“Hedda Gabler is deeply preoccupied with the nature of power.” To what extent is this statement reflective of Ibsen’s play?
"Hedda Gabler is deeply preoccupied with the nature of power." To what extent is this statement reflective of Ibsen's play? In Ibsen's play Hedda Gabler, the nature of power is seen in the inter-relationship of the characters, led by Hedda Gabler the main protagonist. It is a complex study of Human Beings and their place in the power sphere within Hedda Gabler; their power over others, how they relate to power and how the nature of power can be destructive or put to higher purposes, depending on how it is used. The nature of power comes in several forms, in various degrees. They are the power one has over others, the power to control, to influence, power over situations, power in using other powers to satisfy one's end. Ibsen also explores the power struggles between characters, the power of good and evil, the power of Alcohol; the power society has over its inhabitants and the power of the Law. For one to understand this nature of power that Ibsen writes about, one must be aware, among other things that 'Power is knowledge and Knowledge is power'. In the play, the power to manipulate or control lies mainly in the hands of those who have additional knowledge and intelligence which gives them dominance over situations and the other characters. For Brack and Hedda, this is especially true. Brack is a judge and therefore would be privy to a lot of information and he uses this
A Doll's House Act one scene one - In this scene, how does the dramatist effectively expose characters, relationships and issues so as to make the audience keen to see the rest of the play?
A Doll's House In this scene, how does the dramatist effectively expose characters, relationships and issues so as to make the audience keen to see the rest of the play? Act one scene one from 'a doll's house' by Henrik Ibsen is effective in many ways for enrapturing its audience. Henrik Ibsen successfully manages to introduce many themes and issues alone into the first scene. The scene focuses solely on the two characters Nora and Torvald. Our first impressions are that they are a happily married couple but there are many clues, which hint at the marriage Nora and Torvald have. It appears Torvald controls Nora. Ibsen seems to suggest Nora is a vivacious and cheerful character who is very spirited. Her humming and her smiling all add to the gaiety of her character. In contrast her characterisation to Torvald is very different. Ibsen portrays Torvald as an admirable man who is rigidly honest, a hard worker, and a man of high ethical ideals. He is serious and logical whilst Nora is not; she is made to be very feminine whilst Torvald is conveyed as the representative figure of masculine society. Their behaviour toward each other is affectionate, there does not seem to be any tension between them, Nora appears to be a submissive and dependent character. She exemplifies the roles expected of women and mothers during the time at which the play was set. But who is in control of
Comparison between A Doll's House and Like Water For Chocolate
Love Complications Love is a complicated and a confusing concept in life. True love is not only determined by the lovers, but by society too. In the works, Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel and A Doll's House by Henrik Ibsen, there is at least one couple who struggles about love. In Like Water for Chocolate, Pedro and Tita's relationship is blocked by obstacles and complications, while in A Doll's House, Nora and Torvald's relationship is complicated by misunderstanding between the two characters. The Society tries to impose its rules of what true love is on the couples. Using the love relationships of their protagonists, Esquivel and Ibsen explore the effects of societal pressure on interpersonal relationships and self esteem. Experiencing one obstacle after another, Pedro and Tita are blocked from marrying and loving each other. Mama Elena, Tita's mother, refuses to let Tita get married because Tita is Mama Elena's youngest daughter. The tradition in the family is that the youngest daughter must serve her mother until the day her mother dies. Tita and Pedro experienced youthful, love at first sight. Pedro said to Tita in their first conversation, "I need an answer now...I swear that my love for you will last forever. What about you? Do you feel the same way about me?" (Esquivel 18). Tita responds, "Yes!... Yes, a thousand times."(18). Unfortunately,
"A Dolls House" feminist critics and the social conventions Of marital life.
