A DOLL S HOUSE. By Henrik Ibsen Translated by Joan Tindale STUDY GUIDE. Created by Morgan Gregory & Anne-Marie Hanson

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2 A DOLL S HOUSE By Henrik Ibsen Translated by Joan Tindale STUDY GUIDE Created by Morgan Gregory & Anne-Marie Hanson Table of Contents Plot... 2 Characters... 3 The Translator... 3 The Playwright... 4 Biographical Detail... 4 Literary Context... 4 Critical Reaction... 5 Glossary... 6 The Title: A Doll s House... 9 MOTIF Animal Diction Parent-child Relationships Illness Translation Activity Works Cited Study Guide Creator Bios Theatre Etiquette at Royal MTC

3 Plot Act I It is Christmas Eve. The play begins with Nora coming home laden with packages and an undecorated Christmas tree, carried by a porter. She is humming and eating a few treats. She and Torvald discuss various matters relating to the holidays, money, and Nora s father, until an old friend of Nora s, now Mrs. Linde, shows up. During their discussion, a very good friend of the Helmers, Dr. Rank enters. He is close to both Torvald and Nora. Soon Torvald, Dr. Rank and Mrs. Linde depart, leaving Nora alone. She plays with her children, energetically but briefly. She is interrupted by the arrival of Nils Krogstad who has business involving Torvald and his new position at the bank, as well as some with Nora, something that is kept secret from Torvald. It is clear that Nora is uncomfortable in Krogstad s presence, even more so because of what he has to say about an agreement they made years before. The Act ends with an uncomfortable discussion between Nora and Torvald, leaving Nora distressed about her children. Act II It is Christmas Day. It is clear Nora is still upset by the interactions from the day before. She talks to her servant Anne-Marie about domestic and personal matters, and then Mrs. Linde arrives. There is mending of a costume Nora will wear to a party, as well as Torvald vowing to protect Nora in any crisis, though he laughs off the notion there could be one coming. Dr. Rank is another visitor, and the audience learns more about his health and his family s past. An awkward scene between Dr. Rank and Nora transpires, followed by a visit from Krogstad, who ultimately issues Nora a warning. A letter is the source of much frantic action, though it remains unread, and Nora dances a wild version of the Tarantella (a scene now famous in theatre history). Act III It is the next day. The Helmers are at a party upstairs while Mrs. Linde meets with Krogstad, offering an arrangement that surprises him. Though Krogstad seems satisfied, the terrible letter remains for Torvald to read. Krogstad leaves, Torvald and Nora return, Mrs Linde leaves, and Torvald expresses his admiration for his wife, now dressed in her Capri girl costume. Nora will not participate in Torvald s playful mood, and Dr. Rank enters in what seems to be good spirits. As he leaves, he drops a card with a distinct symbol on it in the mailbox, a card that he warned Nora he would have to leave one day. Torvald empties the letterbox and retreats to his study to read the mail, which includes the letter that caused Nora so much anxiety. A scene follows between husband and wife that has caused controversy in theatres since 1879! 2

4 Characters Torvald Helmer A lawyer, Nora s husband, has received a promotion recently Nora Helmer Torvald s wife Dr. Rank Friend of the Helmer s, a practicing doctor Nils Krogstad Hoping to continue to work in his position, Torvald will be his new supervisor Mrs. Linde A widow, former schoolmate of Nora s & formerly connected to Krogstad Anne-Marie One of the Helmer s servants Helene One of the Helmer s servants Ivar Bob Emmy The Helmers children The Artists The Translator Joan Tindale is the translator of the Royal MTC s production of Henrik Ibsen s A Doll s House. The translation was commissioned by the British Broadcasting Corporation for their television production of A Doll s House, and the production was nominated by the British Academy of Film and Theatre Arts as one of the four best single British television dramas in Tindale states that her aim in translating the play was to be as faithful to the original as possible, while making the dialogue sound as if it had been written in English (Ibsen, A Doll s House). 3

