General Info A Doll's House was based on the life of Laura Kieler who was a good friend of Ibsen’s and was written in 1879. Much that happened between Nora and Torvald happened to Laura and her husband, Victor, with the most important exception being the forged signature that was the basis of Nora's loan. In real life, when Victor, Laura’s husband, found out about her loan he got a divorce and had her sent to an asylum. Two years later she was let out at her husband’s request and she went on to become a well known Danish author and lived a healthy life to the age of 83. In the play it’s slightly different as Nora leaves Torvald with her head held high but faced an uncertain future because of the limits that women faced in the society of that period. Ibsen decided to write ‘A Doll’s House’ at the point when Laura Kieler had been sent to the asylum when the fate of his friend shook him up. Perhaps this was because Laura had asked him to intervene at a critical point in the scandal. However Ibsen did not feel willing or able to do so. Instead, he turned the event of this real life situation into an aesthetically shaped and very successful piece of theatre. Kieler eventually rebounded from the shame of the scandal and had her own successful writing career while remaining discontent with sole recognition as ‘Ibsen's Nora’ years afterwards.
Original Set Design 1
Synopsis/Plot A Doll's House opens as Nora Helmer is telling Helen to hide the Christmas tree. With her husband, Torvald, Nora behaves like a silly, childish woman, and is treated as such by him. Her friend Kristine Linde, recently widowed and short of money, has heard about Torvald's recent promotion to head the bank and comes to ask Nora for help in persuading Torvald to give Kristine a job. Nora promises to ask Torvald to give Kristine a position as secretary. Nora confides to Kristine that she once secretly borrowed money from a disgraced lawyer, Nils Krogstad, to save Torvald's life when he was very ill, but she has not told him in order to protect his pride. She then took secret jobs copying papers by hand, which she carried out secretly in her room, and learned to take pride in her ability to earn money "as if she were a man." Torvald's promotion promises to finally liberate her from having to scrimp and save in order to be able to pay off her debt. However, she has continued to play the part of the frivolous, scatter-brained child-wife for the benefit of her husband.
Meanwhile, Dr. Rank, a family friend, flirts with Nora before revealing that he is terminally ill with tuberculosis of the spine with only a month to live, and that he has been secretly in love with her.
Frightened after being fired by Torvald from his minor position at the bank, Krogstad approaches Nora, declaring he no longer cares about the remaining balance of her loan but will preserve the associated bond in order to blackmail Torvald into not only keeping him employed, but giving him a promotion. Krogstad informs Nora that he has written a letter detailing her crime (forging her father's signature of surety on the bond) and puts it in Torvald's mailbox, which is locked.
Nora tells Kristine of her problem. Kristine says that she and Krogstad were in love before she married, and promises she will convince him to give in.
Original Set Design 2
Torvald tries to check his mail before he and Nora go to a costume party, but Nora distracts him by showing him the dance she has been rehearsing for the party. Torvald declares that he will postpone reading his mail until the evening. Alone, Nora contemplates suicide to save her husband from the shame of the revelation of her crime, and more important to anticipate any heroic gesture on his part to "save" her.
Kristine tells Krogstad that she only married her husband because she had no other means to support her sick mother and young siblings, and that she has returned to offer him her love again. Krogstad is moved and offers to take back his letter to Torvald. However, Kristine decides that Torvald should know the truth for the sake of his and Nora's marriage.
Back from the party, Doctor Rank gives his letters of death to the Helmers, and Nora talks to him as if nothing is going to happen. Torvald goes to check the mail; Nora does everything to stop him but fails. Torvald goes to read his letters and Nora prepares to take her life. Before she has the opportunity, Torvald stops her, confronting her with Krogstad's letter. In his rage, he declares that he is now completely in Krogstad's power—he must surrender to Krogstad's demands and keep quiet about the whole affair. He criticizes Nora, calling her a dishonest and immoral woman and telling her she is unfit to raise their children. He says that their marriage will be kept only to maintain appearances.
