At first, Dr. Rank appears to be an extraneous supporting character. He does not further the plot the way Krogstad or Mrs. Linde do. Krogstad initiates the conflict by attempting to blackmail Nora Helmer. Mrs. Linde gives Nora an excuse to leap into exposition in Act One, and she also tames the heart of the …
In melodramas of the 1800s, villains wore black capes and laughed menacingly while they curled their long mustaches. Oftentimes these sinister men would tie damsels to railroad tracks or threaten to kick old ladies out of their soon-to-be-foreclosed homes. Although on the diabolic side, Nils Krogstad from A Doll’s House does not have the same …
Of all the characters in A Doll’s House, Mrs. Kristine Linde serves as the most functional in terms of plot development. It is as though Henrik Ibsen was writing Act One and wondering, “How will I let the audience know the inner thoughts of my protagonist? I know! I’ll introduce an old friend, and Nora …
Nora’s Child-like Personality One of the most complex characters of 19th century drama, Nora Helmer prances about in the first act, behaves desperately in the second, and gains a stark sense of reality during the finale of Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House. In the beginning, Nora exhibits many childish qualities. The audience first sees her …
Summary Overview Written in 1879 by Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen, A Doll’s House is a three act play about a seemingly typical housewife who becomes disillusioned and dissatisfied with her condescending husband. Act One: Set around Christmas time, Nora Helmer enters her home, truly enjoying life. An old widow friend from her past, Mrs. Linde, …