5 The Playwright Biographical Detail Henrik Ibsen (source) Henrik Ibsen left home in 1843 at the age of 15. He made money by working as an apprentice to an apothecary while striving to gain entrance to university and to write plays. Only 8 years later, having achieved his goal of entering university, he was appointed director and playwright to a new theatre. After a long struggle, the theatre closed in 1863, and Ibsen left Norway only ever returning for short visits. It was while he was living elsewhere that his great plays were written. Many critics and theatre goers feel that his greatest works are those written in the three year span, : A Doll s House, Ghosts, and An Enemy of the People. The Encyclopeadia Britannica credits Ibsen with almost single-handedly transforming European theatre at the end of the 19th century: He made his audiences reexamine with painful earnestness the moral foundation of their being. During the last half of the 19th century, he turned the European stage back from what it had become a plaything and a distraction for the bored to make it what it had been long ago among the ancient Greeks, an instrument for passing doom-judgment on the soul (Adams). Literary Context A Doll s House and the work of Henrik Ibsen can be said to fit into, and to be a contributing factor to, the two major movements that literary history has identified as being central to late 19th century literature in Europe. These two movements or ideas have been called realism and naturalism. The Oxford Dictionary of Literary Terms offers these definitions: Realism - A mode of writing that gives the impression of recording or reflecting faithfully an actual way of life. The term refers, sometimes confusingly, both to a literary method based on detailed accuracy of description and to a more general attitude that rejects idealization, escapism, and other extravagant qualities of romance in favour of recognizing soberly the actual problems of life. In its methods and attitudes, realism may be found as an element in many kinds of writing prior to the 19th century; but as a dominant literary trend it is associated chiefly with the 19th century... in which the problems of ordinary people in unremarkable circumstances are rendered with close attention to the details of physical setting and to the complexities of social life. (Baldick) Naturalism - A more deliberate kind of realism in novels, stories, and plays, usually involving a view of human beings as passive victims of natural forces and social environment. In the theatre, Henrik Ibsen's play Ghosts (1881), with its stress on heredity, encouraged an important tradition of dramatic naturalism led by August Strindberg, Gerhart Hauptmann, and Maxim Gorky. The term naturalistic in 4

6 drama usually has a broader application, denoting a very detailed illusion of real life on the stage, especially in speech, costume, and sets. (Baldick) There is risk of reducing a writer s work to a label or a category by identifying it in relation to broader literary movements; however, making a connection to broad, literary history can aid in understanding of how people have read the work and of what characteristics are central. It goes almost without saying that works of art are intricate and complex, and though categories help us to understand them, works of art often easily defy the labels we impose on them performance of Ghosts (source) Critical Reaction James McFarlane, in the introduction to the Oxford World Classic edition of Four Major Plays, by Henrik Ibsen, offers important contextual knowledge so that a reader or viewer may enjoy a richer experience of Ibsen s art. He suggests that in the latter half of the 19th century, literature addressed itself to the debating of problems, (Ibsen, Four Major Plays) a notion articulated perfectly in Ibsen s own comment when asked about his plays: I do but ask, my call is not to answer. Ibsen s dramas of contemporary life, - A Doll s House being one of his best - challenged audiences so acutely that great controversy erupted in all three Scandinavian capital cities, in Germany, and in London as soon as the play was staged. Audiences were polarised into Ibsenists and anti-ibsenists, invitations to parties indicated that A Doll s House was not to be discussed, and one critic called the play the most dramatic event of the decade. Ibsen s own writings and comments inflame the controversy even more. In his personal notes, he wrote a woman cannot be herself in contemporary society; it is an exclusively male society with laws drafted by men, and with counsel and judges who judge feminine conduct from the male point of view. Yet when invited, in 1898, to speak to the Norwegian Association of Women s Rights, he said I have never written a poem or a play to further a social purpose. I have been more of a poet and less of a social philosopher than most people seem inclined to believe. I thank you for your good wishes, but I must decline the honour of being said to have worked for the Women s Rights Movement. I am not even very sure what Women s Rights really are (Byatt). Consider these ideas and read over the following reactions to versions of the play from 1879 to the present. Unless otherwise noted, these comments are taken from much longer quotations in Shannon Cron s article, Commentary by Artists or Critics - A Doll s House, on the website Theatre 271: the History of Theatre since Shannon Cron, Theatre 271 What will Royal MTC s production do to emphasize or deemphasize the controversial elements? Could the play be as controversial now? Will you become an Ibsenist or an anti-ibsenist after viewing the play? If so, what puts you into that category? Does a director or a viewer have to choose a side, or could 5