Original Set Design Sketches
A maid enters, delivering a letter to Nora. Krogstad has returned the incriminating papers, saying that he regrets his actions. Torvald is triumphant, telling Nora he is saved as he burns the papers. He takes back his harsh words to his wife and tells her that he has forgiven her. He also explains to her that her mistake makes her all the more precious to him because it reveals an adorable helplessness, and that when a man has forgiven his wife it makes him love her all the more since she is the recipient of his generosity.
By now Nora has realized that her husband is not the man she thought he was, and that her whole existence has been a lie. Her fantasy of love is just that—a fantasy. Torvald's love is highly conditional. She has been treated like a plaything, first by her father and then by her husband. She decides that she must leave to find out who she is and what to make of her life. Torvald insists she must fulfill her duty as a wife and mother, but Nora believes she also has duties to herself. From Torvald's reaction to Krogstad's letters, Nora sees that she and Torvald are strangers to each other. When Torvald asks if there is still any chance for them to rebuild their marriage, she replies that it would take "the greatest miracle of all": they would have to change so much that their life together would become a real marriage.
The play ends with Nora leaving, marked by a famous door slam, while Torvald hopefully ponders the possibility of "the greatest miracle of all".
Characters
Main Characters
Minor Characters
The 3 Helmer Children - They are the force that binds Nora and Torvald together. They run around the house during the play, and Nora often plays with them, and on many occasions, wants to treat them with gifts.
Anne Marie, The Nurse - The Nurse brings Nora news about the mail, and callers. She is trusted by the Helmers, as she raised Nora in a wealthy setting, and now helps to look after the 3 children. She left her own family years ago, including her own child. She discusses family and finance with Nora.
Helen, The Housemaid - She is not seen a lot throughout the play, but she helps the Helmers with housework, mail and callers.
The Porter - He helps to run the Helmer household, delivering letters for them - including those to and from Krogstad.
Nora's Father - Although he never makes a physical presence during the play, his influence is always felt. Torvald repeatedly brings up his loose morals and past scandals to compare them to Nora.
Set Design (Modern Adaption)
Why was it written? Henrik Ibsen had a very good friend, Laura Kieler and he decided to base the play on her life. In the play Nora and Torvold merely represent Laura and her husband, Victor, as nearly everything that occured with them in the play happened to Laura and Victor in real life, with one excepption being, the forged signature that was the basis of Nora's loan. In actual fact, when Voctor found out about Laura's secret loan, he divorced her immediately and had her taken to an asylum. Two years passed and her husband was urging her so she left the asylum to return home to her husband and children. She then became a well known author and lived until she was 83. In the play Nora leaves her husband positively though she was unsure of what her future would bring her due to the complications that women faced during the period. Ibsen was much shaken when he was writing the play as at this consecutive time, Laura had been admitted to the asylum so her friend and family were extremely worried. Ibsen felt it was his fault that Laura was admitted to the asylum because previously she had asked him to intervene in the secret loan, of which he felt unable, and therefore declined. He made the real life scandal into a successful drama to which Laura was then notified as 'Ibsen's Nora'. When Ibsen was a child, his family had financial difficulty which comes up quite a few times in his work. He also lived in a small town in Norway which is where his plays are set. All of these factors influenced him in writing 'A Doll's House'.
What were audience reactions? and critics reactions...
· Controversial as it is sharply critical of 19th century marriage norms. · Important part of the naturalism movement · criticises the traditional roles of men and women in 19th-century marriage. · Scandalous at time of publishment · George Bernard Shaw found Ibsen's willingness to examine society without prejudice exhilarating · In Germany, the production's lead actress refused to play the part of Nora unless Ibsen changed the ending, which, under pressure, he eventually did. · In the alternative ending, Nora gives her husband another chance after he reminds her of her responsibility to their children. This ending proved unpopular and Ibsen later regretted his decision on the matter. · Much of the criticism is focused on Nora's self-discovery
A Doll's House was based on the life of Laura Kieler (maiden name Laura Smith Petersen). She was a good friend of Ibsen. Much that happened between Nora and Torvald happened to Laura and her husband, Victor, with the most important exception being the forged signature that was the basis of Nora's loan. In real life, when Victor found out about Laura's secret loan, he divorced her and had her committed to an asylum. Two years later, she returned to her husband and children at his urging, and she went on to become a well-known Danish author, living to the age of 83. In the play, Nora left Torvald with head held high, though facing an uncertain future given the limitations women faced in the society of the time. Ibsen wrote A Doll's House at the point when Laura Kieler had been committed to the asylum, and the fate of this friend of the family shook him deeply, perhaps also because Laura had asked him to intervene at a crucial point in the scandal, which he did not feel able or willing to do. Instead, he turned this life situation into an aesthetically shaped, successful drama. Kieler eventually rebounded from the shame of the scandal and had her own successful writing career while remaining discontent with sole recognition as "Ibsen's Nora" years afterwards
Information about the ending?
