The Project Gutenberg eBook of A Doll's House, by Henrik Ibsen

Table Of Content

• A new play about Jesus comes to the O.C. It could provoke ‘intense’ reactions
• Retired Eagles star Jason Kelce to join ESPN’s ‘Monday Night Countdown’ show
• This summer, John Krasinski makes one for the kids with the imaginary friend fantasy ‘IF’
• Bergman Adaptation Restructures ‘A Doll’s House’
• A Doll’s House: Cast
• thoughts on “A Summary and Analysis of Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House”

But the loss of the children deprives the drama of some of its complexity as well as most of its remaining sentimentality. Gretchen Hall makes an impressive Globe debut as Nora, the pampered but secretly unhappy banker’s wife. Opening night jitters caused Hall some line troubles in the first act Thursday, but once she settled in, she found all the facets of her complex, multidimensional character. There are two kinds of moral laws, two kinds of conscience, one for men and one, quite different, for women. They don’t understand each other; but in practical life, woman is judged by masculine law, as though she weren’t a woman but a man.

A new play about Jesus comes to the O.C. It could provoke ‘intense’ reactions

Helmer (accompanying her to the door). Good-night,good-night. I hope you will get home all right. I should be very happyto—but you haven't any great distance to go.

Retired Eagles star Jason Kelce to join ESPN’s ‘Monday Night Countdown’ show

At the next fancy-dress ball I shall be invisible. Oh well, one can't have anything in this life withoutpaying for it. Torvald drank a great deal of champagne tonight, too. I thought I heard your voice, and felt as if I should liketo look in. (With a swift glance round.) Ah, yes! —these dearfamiliar rooms.

This summer, John Krasinski makes one for the kids with the imaginary friend fantasy ‘IF’

Local producer and director Michael Fowle brings 'A Doll's House, Part 2' to life - DC Theater Arts

Local producer and director Michael Fowle brings 'A Doll's House, Part 2' to life.

Posted: Tue, 14 Nov 2023 08:00:00 GMT [source]

The first known draft of the play is entitled "Notes on the Tragedy of the Present Age" (Rome, 19 October 1878). When published in 1879, the play revolutionised contemporary Western drama, both formally and thematically. In the draft material we are given direct access to the playwright's workshop. Here we can follow the development of Ibsen's artistic imagination and the sharpening of ideological content. In the manuscripts, Ibsen expresses his revolutionary ideas more directly and more easily accessible than in the finished work, which for artistic reasons is rendered more ambiguous.

Bergman Adaptation Restructures ‘A Doll’s House’

There can be no freedom or beauty about a home life thatdepends on borrowing and debt. We two have kept bravely on the straight road sofar, and we will go on the same way for the short time longer that there needbe any struggle. Torvald explains that, when a man has forgiven his wife, it makes him love her all the more since it reminds him that she is totally dependent on him, like a child. He preserves his peace of mind by thinking of the incident as a mere mistake that she made owing to her foolishness, one of her most endearing feminine traits. Dr. Rank then arrives.

A Doll’s House: Cast

No, no; only lean on me; I will advise you and direct you.I should not be a man if this womanly helplessness did not just give you adouble attractiveness in my eyes. You must not think anymore about the hardthings I said in my first moment of consternation, when I thought everythingwas going to overwhelm me. I have forgiven you, Nora; I swear to you I haveforgiven you. HELMER.[walking up and down]. He had so grown into our lives.

Analysis of Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House

[Goes to the door andlistens.] No—it is no one. Of course, no one will come today,Christmas Day—nor tomorrow either. But, perhaps—[opens the doorand looks out]. No, nothing in the letterbox; it is quite empty.

[Takes her hands.]Now you look like your old self again; it was only the first moment—Youare a little paler, Christine, and perhaps a little thinner. Ibsen's German agent felt that the original ending would not play well in German theaters. In addition, copyright laws of the time would not preserve Ibsen's original work. Therefore, for it to be considered acceptable, and prevent the translator from altering his work, Ibsen was forced to write an alternative ending for the German premiere.

I ought to have foreseen it. Allyour father's want of principle—be silent! —all your father's want ofprinciple has come out in you. No religion, no morality, no sense ofduty—How I am punished for having winked at what he did!

—if only this obstinate little person can get her way! Do yousuppose I am going to make myself ridiculous before my whole staff, to letpeople think that I am a man to be swayed by all sorts of outside influence? Ishould very soon feel the consequences of it, I can tell you! And besides,there is one thing that makes it quite impossible for me to have Krogstad inthe Bank as long as I am manager. So you are going to be dressed up tomorrow Nora. I will tellyou what—I shall come in for a moment and see you in your fine feathers.But I have completely forgotten to thank you for a delightful eveningyesterday.

You must not think any more about the hard things I said in myfirst moment of consternation, when I thought everything was going tooverwhelm me. I have forgiven you, Nora; I swear to you I have forgivenyou. You too, of course; we are both saved, both saved, bothyou and I. Look, he sends you your bond back. He says he regrets andrepents—that a happy change in his life—never mind what he says! No one can do anything to you.

Act Three opens on the next day. Krogstad comes to meet Mrs. Linde at the Helmers’ house while they are at the ball. It is revealed that the two of them once loved each other but that their relationship ended when Mrs. Linde chose to marry a richer man because that was the only way to support her family. Mrs. Linde suggests that, now that their respective spouses have both died, she and Krogstad marry so that she can take care of his children and they can live a happier life together.

Few play characters world-wide can claim an equivalent importance as role model as Nora Helmer. It is from this perspective we view his contribution to theatrical history. His realistic contemporary drama was a continuation of the European tradition of tragic plays. In these works he portrays people from the middle class of his day. These are people whose routines are suddenly upset as they are confronted with a deep crisis in their lives. They have been blindly following a way of life leading to the troubles and are themselves responsible for the crisis.

Yes; odds and ends, needlework,[pg 16]crochet-work, embroidery, and that kind of thing. (Dropping hervoice.) And other things as well. You know Torvald left his officewhen we were married?

That wasthe saddest time I have known since our marriage. NORA.To have some fun at Christmas-time, of course. We will havesuch fun together! But take off your things. You are not cold, I hope.[Helps her.] Now we will sit down by the stove, and be cosy. No, takethis armchair; I will sit here in the rocking-chair.