7 the play be everything these critics say, and perhaps even more? Can the play be understood as having a social purpose, even if Ibsen said that was not his intent? Is the play important to us today? How? There are thousands of such doll-homes, where the husband treats his wife as a child he amuses himself with, and so that is what the wives become. (1879) There is something indescribably unnatural in this, and therefore, in the final instance, artificial. (1879) If she were really and essentially the empty headed doll we hear so much about, the whole point of the play would be gone... And Nora is not really childish, still less she is neurotic.' (1894) A Doll s House is no more about women s rights than Shakespeare s Richard II is about the divine right of kings, or An Enemy of the People about public hygiene. Its theme is the need of every individual to find out what kind of person he or she really is. (1971) Ibsen s Nora is not just a woman arguing for female liberation; she is much more. She embodies the comedy as well as the tragedy of modern life. (1989) Every time I read the play I find myself judging Nora with less and less sympathy... she displays a silliness and insensitivity that are also part of her downfall. (Byatt 2009) And more recently, by David Fox, in 2018: Any woman who depends on a man to take the high road, to appreciate the sacrifices she has made, to put her needs before his own is on a fool s errand. The extraordinary way she handles it will change everything. Betty Hennings, the original Nora, 1879 (source) 6

8 Glossary bric-a-brac - miscellaneous small articles collected for their antiquarian, sentimental, decorative, or other interest. Capri girl name given to pretty, young ladies from the Island of Capris in Italy, who were unconstrained by social convention. Christian name - a name given to an individual that distinguishes him or her from other members of the same family and is used as an address of familiarity; a forename, especially one given at baptism. defrauding - illegally obtain money from (someone) by deception. IOU - (abbreviated from the phrase "I owe you") is usually an informal document acknowledging debt. indiscretion - behavior or speech that is indiscreet or displays a lack of good judgment. inexorable - impossible to stop or prevent. installments - a sum of money due as one of several equal payments for something, spread over an agreed period of time. irreproachable - beyond criticism; faultless. krone - plural kroner, is the currency of Norway; Nora pays Four thousand eight hundred Kroner, which equals about $ Canadian Dollars. macaroons - A macaroon is a small biscuit or cookie, typically made from ground almonds, coconut, and/or other nuts and sometimes covered in a chocolate coating. rash - displaying or proceeding from a lack of careful consideration of the possible consequences of an action. retribution - punishment inflicted on someone as vengeance for a wrong or criminal act. security loan secured by the pledge of someone who will pay if the borrower defaults on the terms of the loan. skylark a small brown bird, noted for its song especially as uttered in flight. spendthrift - a person who spends money in an extravagant, irresponsible way. steamer steam train subordinate - a person under the authority or control of another within an organization. Tarantella - a folk dance characterized by a fast upbeat tempo, usually in 8 time accompanied by tambourines. visiting cards - a small card with one's name printed on it; it was an indispensable accessory to fashionable, upper class life in Europe during the 19th and early 20th centuries. whatnot - a stand with shelves for small objects. 8

9 The Title: A Doll s House Our home s never been anything but a doll s house. I ve been your doll-wife here, just as I was Papa s doll-child at home. And the children have been my dolls in their turn. Analogy: Illustration of an idea by means of a more familiar idea that is similar or parallel to it in some significant features (Baldick). Analogy is really a type of metaphor, when one thing or idea is compared to another, suggesting it actually is the other thing, in order to deepen understanding. When a work of art contains a single metaphor that is developed and extended, it is called a central metaphor; the central metaphor in this play, as the title suggests, is that of a doll s house. A detailed and focused exploration of this metaphor is key to a stronger understanding of Ibsen s A Doll s House. Before seeing Royal MTC s production, think about as many implications as you can that could be created by comparing something to a doll s house. Guiding questions for the brainstorm below: Are the figures or characters in a doll s house more like real people or more like toys? Who is in control of a doll s house? A person? A force or larger entity? What does this suggest about the lives of the dolls? What is the relationship between the stories that are played out in a doll s house and real life? Does a doll s house emphasize appearances or realities? How we want things to be, how others want them to be, or how things actually are? Does a doll house attempt to create a perfect world? How so? What types of things would you find (and not find) in a doll s house? Are there such things as good or bad doll houses? What would make them so? Why do we play with dolls and other types of human figurines? What types of stories or worlds have you created when playing with dolls? Central Metaphor: Detailed exploration of dramatic conventions & the doll s house metaphor The following pages are formatted to encourage making connections between various dramatic conventions and the doll house central metaphor. BEFORE viewing the Royal MTC production, read over the following pages; AFTER, use these pages, or your own format, to make connections and to develop your ideas. The left column of each page includes a brief definition of dramatic convention, a specific dramatic convention (ex: sound), and space for students/viewers to record details related to each example. The right column is blank, allowing students/viewers space to make connections between the dramatic convention and the doll house metaphor. A blank version is also included. 9

