Define absurd drama. Discuss Waiting for Godot as an absurd play

 

Absurd Drama is a sub-genre of Drama that focuses on the absurdity of human existence. It is very clear from the very word "Absurd" that it means nonsensical, opposed to reason, something silly, foolish, senseless, ridiculous and topsy-turvy. Moreover, a play having loosely constructed plot, unrecognizable characters, metaphysical called an absurd play.

Samuel Beckett is considered to be an important figure among the French Absurdist’s. "Waiting for Godot" is one of the masterpieces of Absurdist literature. Elements of Absurdity for making this play are so engaging and lively.

Characteristics of Absurd Theater:

• No story or plot
• No characterization and motivation
• Neither a proper beginning nor ending
• Unexplained themes
• Imitation of dreams or nightmares instead of nature
• Useless dialogues

 

Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett

“Waiting for Godot” as an Absurd Play:

“Waiting for Godot” fulfills every requirement of an absurd play. It has no story, no characterization, no beginning nor any end, unexplained themes, imitation of dreams and nightmares and above all it contains useless dialogues.

No story or plot:

“Waiting for Godot” does not tell any story nor does it has a plot. The play starts with waiting and ends with it. Characters do not go anywhere. They stand still in front of audience and do nothing except passing the ball. They talk and pass the time. Actions of characters are not related to plot but to themselves. Vladimir and Estragon wait for Godot and audience perceive that perhaps real story of the play will start after Godot’s arrival but Godot does not appear on stage nor is he introduced to the audience. Eventually, play ends with waiting. In this ways, “Waiting for Godot” fulfills first requirement of an absurd play.

Lack of Characterization:

We don’t know past of the characters. They are not introduced to the audience. We know only their names and their miserable situation. Their motifs are unclear. Although it is explicit that they are waiting for Godot yet it is not told to the audience that what purpose Godot will serve if he comes. Hence, lack of characterization proves that “Waiting of Godot” is a play of absurd theater.

No Beginning and End:

It has no beginning nor has any end. It starts with a situation and ends with it. Both the acts start and end in same way. When characters come on stage they reveal their purpose. They say they are waiting but Godot does not come and the act ends with waiting. Second act is also the copy of first act with minor differences. The play goes on and eventually ends with wait. Hence, there is no proper start of the play nor does it has a proper end.

It is a play in which nothing happens twice…. “Nothing happens, nobody comes … nobody goes, it’s awful!”.

Fulfillment of this requirement also proves that “Waiting for Godot” is an absurd play.

Useless Dialogues:

Most of the dialogues of this play serve no purpose. Whole play is based on delivery of dialogues but most of them have no apparent meanings. Every dialogue is full of symbols. Every word refers something in hidden meaning but it lacks the interest of audience because it lacks action.

Dialogues create action in every play. Action loses its importance without worthy dialogues. In case of “Waiting for Godot”, no action has been presented, therefore, dialogues are boring and they are written just to pass the ball. Word “nothing” has been repeated numerously in the play. It actually indicates nothingness in it.

Unexplained Themes:

Unclear themes also make “Waiting for Godot” a play of absurd theater. Audience do not observe any obvious theme in the play. Superiority of a play is always dependent on its themes. “Waiting for Godot” has no obvious theme. If there is any, it is hidden.

Imitation of Nightmares:

This play does not hold the mirror up to nature. It does not portray the manners and mannerisms of the ages. Martin Esslin is true in his definition of theater of absurd. This play “seem[s] often to be reflection of dreams and nightmares”.

At last but not the least, “Waiting for Godot” is entirely unconventional play. Samuel Becket violated all dramatic conventions. Indeed, every ingredient of theater of absurd has been fulfilled by him. Regardless of that this play is successful. He wrote this play to break the rules of traditional dramatists. “Waiting for Godot” completes every factor of theater of absurd, therefore, it can successfully be called the play of absurd.

