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Play Drama

A Doll’s House
Author Year Published Original Language
Henrik Ibsen 1879 Norwegian

OVERVIEW

A Skylark Set in the 1870s, A Doll's House tells the story of Nora Helmer, a young wife
and mother who tries to hide a secret forgery from her husband, Torvald,
Takes Flight that could threaten their marriage. Torvald treats her as a pretty plaything
without realizing Nora has a mind of her own—until she leaves him in the
play's shocking conclusion.

Act I
Freedom from Debt
Having secretly borrowed money
to help her husband, Nora
struggles diligently to pay it back.

Act II
Freedom from Expectations
Trying to maintain her role as wife and
prevent her secret being revealed, Nora
dances for her husband and finds hope
in his potential courage.

Act III
Freedom from Obligations
Understanding that her husband is
not worth her love, Nora feels free
to abandon traditional obligations
and leave him.

Main Characters Symbols


Friendship Romantic relationship Married

Family Business

Mrs. Kristine Linde Dr. Rank


Nora's principled friend Family friend who
loves Nora Tarantella
Dance symbolizing Nora's desperate
attempt to avoid revealing her
secret

Nora
Protagonist, Torvald's
selfless "little songbird"

Money
Ivar, Bobby, Symbolizes men's control
and Emmy
over women, who are not
Nora and
allowed equal access to it
Torvald’s children

Krogstad Torvald
Nora's mercenary lender Nora's condescending
husband

Author
The Norwegian playwright's emphasis
Birds
on realism and social analysis made
him the "father of modern drama." Represent Nora's flight to
Though a classic today, A Doll's House freedom and Torvald's view
initially caused controversy—many of Nora: merely a creature
considered the play indecent because to entertain him, whom he
of its portrayal of a woman renouncing must protect
traditional roles of wife and mother for
independence.

HENRIK IBSEN
1828–1906

A Doll’s House
Themes
by the Numbers

1879
Year A Doll's House
premiered at the
Royal Theatre in
Copenhagen

1880 Sexism Individual vs. Society


Year play was Torvald loves Nora Nora defies societal
performed in only as his helpless norms to achieve
Germany with "little skylark." independence.
alternate ending
in which Nora does
not leave Torvald

2
Film versions
released in 1973—an
American version
starring Jane Fonda
as Nora and a British Honesty Self-Awareness
version starring
Anthony Hopkins as Nora lies to save Torvald's Torvald's rejection then
Torvald pride; Mrs. Linde makes a "forgiveness" of Nora
loveless match to save forces her to face the lies
her family. in their marriage.

2001
Year the play was
included in
UNESCO's Memory
of the World Register

should not be a man if this womanly


helplessness did not just give you a
double attractiveness in my eyes.
Torvald, Act III

Sources: Encyclopaedia Britannica, IMDb, Henrik Ibsen: A Doll's


House and Other Plays, Merriam-Webster’s Encyclopedia of
Literature, National Library of Norway, UNESCO, Writers Theatre

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