10 DRAMATIC CONVENTIONS No viewing of a play is complete without some attention to the artistry of drama, sometimes called dramaturgy, but which are perhaps better referred to as dramatic conventions the common features of drama that have existed for thousands of years and continue to develop through time. PROPS, COSTUMES, SOUND AND LIGHTING, BLOCKING 10

11 DRAMATIC CONVENTIONS No viewing of a play is complete without some attention to the artistry of drama, sometimes called dramaturgy, but which are perhaps better referred to as dramatic conventions the common features of drama that have existed for thousands of years and continue to develop through time. PROPS Props: [Property] Articles or objects that appear on stage during a play. Props can also take on a significant or even symbolic meaning. (oranim.ac.il) Christmas tree: As the play opens, Nora returns home from shopping, accompanied by a Porter carrying an undecorated Christmas tree. The first words are spoken by Nora: Hide the Christmas tree really well, Helene. The children mustn t see it till this evening when it s been decorated. EXAMPLE: In a doll s house things (e.g. Christmas tree) need to be dressed-up before they are celebrated, things mustn t be seen in undecorated form, things must be hidden until presentable to create an image or illusion of perfection. Note how in the opening moments of the play this desire for illusion is juxtaposed with money matters (Nora pays the Porter and discusses expenses with her husband Torvald). macaroons letters mailbox sewing materials 11

12 DRAMATIC CONVENTIONS No viewing of a play is complete without some attention to the artistry of drama, sometimes called dramaturgy, but which are perhaps better referred to as dramatic conventions the common features of drama that have existed for thousands of years and continue to develop through time. COSTUMES Costume: Clothing and accessories that characters wear or use during the course of a play. Costumes can also take on a significant or even symbolic meaning. Outdoor Clothes, Hats, Travelling clothes The characters are constantly removing and puttingon their outdoor clothing. Tarantella Outfit/ Capri Girl Outfit See the Glossary for an entry on the Capri girl and the Tarantella dance, but be sure to consider how Nora is dressed as a Capri girl for much of Act III. Perhaps the most direct activation of a character as a doll, dressed up to play a role. Nora s Stockings 12

13 DRAMATIC CONVENTIONS No viewing of a play is complete without some attention to the artistry of drama, sometimes called dramaturgy, but which are perhaps better referred to as dramatic conventions the common features of drama that have existed for thousands of years and continue to develop through time. SOUND & LIGHTING Sound and lighting are aspects of drama that help to generate atmosphere and create meaning. Nora s humming Doorbell Nora s piano playing and use of tambourine Dance music (from the floor above) Clang of a gate The Lamp (brought in by Helene) 13

14 DRAMATIC CONVENTIONS No viewing of a play is complete without some attention to the artistry of drama, sometimes called dramaturgy, but which are perhaps better referred to as dramatic conventions the common features of drama that have existed for thousands of years and continue to develop through time. BLOCKING, MOVEMENT (ENTRANCES/EXITS ETC.) Blocking: Where characters are positioned on stage, how they move and interact, and their coming and going are all carefully planned to complement a play s broader ideas and concerns. Pacing Nora practices the Tarantella see the Glossary for details. Note that she only practices, and in an agitated manner, on stage. Later she returns from dancing upstairs (offstage). Putting on and taking off coats and hats Going in and out of doors 14

