Henrik Ibsen`s `A Doll`s House`

Modern drama juxtaposes a character 's dwindling faith in themselves and reality . The playwright 's tragic heroes have survived in life under false pretences , thus they are doomed to suffer from their one flaw of ego . This statement is especially true for Henrik Ibsen 's A Doll 's House ' in the character of Nora . The dissection of Nora 's changing nature will be documented and supported in this according to her relationship with her husband Torvald which evolves around miscommunication . This idea of the tragic hero will be discussed in relation to

Nora and her opposing characteristics to such a definition In other words the will seek to prove how Nora is not a tragic hero because of the forthright control she enacts toward her own fate In this idea the philosophy of Plato and his idea of the tragic hero will be defined as a platform for the argument of this

In classic Greek drama , Plato 's idea of morality is presented as rational action . Morality isn 't a free will that governs humanity 's actions , but rather it is universal reason (life as a whole ) that dictates action , thus in dramatic terms , playwrights are given leeway it is permissible for Ibsen to allow Nora to leave the shackles of Helmer . It is in this freewill choice , decided by Nora that she becomes her own person , and not a tragic hero . The release that Ibsen gives to Nora is one that is strictly in accordance with morality . Nora cannot exist as a whole person while still living with Helmer and thus she is morally obligated to herself and the existing universe to traverse past the paradox of being a housewife , and venture into the unjust yet unexplored world . Ibsen writes of Nora , Maybe . But you neither think nor talk like the man I could bind myself to . As soon as your fear was over-and it was not fear for what threatened me , but for what might happen to you-when the whole things was past , as far as you were concerned it was exactly as if nothing at all had happened . Exactly as before , I was your little skylark , your doll , which you would in future treat with doubly gently care , because it was so brittle and fragile Torvald-it was then it dawned upon me that for eight years I had been living here with a strange man , and had borne him three children--- Oh , I cannot bear to think of it ! I could tear myself into little bits Ah , Torvald , the most wonderful thing of all would have to happen (71-72

Modern drama reveals human nature to be a nature of reason , not strictly adherent to passion or feelings , and Ibsen strives to be exact in their representation of reality . Morality then , becomes the crux of playwriting . Morality is reason . This is not to say that Plato and other classic Greek were ascetic rather they placed passion and feelings in their plays but the ethics...