"A Dolls House" feminist critics and the social conventions Of marital life. In Ibsen's symbolic play "A Doll House", Nora is the bird, and her marriage is the cage. A bird may have beautiful wings, but within a cage, the beautiful wings are useless. Within the cage, the bird is not fulfilling the potential for which it was created - it is merely a household decoration. Externally, Nora is a beautiful creature entertaining her husband with the beautiful images of an obedient wife, but internally, she is a desperate creature longing to explore her potential outside the cage of her marriage. In a society dominated by the expectations of men, Nora must choose between the obligations determined by her role as wife in disagreeing to the obligations of self, in determining her true identity and Christine's identity within the social convention of marital life. Nora's flight to personal freedom is considered useless to some feminist critics, due to the decision of Christine to re unite with Krogstad. However Nora is praised for leaving Torvald. In some ways I agree with this statement though both Christine and Nora's characters differ immensely allowing them to take different actions according to their character. The role of women in late 19th century marriage was very stereotypical, providing your husband with children, and caring for one's family, the perfect mother and wife,
Two Men Destroyed by a Secret: A Comparative Study of Oedipus the King and A Dolls House
Two Men Destroyed by a Secret: A Comparative Study of Oedipus the King and A Dolls House Adam Blake D0555006 World Literature Assignment 1 Word Count 1143 The characters of Oedipus from Sophocles' Oedipus the King, and Torvald from Henrik Ibsen's A Doll's House, while coming from two different periods in time, are in some ways very similar. Torvald and Oedipus share many qualities, such as arrogance and a fiery temper. Their lives also mirror each other in many ways. They were both prestigious well-off men with powerful positions, happy families, and everything to lose. Both men were destroyed by the revelation of a secret, which had been kept from them by their wives. Oedipus and Torvald both seem to be created by the author to have their lives shattered by a secret, and this premeditation by the author is the cause for the similarities between both the personalities and biographies of the two characters. Torvald and Oedipus share a great number of traits and flaws giving them similar personalities. Oedipus and Torvald are both arrogant stubborn men who are quick to anger and are often too curious for their own good. We are provided with spectacular evidence of Torvald's temper during the last act of the play. Torvald's explosion of anger upon the discovery of Nora's secret, shows us the extent of his fiery temper. Torvald's statement, "You... Miserable thing,
"Some writers reflect the culture they live in, others challenge it. Henrik Ibsen criticizes the Norwegian culture at his time in the play A Doll's House and so does Arthur Miller in Death of a Salesman,
187 words 2001 November Exam (SL) (c) "Some writers reflect the culture they live in, others challenge it." In what ways and with what effects have works in your study either conveyed to you an appreciation of the culture of the works or offered a critique of it? Authors usually choose to set their work in the culture they are living in themselves. Hence, literal works often reflect the culture the author is living in. However, a very important function of literature has always been to criticize. Victims of such critique can be of various sort, but especially culture has always been subject of criticism in literature. Also Henrik Ibsen criticizes the Norwegian culture at his time in the play A Doll's House and so does Arthur Miller in Death of a Salesman, where he criticizes the US-American culture. Ibsen criticizes in A Doll's House the Norwegian culture at his time (in the 1880's). More specifically he criticizes the role of women in Norwegina society. Ibsen paints a bleak picture of the sacrificial role held by women of all economic classes in his society. In general, the play's female characters exemplify Nora's assertion (spoken to Torvald in Act Three) that even though men refuse to sacrifice their integrity, "hundreds of thousands of women have." In order to support her mother and two brothers, Mrs. Linde found it necessary to abandon Krogstad, her true-but
Krogstad: From Villain to Hero.