15 MOTIF A motif - the repetition of an object, idea, phrase etc. within a literary work. Motifs are used by playwrights and authors to create unity within the work, and to foreground central ideas or concerns. Consider the following motifs and quotations both BEFORE and AFTER viewing the play. Animal Diction Torvald uses animal related words when addressing Nora. What does this motif (repeated animal references) help to: suggest about Torvald s character? reveal about how Torvald views Nora? emphasise about Torvald and Nora s relationship? illuminate in terms of the larger concerns of the play? Is that my skylark chirping out there? (Act 1) Is it the squirrel rummaging about? (Act 1) Has the little spending bird been throwing money away again? (Act 1) Now, now; the little song bird mustn t droop her wings. What? Is the squirrel standing there sulking? (Act 1) Now, now, now, you mad little creature, it s all right. (Act 2) Now, now, now; not those frightened eyes, like a dove. (Act 2) (Kissing her forehead) Now the skylark is talking like a real person (Act 3) Good night, my little songbird. (Act 3) Yes, do; try to calm down and put your mind at ease, my poor frightened little songbird. Rest safely now, and nestle under my wings. Oh how lovely and snug our home is, Nora. There s shelter for you here; I ll keep you here, like a dove that I ve rescued from the talons of a hawk; (Act 3) Parent-child Relationships There are many references to past and present parent-child relationships: Nora and her father, Nora and her children, Krogstad and his children, Dr. Rank and his father, Anne-Marie and her child, even at one point, Torvald suggesting he will parent Nora. What does this motif (repeated references to parent-child relationships) help to: suggest about the connection between a character s past and present? reveal about how people justify themselves and judge others? emphasise the presence and/or absence of emotional attachment? illuminate in terms of the larger concerns of the play? 15

16 You re a strange little one. Just like your father.... It s in the blood. Oh yes it is, that sort of thing s hereditary (Act 1, Torvald to Nora) NORA and the children, shrieking with laughter, play in the sitting room and the adjoining room right. Finally, Nora hides under the table; the children come rushing in, looking for her, but can t find her. They hear her trying not to laugh, rush to the table, lift up the cloth and see her. Great excitement. She crawls out and pretends to frighten them. More excitement. (Act 1, stage directions) My sons are growing up; for their sake I ve got to win back as much respectability as possible. (Act 2, Krogstad to Nora) Doesn t a daughter have the right to protect her old dying father from anxiety and worry? (Act 2, Nora to Krogstad) If you are encircled by stinking lies it brings infection and the stuff of disease into the whole life of a home. Every breath that the children draw in a house like that is filled with the germs of something ugly. (Act 2, Torvald to Nora). Tell me, Anne-Marie, - I ve often wondered, how could you bear to let your baby be adopted by strangers?... When I had the chance of such a good place? A poor girl, that s got into trouble, has to take what she can get. (Act 2, Nora to Anne-Marie and Anne-Marie s response to Nora). His father was a horrible man who had mistresses and so on; and so Dr. Rank has been delicate since he was a child, you see. (Act 2, Nora to Mrs. Linde) For a man there s something so indescribably sweet and satisfying in knowing that he s forgiven his wife... in a sense she s become both his wife and at the same time his child (Act 3, Torvald to Nora). Illness An AFTER viewing interpretive exercise, to be prepared BEFORE viewing NORA: Oh come on, Doctor Rank, - you certainly want to live. DR. RANK: Yes, I certainly do. Wretched though I am, I still want to prolong the agony. It s the same with all my patients. And it s the same with all those who are infected morally. Illness is, put simply, when something is not working as it should. Each character in the play can be said to be infected or ill in some manner, either physical or moral. Use the following flowchart-like format to consider the illness of each character in the play. You could do this alone or in a group, assigning one character to each person before viewing the play. SELECT A CHARACTER FOR FOCUS 1. In what way is the character ill? Decide on the type of illness (physical, moral, etc.) and give details from the play as if they are the symptoms. 2. What is the source or cause of the illness? 3. How is the character s illness judged or perceived by other characters? 4. How does the character judge or perceive his or her own illness? 16

17 SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION 5. Get together with 3-4 others who chose the same character and share and discuss your ideas. 6. Get together with 3-4 others who chose a different character and share and discuss your ideas. WHOLE CLASS: ACTIVITY DEBRIEF 7. What is revealed about human behaviour? 8. What are the similarities/differences between physical and moral illness? 9. How does the idea of illness relate directly to the play s central metaphor of a doll s house? Translation Activity When reading and studying a play originally written in another language and later translated into English, it can be fruitful to look at and compare two or more translations. Doing so will often yield some interesting questions and insights. Seemingly small translation decisions, such as word choice, punctuation, or sentence structure, can significantly impact the play s meaning. Two translations of the final moments of the play are presented here: Joan Tindale s award winning, 1992 translation used by Royal MTC s production, and William Archer s 1889 translation. Activity: The concluding scene of the play has been broken into four sections. Each extract includes Tindale and Archer s translation. Students should select and compare an extract, using the procedure listed below or another suitable method. a) Highlight different word choices. b) Underline significant changes to punctuation and sentence structure. c) In the margin, briefly comment on the differences. d) Using the questions below, discuss what is different between these two translations and how these changes affect meaning. Discussion Questions How similar or different are the representations of Nora, Helmer and their relationship? How do the differences impact meaning? Are there any differences in the way these versions present (a) Nora's relationship with her children, (b) the balance of blame in her leaving of her husband, (c) her relationship to the house itself? How do the differences impact meaning? 17

