There are many differences but also similarities between the ways Henrik Ibsen and Thomas Hardy present their leading roles, Nora and Tess in: A Dolls House and Tess of the DUrbervilles.

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        There are many differences but also similarities between the ways Henrik Ibsen and Thomas Hardy present their leading roles, Nora and Tess in: ‘A Doll’s House’ and ‘Tess of the D’Urbervilles’. ‘A Doll’s House’ was written in 1879 and was a ‘well-made play’. It is also a translation and was performed across Europe whereas in comparison ‘Tess of the D’Urbervilles’ was not translated into other languages at the time. This is partly because Ibsen’s work was part of a progressive movement. The text originally had a resolution but the translation changed the format of the text and therefore leaves the audience with a discussion.

The first obvious difference between the texts is that, ‘A Doll’s House’ is play whereas, ‘Tess of the D’Urbervilles’ is a novel. Through Ibsen’s choice to use a dramatic form as opposed to the prose ‘Tess of the D’Urbervilles’ adopts. A ‘Doll’s House’ lacks a narrator and as a result has to make use of stage directions, soliloquies and props. The use of props in ‘A Doll’s House’ becomes a method that Ibsen uses to create visual images and reflect the mood and tone of his characters, we can see this with the image of the Christmas tree at the beginning of the second act, ‘in the corner beside the piano stands the Christmas tree, stripped, bedraggled and with its candles burnt out’. This reflects Nora’s change of mood now that Krogstad is threatening to write to Helmer revealing her secret. Again we see this through Ibsen’s use of visual images. Another visual image Ibsen uses to demonstrate another ‘type’ of woman Nora can be is the ‘tarentella’ dance. Through Nora’s performace of this dance, the audience is exposed to another aspect of her personality. As well as playing the housewife, mother, doll to her husband we now see a wild and exciting aspect to Nora.

        All of the main events of the play occur in the Helmer’s living room. This room has several doors, ‘on the back wall, one door on the right leads to the entrance hall, a second door on the left leads to Helmer’s study......in the middle of the left wall, a door’. The visual image Ibsen creates demonstrates to the audience the choices that lie ahead for Nora and these doors provide an escape route for her.

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Another difference in the structure of the text is that ‘A Doll’s House’ is presented in acts and ‘Tess of the D’Urbervilles’ is in phases. The significance of this is that in ‘A Doll’s House’ the plot of the play unravels in the space of a few days, whereas through the use of phases in ‘Tess of the D’Urbervilles’ the plot unravels over several years and the reader receives a prolonged view of the growth of Tess’ character. Despite this difference both of the texts have an innovative structure. All forms of text: novel, play and poetry of this era ...

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