Sarah Little Prof. MacCoubrey ENGL 1705 EL06 November 17, 2003 Krogstad: From Villain to Hero In the course of Henrik Isben's play A Doll's House, several characters undergo extreme transformations. These characters change and develop as the plot progresses and eventually show their true nature at the end of the play. The most evident and profound character development, is that of Torvald Helmer and his antithesis Nils Krogstad. As they are simultaneously developed, it becomes apparent that it is not the actual personality of Helmer and Krogstad that is changing, but merely the way they are portrayed and the circumstances (and their awareness of these circumstances) in which they are living. The character of Nils Krogstad was consistently developed throughout A Doll's House by both the dialect of other characters and his own actions and speech, as his character underwent the transition from a morally corrupt villain to a decent and even well liked man. Nils Krogstad first appears in Act 1 as a seemingly unimportant visitor wanting to discuss business matters with Torvald. His actions are nothing out of the ordinary and give the impression that he is a very polite individual. It is not until he leaves the room that a brief conversation between Nora and Kristine begins to expand upon his character. Kristine first reveals that she used to know Krogstad many years ago
A Doll House Essay
A Doll House Essay Ibsen said that his mission in life was to "Inspire individuals to freedom and independence" which was shown throughout the play A Doll House. Since he wrote modern theatre, the characters were real and audiences could relate to them. He particularly questioned the role of men and women during his time. Ibsen used A Doll House to motivate women so they would seek more power and freedom in their relationships. Audiences could then look up to characters such as Nora and Mrs Linde whom were independent, some what ahead of their times. Ibsen's purpose was to not only to enlighten women of their unfair status but also to make the men understand women are much smarter than what they think. His goal was to change these attitudes of all humans so equality could be reached. By 1878-79, when A Doll House was written, women's rights had become a burning issue. People such as John Stuart Mill who wrote The Subjection of Women (1869) were one of the first to raise these issues and could be seen as an early feminist. They raised question as to whether the female role was fair. Before then, women were very submissive and had little opportunities. They were unable to have a job and were expected to do household duties and take care of the children. Men were the dominant ones but the women knew no different. For the few who could see this inequality, they were
A Dolls House and Maria
Cand. No: 0220 076 Bryan Vaz January 14, 2005 IB English HL World Literature 1 Word Count: 1,133 In A Doll's House and Medea, both Ibsen and Euripides employ a female protagonist, who is married to an important man in society. In their respective societies, the husbands are considered to have the most amount of power in the relationship. This influences the situations that the protagonist is placed in, and the outcome of the situations affects the audience's attitude toward the protagonist. The power and the position in society that the husband has in society is related to audience's perception of the protagonist. At the beginning of the play, Torvald was just promoted to the manager of the bank. The job places him at a position of power in society as the overseer of a financial body. Torvald illustrates his power to Nora by saying, "I have got the authority from the retiring manager to undertake the necessary changes in the staff and in the rearrangement of work" (Ibsen 26). Through Torvald's description, the audience can see that Torvald has the power to change the fortunes of those under him, including Krogstad. In this respect Torvald holds power over Krogstad, thus placing Krogstad in less powerful bracket. However, this relationship of power is augmented when Krogstad has proof that Nora committed a crime. This affects Nora negatively because she is not only
A Dolls House – Plot & Subplot
A Dolls House - Plot & Subplot A Doll's House is about the awakening of Nora Helmer from her unexamined life of domestic comfort. Ruled her whole life by either her father or her husband, Nora must question the basis of everything she believes in when her marriage is put to the test. Having borrowed money from a man of ill-repute named Krogstad by forging her father's signature, she was able to pay for a trip to Italy to save her sick husband's life (he didn't know about his condition and the loan, believing that the money came from Nora's father). Since then, she has had to invent ways to pay back her loan, growing particularly concerned with money. When the play opens, it is Christmas Eve and we find out that Torvald has just been promoted to manager of the bank, where he will receive a big raise. Nora is thrilled because she thinks that she will finally be able to pay off the loan and be rid of it. Her happiness, however, is spoiled when an angry Krogstad approaches her. He has just learned that his position at the bank has been promised to Mrs. Linde, an old school friend of Nora's who has recently arrived in town in search of work. Krogstad tells Nora that he will blackmail her if she does not persuade her husband to let him keep his position. Nora tries to convince Torvald, using all of her feminine tricks that he encourages, but is unsuccessful. Torvald tells her that