18 Extract 1 Joan Tindale William Archer NORA: For eight years now, I ve been waiting so patiently; because, heaven knows, I realised that the most wonderful thing of all doesn t happen any old day. Then this shattering thing happened to me; and I was so absolutely certain; now the most wonderful thing of all is going to happen. All the time that Krogstad s letter was lying out there, --it never occurred to me that you would give way to that man s conditions. I was absolutely certain that you would say to him: let the whole world know about it. And when that had happened NORA. I have waited so patiently all these eight years. For of course I saw clearly enough that miracles don't happen every day. When this crushing blow threatened me, I said to myself so confidently, "Now comes the miracle!" When Krogstad's letter lay in the box, it never for a moment occurred to me that you would think of submitting to that man's conditions. I was convinced that you would say to him, "Make it known to all the world"; and that then- HELMER: Yes, when I d abandoned my own wife to shame and disgrace! HELMER. Well? When I had given my own wife's name up to disgrace and shame-? NORA: When that had happened, I thought with absolute certainty that you would step forward and take it all on yourself and say: I am the guilty one! NORA. Then I firmly believed that you would come forward, take everything upon yourself, and say, "I am the guilty one." HELMER: Nora! HELMER. Nora-! NORA: You mean I d never have been willing to accept such a sacrifice on your part? No, that goes without saying. But how much would my word counted against yours? That was the most wonderful thing of all that I was hoping for, and dreading. And it was to prevent that that I was willing to end my life. NORA. You mean I would never have accepted such a sacrifice? No, certainly not. But what would my assertions have been worth in opposition to yours?- That was the miracle that I hoped for and dreaded. And it was to hinder that that I wanted to die. 18

19 Extract 2 Joan Tindale HELMER: I d gladly work for you night and day, Nora endure sorrow and deprivation for your sake. But no man will sacrifice his honour for the one he loves. NORA: Hundreds of thousands of women have. HELMER: Of, you think and talk like a stupid child. NORA: All right. But you neither think nor talk like the man I can share my life with. Once your fear had passed, not of what was threatening me, but of what you were being exposed to, and when the danger was all over, then as far as you were concerned it was as if nothing had happened at all. I was you little skylark just as the same as before, your doll that you were going to look after twice as carefully as now on, because it was so weak and fragile. (Rising.) Torvald, at that moment I realised that for eight years I d been living here with a stranger and had three children. Oh I can t bear to think of it! I could tear myself into little pieces! HELMER: (Heavily.) I see, I see. There s a whole abyss that seems to have opened up between us. Oh but Nora, isn t it possible to close it? NORA: As I am now, I am no wife for you. HELMER: I have the strength to change. NORA: Perhaps if your doll s taken away from you. HELMER: To be parted parted from you! No, no, Nora, I can t grasp the thought of it. NORA: (Going into the room right.) All the more need for me to go. (She comes back, bringing her outdoor things and a little carpetbag, which she places on the chair beside the table.) HELMER: Nora, Nora, not now! Wait till tomorrow! NORA: (Putting on her coat.) I can t spend the night in a strange man s house. HELMER: Can t we live here as brother and sister? NORA: (Tying on her hat.) You know perfectly well that wouldn t last long. (Puts on her shawl.) William Archer HELMER. I would gladly work for you day and night, Norabear sorrow and want for your sake. But no man sacrifices his honour, even for one he loves. NORA. Millions of women have done so. HELMER. Oh, you think and talk like a silly child. NORA. Very likely. But you neither think nor talk like the man I can share my life with. When your terror was overnot for what threatened me, but for yourself- when there was nothing more to fear- then it seemed to you as though nothing had happened. I was your lark again, your doll, just as before- whom you would take twice as much care of in future, because she was so weak and fragile. [Stands up.] Torvald- in that moment it burst upon me that I had been living here these eight years with a strange man, and had borne him three children.- Oh, I can't bear to think of it! I could tear myself to pieces! HELMER. [Sadly.] I see it, I see it; an abyss has opened between us.- But, Nora, can it never be filled up? NORA. As I now am, I am no wife for you. HELMER. I have strength to become another man. NORA. Perhaps- when your doll is taken away from you. HELMER. To part- to part from you! No, Nora, no; I can't grasp the thought. NORA. [Going into room on the right.] The more reason for the thing to happen. [She comes back without-door things and a small travelling-bag, which she places on a chair.] HELMER. Nora, Nora, not now! Wait till to-morrow. NORA. [Putting on cloak.] I can't spend the night in a strange man's house. HELMER. But can we not live here, as brother and sister-? NORA. [Fastening her hat.] You know very well that wouldn't last long. [Puts on the shawl.] 19