The ending: The play ends with Nora leaving, marked by a famous door slam, while Torvald hopefully ponders the possibility of "the greatest miracle of all". Alternative ending: It was felt by Ibsen's German agent that the original ending would not play well in German theatres; therefore, for the play's German debut, Ibsen was forced to write an alternative ending for it to be considered acceptable. In this ending, Nora is led to her children after having argued with Torvald. Seeing them, she collapses, and the curtain is brought down. Ibsen later called the ending a disgrace to the original play and referred to it as a 'barbaric outrage'. Opinions of the ending:
Simplistic Set Desin Front View
‘A Doll's House ends with the slamming of a door. Nora turns her back on her husband and kids, and takes off into the snow to make her own way in the world. It's a pretty bold decision, to say the least. Some might even call it foolish. She doesn't have a job. Not a whole lot of marketable skills. No home. No prospects of any kind. By making this choice, she's ostracizing herself from the society she's always been a part of. Most "respectable" people just aren't going to hang out with her. The comfortable life she's leading will be totally destroyed.’ – A student at Stanford
Described as a ‘masterpiece’ by Steve Orm
Supported by George Bernard Shaw
Nothing was considered more holy than the covenant of marriage, and to portray it in such a way was completely unacceptable Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw found Ibsen's willingness to examine society without prejudice exhilarating
A Doll's House was based on the life of Laura Kieler who was a good friend of Ibsen’s and was written in 1879. Much that happened between Nora and Torvald happened to Laura and her husband, Victor, with the most important exception being the forged signature that was the basis of Nora's loan. In real life, when Victor, Laura’s husband, found out about her loan he got a divorce and had her sent to an asylum.
Two years later she was let out at her husband’s request and she went on to become a well known Danish author and lived a healthy life to the age of 83. In the play it’s slightly different as Nora leaves Torvald with her head held high but faced an uncertain future because of the limits that women faced in the society of that period.
Ibsen decided to write ‘A Doll’s House’ at the point when Laura Kieler had been sent to the asylum when the fate of his friend shook him up. Perhaps this was because Laura had asked him to intervene at a critical point in the scandal. However Ibsen did not feel willing or able to do so. Instead, he turned the event of this real life situation into an aesthetically shaped and very successful piece of theatre.
Kieler eventually rebounded from the shame of the scandal and had her own successful writing career while remaining discontent with sole recognition as ‘Ibsen's Nora’ years afterwards.
Synopsis/Plot
A Doll's House opens as Nora Helmer is telling Helen to hide the Christmas tree. With her husband, Torvald, Nora behaves like a silly, childish woman, and is treated as such by him. Her friend Kristine Linde, recently widowed and short of money, has heard about Torvald's recent promotion to head the bank and comes to ask Nora for help in persuading Torvald to give Kristine a job. Nora promises to ask Torvald to give Kristine a position as secretary. Nora confides to Kristine that she once secretly borrowed money from a disgraced lawyer, Nils Krogstad, to save Torvald's life when he was very ill, but she has not told him in order to protect his pride. She then took secret jobs copying papers by hand, which she carried out secretly in her room, and learned to take pride in her ability to earn money "as if she were a man." Torvald's promotion promises to finally liberate her from having to scrimp and save in order to be able to pay off her debt. However, she has continued to play the part of the frivolous, scatter-brained child-wife for the benefit of her husband.