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Anna Fierling: A True Mother in "Mother Courage and Her Children"

Introduction:
Bertolt Brecht's play "Mother Courage and Her Children" depicts the hardships faced by Anna Fierling, also known as Mother Courage, during the Thirty Years' War. Anna Fierling is a remarkable character who embodies the spirit of a true mother. Despite her flaws and the choices she makes, her actions consistently display her fierce dedication to protecting and providing for her children. This assignment will explore the various aspects that establish Anna Fierling as a true mother.

Sacrifice and Protection:
Anna Fierling demonstrates her motherly love through her unwavering commitment to protecting her children. She is willing to sacrifice her own safety and well-being to ensure their survival. Throughout the play, Anna endures immense hardships, risks her life, and makes difficult choices to shield her children from harm.

Unconditional Love:
Anna Fierling's love for her children is unconditional, even when they disappoint or betray her. Despite the strained relationships with her three children, Eilif, Swiss Cheese, and Kattrin, she remains fiercely devoted to them. This unwavering love is evident in her constant efforts to reunite with them and provide for their needs, regardless of their actions.

Determination and Resilience:
Anna Fierling exhibits remarkable determination and resilience in the face of adversity. Despite the devastation of war and the loss she experiences, she remains resilient, pushing forward for the sake of her children. Her determination to survive and protect her family serves as a testament to her role as a true mother.

Pragmatism and Resourcefulness:
As a mother, Anna Fierling demonstrates exceptional pragmatism and resourcefulness. She utilizes her wit and street smarts to navigate through the war-torn landscape, often resorting to unconventional means to support her family. Her ability to adapt to the ever-changing circumstances showcases her resourcefulness and highlights her dedication to her children's well-being.

Maternal Instincts:
Anna Fierling's maternal instincts are a driving force throughout the play. She possesses a keen sense of intuition, making decisions that prioritize the safety and survival of her children. Her actions, although not always perfect, are motivated by her desire to protect them from the dangers of the war, thereby reinforcing her role as a true mother.

Teachings and Life Lessons:
Anna Fierling imparts valuable life lessons and teachings to her children. Despite her often harsh and cynical demeanor, she shares her experiences and wisdom with them, intending to prepare them for the harsh realities of life. Through her guidance, she instills resilience, self-reliance, and survival skills in her children, which further solidifies her role as a true mother.

Conclusion:
Anna Fierling, or Mother Courage, exemplifies the qualities of a true mother in Bertolt Brecht's play "Mother Courage and Her Children." Her sacrifices, unconditional love, determination, pragmatism, maternal instincts, and teachings all serve as testament to her unwavering dedication to her children's well-being. Despite the challenging circumstances of war, Anna Fierling's actions consistently revolve around protecting and providing for her children. Through her character, Brecht explores the complexities of motherhood and highlights the resilience and strength of a mother's love.

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Thematic Aspects of Shakespearean Sonnets

Shakespearean sonnets, a form of poetry popularized by William Shakespeare, are renowned for their lyrical beauty and emotional depth. While adhering to a specific structure, these sonnets also explore various themes that resonate with readers across time. This assignment examines the thematic aspects commonly found in Shakespearean sonnets, shedding light on the profound ideas and emotions conveyed through these poetic works.

1. Love and Desire: Love is perhaps the most prominent theme in Shakespearean sonnets. The sonnets explore the complexities of romantic love, encompassing themes of infatuation, desire, devotion, and heartbreak. Shakespeare delves into the depths of human emotions, portraying both the ecstasy and the anguish that love can bring.

2. Time and Transience: The theme of time and its fleeting nature is a recurring motif in Shakespearean sonnets. The speaker reflects on the brevity of life, the inevitability of aging, and the transient beauty of youth. These sonnets often emphasize the passing of time and its effect on love, urging readers to cherish and appreciate the present moment.

3. Beauty and Immortality: Shakespearean sonnets frequently explore the theme of beauty and its potential for immortality. The beloved's physical appearance, grace, and charm are celebrated, with the speaker often likening them to eternal beauty. Through poetic expression, Shakespeare suggests that love and art have the power to transcend time, allowing beauty to endure beyond the boundaries of mortality.