20 Extract 3 Joan Tindale NORA: Goodbye, Torvald. I won t go and look at the children. I know they are in better hands than mine. I can t be anything to them as I am now. William Archer NORA:... Good-bye, Torvald. No. I won't go to the children. I know they are in better hands than mine. As I now am, I can be nothing to them. HELMER: But some time, Nora, some time? HELMER. But some time, Nora- some time-? NORA: How can I know? I have no idea what I shall turn out to be. NORA. How can I tell? I have no idea what will become of me. HELMER: But you re my wife, both as you are and whatever you become. HELMER. But you are my wife, now and always! NORA: Listen, Torvald; I ve heard that when a wife leaves her husbands house, as I am doing now, he s released by law from all his obligations towards her. At any rate I release you. You mustn t feel bound in any way, any more than I shall. There must be complete freedom on both sides. Look, here s your ring. Gove me mine. NORA. Listen, Torvald- when a wife leaves her husband's house, as I am doing, I have heard that in the eyes of the law he is free from all duties towards her. At any rate, I release you from all duties. You must not feel yourself bound, any more than I shall. There must be perfect freedom on both sides. There, I give you back your ring. Give me mine. HELMER: Not this as well? HELMER. That too? NORA: This as well. NORA. That too. HELMER: Here it is. HELMER. Here it is. NORA: There. So now it s over. I m putting the keys down here. As for the household, the maids know about everything better than I do. Tomorrow, after I ve left her, Kristine will come and pack the things I brought with me from home. I ll have them sent on. NORA. Very well. Now it is all over. I lay the keys here. The servants know about everything in the housebetter than I do. To-morrow, when I have started, Christina will come to pack up the things I brought with me from home. I will have them sent after me. HELMER: Over; it s all over! Nora, won t you ever think of me again? HELMER. All over! All over! Nora, will you never think of me again? NORA: I m sure I shall often think of you and of the children and of this house. NORA. Oh, I shall often think of you, and the children, and this house. 20

21 Extract 4 Joan Tindale HELMER: May I write to you, Nora? William Archer HELMER. May I write to you, Nora? NORA: No never. I won t allow you to do that. NORA. No- never. You must not. HELMER: Oh but I must send you HELMER. But I must send you- NORA: Nothing; nothing. NORA. Nothing, nothing. HELMER: help you if you should need it. HELMER. I must help you if you need it. NORA: No, I say. I don t accept anything from strangers. NORA. No, I say. I take nothing from strangers. HELMER: Nora, can t I ever be more than a stranger to you? HELMER. Nora- can I never be more than a stranger to you? NORA: (Picking up her bag.) Ah, Torvald, for that, the most wonderful thing of all would have to happen NORA. [Taking her travelling-bag.] Oh, Torvald, then the miracle of miracles would have to happen- HELMER: Tell me what this most wonderful thing is! HELMER. What is the miracle of miracles? NORA: Both of us would have to change so much that. Oh Torvald, I don t believe in anything wonderful. Not any more. NORA. Both of us would have to change so that- Oh, Torvald, I no longer believe in miracles. HELMER: But I want to believe in it! Tell me! Change so much? HELMER. But I will believe. Tell me! We must so change that-? NORA: That our life together could be come a marriage. Goodbye. NORA. That communion between us shall be a marriage. Good-bye. [She goes out by the hall door. (She exits through the hall.) HELMER: (Sinking down on a chair near the door and covering his face with his hands.) Nora! Nora! (Looks around and rises.) Empty. She s gone. (Hope springs up in him.) The most wonderful thing of all?! HELMER. [Sinks into a chair by the door with his face in his hands.] Nora! Nora! [He looks round and rises.] Empty. She is gone. [A hope springs up in him.] Ah! The miracle of miracles-?! (The clang of a gate closing is heard from below.) [From below is heard the reverberation of a heavy door closing. 21