Meanwhile, Dr. Rank, a family friend, flirts with Nora before revealing that he is terminally ill with tuberculosis of the spine with only a month to live, and that he has been secretly in love with her.
Frightened after being fired by Torvald from his minor position at the bank, Krogstad approaches Nora, declaring he no longer cares about the remaining balance of her loan but will preserve the associated bond in order to blackmail Torvald into not only keeping him employed, but giving him a promotion. Krogstad informs Nora that he has written a letter detailing her crime (forging her father's signature of surety on the bond) and puts it in Torvald's mailbox, which is locked.
Nora tells Kristine of her problem. Kristine says that she and Krogstad were in love before she married, and promises she will convince him to give in.
Torvald tries to check his mail before he and Nora go to a costume party, but Nora distracts him by showing him the dance she has been rehearsing for the party. Torvald declares that he will postpone reading his mail until the evening. Alone, Nora contemplates suicide to save her husband from the shame of the revelation of her crime, and more important to anticipate any heroic gesture on his part to "save" her.
Kristine tells Krogstad that she only married her husband because she had no other means to support her sick mother and young siblings, and that she has returned to offer him her love again. Krogstad is moved and offers to take back his letter to Torvald. However, Kristine decides that Torvald should know the truth for the sake of his and Nora's marriage.
Back from the party, Doctor Rank gives his letters of death to the Helmers, and Nora talks to him as if nothing is going to happen. Torvald goes to check the mail; Nora does everything to stop him but fails. Torvald goes to read his letters and Nora prepares to take her life. Before she has the opportunity, Torvald stops her, confronting her with Krogstad's letter. In his rage, he declares that he is now completely in Krogstad's power—he must surrender to Krogstad's demands and keep quiet about the whole affair. He criticizes Nora, calling her a dishonest and immoral woman and telling her she is unfit to raise their children. He says that their marriage will be kept only to maintain appearances.
A maid enters, delivering a letter to Nora. Krogstad has returned the incriminating papers, saying that he regrets his actions. Torvald is triumphant, telling Nora he is saved as he burns the papers. He takes back his harsh words to his wife and tells her that he has forgiven her. He also explains to her that her mistake makes her all the more precious to him because it reveals an adorable helplessness, and that when a man has forgiven his wife it makes him love her all the more since she is the recipient of his generosity.
By now Nora has realized that her husband is not the man she thought he was, and that her whole existence has been a lie. Her fantasy of love is just that—a fantasy. Torvald's love is highly conditional. She has been treated like a plaything, first by her father and then by her husband. She decides that she must leave to find out who she is and what to make of her life. Torvald insists she must fulfill her duty as a wife and mother, but Nora believes she also has duties to herself. From Torvald's reaction to Krogstad's letters, Nora sees that she and Torvald are strangers to each other. When Torvald asks if there is still any chance for them to rebuild their marriage, she replies that it would take "the greatest miracle of all": they would have to change so much that their life together would become a real marriage.
The play ends with Nora leaving, marked by a famous door slam, while Torvald hopefully ponders the possibility of "the greatest miracle of all".
Characters
Main Characters
Minor Characters
The 3 Helmer Children - They are the force that binds Nora and Torvald together. They run around the house during the play, and Nora often plays with them, and on many occasions, wants to treat them with gifts.
Anne Marie, The Nurse - The Nurse brings Nora news about the mail, and callers. She is trusted by the Helmers, as she raised Nora in a wealthy setting, and now helps to look after the 3 children. She left her own family years ago, including her own child. She discusses family and finance with Nora.
Helen, The Housemaid - She is not seen a lot throughout the play, but she helps the Helmers with housework, mail and callers.
The Porter - He helps to run the Helmer household, delivering letters for them - including those to and from Krogstad.
Nora's Father - Although he never makes a physical presence during the play, his influence is always felt. Torvald repeatedly brings up his loose morals and past scandals to compare them to Nora.
Why was it written?