4. Artistic Creation and Poetry: A meta-theme found in Shakespearean sonnets revolves around the act of writing poetry itself. The sonnets explore the power of language and artistic creation, highlighting the role of poetry in capturing and conveying emotions, immortalizing beauty, and expressing the depths of human experience. Shakespeare often uses the sonnets as a medium to reflect on the nature of poetry and its ability to evoke profound feelings.

5. Nature and the Seasons: Shakespearean sonnets draw inspiration from the natural world, using it as a metaphorical backdrop for exploring human emotions. The changing seasons, the beauty of landscapes, and the cycles of nature are employed to reflect the ebb and flow of love, the passage of time, and the inevitable shifts in human relationships.

6. Truth and Deception: The theme of truth and deception is also present in Shakespearean sonnets. The speaker grapples with questions of honesty, sincerity, and authenticity within relationships. Sonnets may explore the complexities of appearances versus reality, questioning whether love is genuine or merely an illusion.

7. Gender Roles and Societal Expectations: Shakespearean sonnets occasionally touch upon themes of gender roles and societal expectations within romantic relationships. The sonnets reflect the cultural norms and social constraints of the Elizabethan era, highlighting the challenges and limitations imposed by society on love and personal expression.

Conclusion: Shakespearean sonnets encapsulate a diverse range of themes, offering readers an intimate glimpse into the complexities of human emotion and experience. Through themes such as love, time, beauty, artistry, nature, truth, and societal expectations, these sonnets continue to resonate with audiences, affirming their enduring relevance and artistic brilliance.

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Short notes of the Characters of A midsummer Night's Dream

Characterization of A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Puck

Also known as Robin Goodfellow, Puck is Oberon’s jester, a mischievous fairy who delights in playing pranks on mortals. Though A Midsummer Night’s Dream divides its action between several groups of characters, Puck is the closest thing the play has to a protagonist. His enchanting, mischievous spirit pervades the atmosphere, and his antics are responsible for many of the complications that propel the other main plots: he mistakes the young Athenians, applying the love potion to Lysander instead of Demetrius, thereby causing chaos within the group of young lovers; he also transforms Bottom’s head into that of an ass

Oberon

The king of the fairies, Oberon is initially at odds with his wife, Titania, because she refuses to relinquish control of a young Indian prince whom he wants for a knight. Oberon’s desire for revenge on Titania leads him to send Puck to obtain the love-potion flower that creates so much of the play’s confusion and farce.

Titania

The beautiful queen of the fairies, Titania resists the attempts of her husband, Oberon, to make a knight of the young Indian prince that she has been given. Titania’s brief, potion-induced love for Nick Bottom, whose head Puck has transformed into that of an ass, yields the play’s foremost example of the contrast motif.

Lysander

A young man of Athens, in love with Hermia. Lysander’s relationship with Hermia invokes the theme of love’s difficulty: he cannot marry her openly because Egeus, her father, wishes her to wed Demetrius; when Lysander and Hermia run away into the forest, Lysander becomes the victim of misapplied magic and wakes up in love with Helena.

Demetrius

A young man of Athens, initially in love with Hermia and ultimately in love with Helena. Demetrius’s obstinate pursuit of Hermia throws love out of balance among the quartet of Athenian youths and precludes a symmetrical two-couple arrangement.

Hermia

Egeus’s daughter, a young woman of Athens. Hermia is in love with Lysander and is a childhood friend of Helena. As a result of the fairies’ mischief with Oberon’s love potion, both Lysander and Demetrius suddenly fall in love with Helena. Self-conscious about her short stature, Hermia suspects that Helena has wooed the men with her height. By morning, however, Puck has sorted matters out with the love potion, and Lysander’s love for Hermia is restored.

Helena

A young woman of Athens, in love with Demetrius. Demetrius and Helena were once betrothed, but when Demetrius met Helena’s friend Hermia, he fell in love with her and abandoned Helena. Lacking confidence in her looks, Helena thinks that Demetrius and Lysander are mocking her when the fairies’ mischief causes them to fall in love with her.