22 Works Cited Adams, Robert. Henrik Ibsen: Norwegian Dramatist and Poet. Encyclopaedia Britannica. 19 May Baldick, Chris. Oxford Dictionary of Literary Terms. Oxford, Byatt, A.S. Stage: Blaming Nora. The Guardian. 2 May Cron, Shannon. Commentary by Artists or Critics - A Doll s House. Theatre 271: the History of Theatre since pages.stolaf.edu/th271-spring2014/commentary-by-artists-or-critics-a-dolls-house/ Fox, David. REVIEW: In Arden Theatre s A Dolls House, the Original Fjord Maverick. Philadelphia. Things to Do. 20 Jan Ibsen, Henrik. A Doll s House. Translated by Joan Tindale. Solum Forlag, Ibsen, Henrik. Four Major Plays. Translated by James McFarlane and Jens Arup. Oxford, Shorter Oxford English Dictionary, 6 th edition. Oxford University Press, Study Guide Creator Bios Anne-Marie Hanson has the good fortune to teach in the English Department at Kelvin High School, allowing her the daily opportunity to share her passion for literature with engaged students and learn from talented colleagues. She currently teaches English, including I.B. (International Baccalaureate) English, and sees, first hand, that when great literature is put in students hands, when great questions are asked of them and of the literature, and when high expectations are maintained, students will rise to the challenge with enthusiasm and wonder. Morgan Gregory teaches English, I.B. English, and Theory of Knowledge at Kelvin High School. Though originally intent on pursuing Mathematics and Actuarial studies, the ambiguities of Literature became more interesting to him than the ambiguities of statistics, not all that strange according to Northrop Frye who argues that imagination lies at the centre of each discipline. Outside of finding delight in Mathematics, Literature and teaching, he enjoys getting behind the wheel to explore a well-known or an unknown road. 22

23 Theatre Etiquette at Royal MTC Arrive Early: Latecomers may not be admitted to a performance. Please ensure you arrive with enough time to find your seat before the performance starts. Cell Phones and Other Electronic Devices: Please TURN OFF your cell phones/ipods/gaming systems/cameras. We have seen an increase in texting, surfing, and gaming during performances, which is very distracting for the performers and other audience members. The use of cameras and recording devices is strictly prohibited. Talking During the Performance: You can be heard (even when whispering!) by the actors onstage and the audience around you. Disruptive patrons will be removed from the theatre. Please wait to share your thoughts and opinions with others until after the performance. Food/Drinks: Food and outside drinks are not allowed in the theatre. Where there is an intermission, concessions may be open for purchase of snacks and drinks. There is complimentary water in the lobby. Dress: There is no dress code at the Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre, but we respectfully request that patrons refrain from wearing hats in the theatre. We also strive to be a scent-free environment, and thank all patrons for their cooperation. Leaving During the Performance: If an audience member leaves the theatre during a performance, they will be readmitted at the discretion of our Front of House staff. Should they be readmitted, they will not be ushered back to their original seat, but placed in a vacant seat at the back of the auditorium. Being Asked to Leave: The theatre staff has, and will exercise, the right to ask any member of the audience to leave the performance if that person is being disruptive. Inappropriate and disruptive behaviour includes, but is not limited to: talking, using electronic devices, cameras, laser pointers, or other light- or sound-emitting devices, and deliberately interfering with an actor or the performance (tripping, throwing items on or near the stage, etc.). Talkbacks: All Tuesday evening performances, student matinees and final matinees at Royal MTC feature a talkback with members of the cast following the show. While watching the performance, make a mental note of questions to ask the actors. Questions can be about the story, the interpretation, life in the theatre, etc. Enjoy the show: Laugh, applaud, cheer and respond to the performance appropriately. Make sure to thank all the artists for their hard work with applause during the curtain call. 23