Kammala wannan jumla: An tilasta wa Ibsen ya tallafa wa kansa bayan faduwar tattalin arzikin mahaifinsa, a lokacin rikicin tattalin arzikin kasa, Ibsen ya tafi Grimstad a matsayin mai koyon aikin magunguna. A can ya shirya kansa don jami'a kuma yayi gwaji tare da nau'ikan shayari daban-daban. Yayin da yake karatu, ya sami kansa cikin sha'awar shiga cikin "Catiline orations", sanannun jawabai da Cicero ya yi game da zaɓaɓɓen ɗan takara Catiline da makircinsa na kifar da jamhuriya. Ibsen ya zaɓi wannan mai makirci a matsayin batun don ƙoƙarinsa na farko, ya gama "Catiline" a 1849. Ibsen ya bayyana a cikin gabatarwar zuwa bugu na biyu (1875) cewa ya yi wahayi zuwa gare shi sosai ta halin da ake ciki na siyasa na Turai na zamani, kuma ya fi son
Ƙasar Hungary ta yi tawaye da daular Habsburg. Ya bayyana cewa shari'ar Catiline tana da sha'awa ta musamman a gare shi, saboda ""an ba da misalai kaɗan na mutane na tarihi, waɗanda ƙwaƙwalwar ajiyarsu ta kasance gaba ɗaya a cikin mallakar masu cin nasara, fiye da Catiline"". Saboda haka, ana iya karanta Catiline a matsayin ɗaya daga cikin Ibsen mai matsala (da damuwa), tare da Brand da Gregers Werle.