Egeus

Hermia’s father, who brings a complaint against his daughter to Theseus: Egeus has given Demetrius permission to marry Hermia, but Hermia, in love with Lysander, refuses to marry Demetrius. Egeus’s severe insistence that Hermia either respect his wishes or be held accountable to Athenian law places him squarely outside the whimsical dream realm of the forest.

Theseus

The heroic duke of Athens, engaged to Hippolyta. Theseus represents power and order throughout the play. He appears only at the beginning and end of the story, removed from the dreamlike events of the forest . 

Hippolyta

The legendary queen of the Amazons, engaged to Theseus. Like Theseus, she symbolizes order.

Nick Bottom

The overconfident weaver chosen to play Pyramus in the craftsmen’s play for Theseus’s marriage celebration. Bottom is full of advice and self-confidence but frequently makes silly mistakes and misuses language. His simultaneous nonchalance about the beautiful Titania’s sudden love for him and unawareness of the fact that Puck has transformed his head into that of an ass mark the pinnacle of his foolish arrogance.

Peter Quince

A carpenter and the nominal leader of the craftsmen’s attempt to put on a play for Theseus’s marriage celebration. Quince is often shoved aside by the abundantly confident Bottom. During the craftsmen’s play, Quince plays the Prologue.

Francis Flute

The bellows-mender chosen to play Thisbe in the craftsmen’s play for Theseus’s marriage celebration. Forced to play a young girl in love, the bearded craftsman determines to speak his lines in a high, squeaky voice.

Robin Starveling

The tailor chosen to play Thisbe’s mother in the craftsmen’s play for Theseus’s marriage celebration. He ends up playing the part of Moonshine.

Tom Snout

The tinker chosen to play Pyramus’s father in the craftsmen’s play for Theseus’s marriage celebration. He ends up playing the part of Wall, dividing the two lovers.

Snug

The joiner chosen to play the lion in the craftsmen’s play for Theseus’s marriage celebration. Snug worries that his roaring will frighten the ladies in the audience.

Philostrate

Theseus’s Master of the Revels, responsible for organizing the entertainment for the duke’s marriage celebration.

Peaseblossom, Cobweb, Mote, and Mustardseed

The fairies ordered by Titania to attend to Bottom after she falls in love with him. 

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Themes of A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare

Love

The dominant theme in A Midsummer Night's Dream is love, a subject to which Shakespeare returns constantly in his comedies. Shakespeare explores how people tend to fall in love with those who appear beautiful to them. People we think we love at one time in our lives can later seem not only unattractive but even repellent. For a time, this attraction to beauty might appear to be love at its most intense, but one of the ideas of the play is that real love is much more than mere physical attraction.

At one level, the story of the four young Athenians asserts that although "The course of true love never did run smooth," true love triumphs in the end, bringing happiness and harmony. At another level, however, the audience is forced to consider what an apparently irrational and whimsical thing love is, at least when experienced between youngsters.

Marriage

A Midsummer Night's Dream asserts marriage as the true fulfillment of romantic love. All the damaged relationships have been sorted out at the end of Act IV, and Act V serves to celebrate the whole idea of marriage in a spirit of festive happiness.

The triple wedding at the end of Act IV marks the formal resolution of the romantic problems that have beset the two young couples from the beginning, when Egeus attempted to force his daughter to marry the man he had chosen to be her husband.

The mature and stable love of Theseus and Hippolyta is contrasted with the relationship of Oberon and Titania, whose squabbling has such a negative impact on the world around them. Only when the marriage of the fairy King and Queen is put right can there be peace in their kingdom and the world beyond it.

Appearance and Reality

Another of the play's main themes is one to which Shakespeare returns to again and again in his work: the difference between appearance and reality. The idea that things are not necessarily what they seem to be is at the heart of A Midsummer Night's Dream, and in the very title itself.

A dream is not real, even though it seems so at the time we experience it. Shakespeare consciously creates the plays' dreamlike quality in a number of ways. Characters frequently fall asleep and wake having dreamed ("Methought a serpent ate my heart away"); having had magic worked upon them so that they are in a dreamlike state; or thinking that they have dreamed ("I have had a dream, past the wit of man to say what dream it was"). Much of the play takes place at night, and there are references to moonlight, which changes the appearance of what it illuminates.

