambigu ities . ▁H ilda , ▁for ▁example , ▁seems ▁to ▁alternate ▁roles ▁between ▁an ▁insp iring ▁force , ▁ur ging ▁Sol ness ▁to ▁temper ▁his ▁r amp ant ▁amb ition ▁and ▁so ▁find ▁real ▁happiness , ▁and ▁a ▁tempt ress , ▁pushing ▁Sol ness ▁to ▁commit ments ▁he ▁cannot ▁possibly ▁ful fill . ▁English ▁critic ▁William ▁Arch er ▁( the ▁play ' s ▁original ▁transl ator ) ▁suggests ▁that ▁the ▁play ▁is ▁not ▁as ▁completely ▁symbol ic ▁as ▁some ▁have ▁maintained , ▁interpre ting ▁it ▁instead ▁as ▁" a ▁history ▁of ▁a ▁sick ly ▁conscience , ▁worked ▁out ▁in ▁terms ▁of ▁pure ▁psych ology ". ▁He ▁notes ▁that , ▁in ▁this ▁regard , ▁the ▁play ▁is ▁similar ▁to ▁earlier ▁works ▁that ▁deal ▁mainly ▁with ▁a