Henrik Ibsen had a very good friend, Laura Kieler and he decided to base the play on her life. In the play Nora and Torvold merely represent Laura and her husband, Victor, as nearly everything that occured with them in the play happened to Laura and Victor in real life, with one excepption being, the forged signature that was the basis of Nora's loan. In actual fact, when Voctor found out about Laura's secret loan, he divorced her immediately and had her taken to an asylum. Two years passed and her husband was urging her so she left the asylum to return home to her husband and children. She then became a well known author and lived until she was 83. In the play Nora leaves her husband positively though she was unsure of what her future would bring her due to the complications that women faced during the period. Ibsen was much shaken when he was writing the play as at this consecutive time, Laura had been admitted to the asylum so her friend and family were extremely worried. Ibsen felt it was his fault that Laura was admitted to the asylum because previously she had asked him to intervene in the secret loan, of which he felt unable, and therefore declined. He made the real life scandal into a successful drama to which Laura was then notified as 'Ibsen's Nora'.
When Ibsen was a child, his family had financial difficulty which comes up quite a few times in his work. He also lived in a small town in Norway which is where his plays are set. All of these factors influenced him in writing 'A Doll's House'.
What were audience reactions? and critics reactions...
· Controversial as it is sharply critical of 19th century marriage norms.
· Important part of the naturalism movement
· criticises the traditional roles of men and women in 19th-century marriage.
· Scandalous at time of publishment
· George Bernard Shaw found Ibsen's willingness to examine society without prejudice exhilarating
· In Germany, the production's lead actress refused to play the part of Nora unless Ibsen changed the ending, which, under pressure, he eventually did.
· In the alternative ending, Nora gives her husband another chance after he reminds her of her responsibility to their children. This ending proved unpopular and Ibsen later regretted his decision on the matter.
· Much of the criticism is focused on Nora's self-discovery
A Doll's House was based on the life of Laura Kieler (maiden name Laura Smith Petersen). She was a good friend of Ibsen. Much that happened between Nora and Torvald happened to Laura and her husband, Victor, with the most important exception being the forged signature that was the basis of Nora's loan. In real life, when Victor found out about Laura's secret loan, he divorced her and had her committed to an asylum. Two years later, she returned to her husband and children at his urging, and she went on to become a well-known Danish author, living to the age of 83. In the play, Nora left Torvald with head held high, though facing an uncertain future given the limitations women faced in the society of the time. Ibsen wrote A Doll's House at the point when Laura Kieler had been committed to the asylum, and the fate of this friend of the family shook him deeply, perhaps also because Laura had asked him to intervene at a crucial point in the scandal, which he did not feel able or willing to do. Instead, he turned this life situation into an aesthetically shaped, successful drama. Kieler eventually rebounded from the shame of the scandal and had her own successful writing career while remaining discontent with sole recognition as "Ibsen's Nora" years afterwards
Information about the ending?
The ending:
The play ends with Nora leaving, marked by a famous door slam, while Torvald hopefully ponders the possibility of "the greatest miracle of all".
Alternative ending:
It was felt by Ibsen's German agent that the original ending would not play well in German theatres; therefore, for the play's German debut, Ibsen was forced to write an alternative ending for it to be considered acceptable. In this ending, Nora is led to her children after having argued with Torvald. Seeing them, she collapses, and the curtain is brought down. Ibsen later called the ending a disgrace to the original play and referred to it as a 'barbaric outrage'.
Opinions of the ending:
‘A Doll's House ends with the slamming of a door. Nora turns her back on her husband and kids, and takes off into the snow to make her own way in the world. It's a pretty bold decision, to say the least. Some might even call it foolish. She doesn't have a job. Not a whole lot of marketable skills. No home. No prospects of any kind. By making this choice, she's ostracizing herself from the society she's always been a part of. Most "respectable" people just aren't going to hang out with her. The comfortable life she's leading will be totally destroyed.’ – A student at Stanford
Described as a ‘masterpiece’ by Steve Orm
Supported by George Bernard Shaw
Nothing was considered more holy than the covenant of marriage, and to portray it in such a way was completely unacceptable
Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw found Ibsen's willingness to examine society without prejudice exhilarating