The difference between appearances and reality is also explored through the play-within-a-play, to particularly comic effect. The "rude mechanicals" completely fail to understand the magic of the theatre, which depends upon the audience being allowed to believe (for a time, at least) that what is being acted out in front of them is real.

When Snug the Joiner tells the stage audience that he is not really a lion and that they must not be afraid of him, we (and they) laugh at this stupidity, but we also laugh at ourselves — for we know that he is not just a joiner pretending to be a lion, but an actor pretending to be a joiner pretending to be a lion. Shakespeare seems to be saying, "We all know that this play isn't real, but you're still sitting there and believing it." That is a kind of magic too.

Order and Disorder

A Midsummer Night's Dream also deals with the theme of order and disorder. The order of Egeus' family is threatened because his daughter wishes to marry against his will; the social order to the state demands that a father's will should be enforced. When the city dwellers find themselves in the wood, away from their ordered and hierarchical society, order breaks down and relationships are fragmented. But this is comedy, and relationships are more happily rebuilt in the free atmosphere of the wood before the characters return to society.

Natural order — the order of Nature — is also broken and restored in A Midsummer Night's Dream. The row between the Fairy King and Queen results in the order of the seasons being disrupted:

The spring, the summer,

The chiding autumn, angry winter change

Their wonted liveries, and the mazèd world

By their increase knows not which is which.

Only after Oberon and Titania's reconciliation can all this be put right. Without the restoration of natural order, the happiness of the play's ending could not be complete

Magic

The fairies’ magic, which brings about many of the most bizarre and hilarious situations in the play, is another element central to the fantastic atmosphere of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Shakespeare uses magic both to embody the almost supernatural power of love (symbolized by the love potion) and to create a surreal world. Although the misuse of magic causes chaos, as when Puck mistakenly applies the love potion to Lysander’s eyelids, magic ultimately resolves the play’s tensions by restoring love to balance among the quartet of Athenian youths. Additionally, the ease with which Puck uses magic to his own ends, as when he reshapes Bottom’s head into that of an ass and recreates the voices of Lysander and Demetrius, stands in contrast to the laboriousness and gracelessness of the craftsmen’s attempt to stage their play.

Dreams

As the title suggests, dreams are an important theme in A Midsummer Night’s Dream; they are linked to the bizarre, magical mishaps in the forest. Hippolyta’s first words in the play evidence the prevalence of dreams (“Four days will quickly steep themselves in night, / Four nights will quickly dream away the time”), and various characters mention dreams throughout (I.i.7–8). The theme of dreaming recurs predominantly when characters attempt to explain bizarre events in which these characters are involved: “I have had a dream, past the wit of man to say what / dream it was. Man is but an ass if he go about t’expound this dream,” Bottom says, unable to fathom the magical happenings that have affected him as anything but the result of slumber.

Shakespeare is also interested in the actual workings of dreams, in how events occur without explanation, time loses its normal sense of flow, and the impossible occurs as a matter of course; he seeks to recreate this environment in the play through the intervention of the fairies in the magical forest. At the end of the play, Puck extends the idea of dreams to the audience members themselves, saying that, if they have been offended by the play, they should remember it as nothing more than a dream. This sense of illusion and gauzy fragility is crucial to the atmosphere of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, as it helps render the play a fantastical experience rather than a heavy drama.

Jealousy

The theme of jealousy operates in both the human and fairy realms in Midsummer Night’s Dream. Jealousy plays out most obviously among the quartet of Athenian lovers, who find themselves in an increasingly tangled knot of misaligned desire. Helena begins the play feeling jealous of Hermia, who has managed to snag not one but two suitors. Helena loves Demetrius, who in turn feels jealous of his rival for Hermia’s affections, Lysander. When misplaced fairy mischief leads Lysander into an amorous pursuit of Helena, the event drives Hermia into her own jealous rage. Jealousy also extends into the fairy realm, where it has caused a rift between the fairy king and queen. As we learn in Act II, King Oberon and Queen Titania both have eyes for their counterparts in the human realm, Theseus and Hippolyta. Titania accuses Oberon of stealing away with “the bouncing Amazon” (II.i.). Oberon accuses Titania of hypocrisy, since she also loves another: “How canst thou thus for shame, Titania, / Glance at my credit with Hippolyta, / Knowing I know thy love to Theseus?” (II.i.). This jealous rift incites Oberon to command Puck to fetch the magic flower that eventually causes so much chaos and confusion for the Athenian lovers

Mischief

In Midsummer, mischief is primarily associated with the forest and the fairies who reside there. Accordingly, the fairies of traditional British folklore are master mischief makers. The trickster fairy Puck (also known as Robin Goodfellow) is the play’s chief creator of mischief. Puck’s reputation as a troublemaker precedes him, as suggested in the first scene of Act II, where an unnamed fairy recognizes Puck and rhapsodizes about all the tricks Puck has played on unsuspecting humans. Although in the play Puck only retrieves and uses the magical flower at Oberon’s request, his mistakes in implementing Oberon’s plan have the most chaotic effects. Puck also makes mischief of his own accord, as when he transforms Bottom’s head into that of ass. Puck is also the only character who explicitly talks about his love of mischief. When in Act III he declares that “those things do best please me / That befall prepost’rously” (III.ii.), he effectively announces a personal philosophy of mischief and an appreciation for turning things on their head.

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A Doll’s House: Individual freedom of Nora

 Individual freedom is a fundamental theme of Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House. Through the character of Nora Ibsen shows the necessity of individual freedom. Without it one can’t flourish oneself and establish oneself as equal partner with other (Nora – Helmer relationship). The protagonist, Nora always wants to be an independent person. Though she got her success, she paid a good price for herself liberty. The present paper investigates and discusses how Nora led her life before achieving her self-liberty and her passion for individual freedom.

Life of Nora before her revolution:

Actually Nora is literally trapped in Torvald’s family. She hasn’t been happy in her marriage, living as a “doll-wife” for Torvald. They never have any serious conversations. As Helmer’s wife, she is expected to obey his wishes. Even she suppresses her desire to please him. Helmer forbids her to have macaroons though this conflicts with her freedom. Helmer wants to keep her wife attractive. She had to obey Helmer which took place during the fancy dress party. She wants to stay at the party and enjoys herself but Helmer forces her to go back home early after tarantella dance. Actually Helmer’s motive was to sex with her. Thus he controls her life. When Nora refused, he reacted with the word won’t! won’t! He reminds her duty as a wife. The repetition of the word “won’t” shows his anger. In this way she was treated by her husband. Helmer expects to be obeyed when he wants to make love to her, regardless of whether she wants it or not.

All these examples reveal an imbalance in the power distribution between Nora and Torvald. Helmer is the dominant authority. Their conflict is reflected even in letterbox episode. Nora is unable to see her letter. The letterbox is locked and Helmer possesses the key. This implies that Nora does not have the freedom to see her own letters without going Torvald. As a married woman, she was not allowed to work and had to depend on her husband to pay off her debts. She has to use to flattery to manage a job for Mrs. Linde. It seems that Nora was passive and had no individual opinion. Her own opinions are shaped by her father and her husband.

Passion for freedom:

Nora had great passion for freedom. She suppressed it became she was eagerly waiting for a miracle. Nora reveals to Dr. Rank and Mrs. Linde that she would love to say, “Damn” to her husband. She seems to be willing to go against the tradition that women are not supposed to use coarse language. However, as soon as her husband appears, she tells Dr. Rank, who is encouraging her to say it, to keep quiet. This incident demonstrates Nora’s freedom to say whatever she wishes. Nora also requested Dr. Rank to share some Macaroons. Then Dr. Rank reminds her about her husband. She said that he would not tell her anything. Even she said that she didn’t care him. It is revealed that in order to pay off debts, Nora manages to get quite a bit of copying to do. Nora tells Mrs. Linde that it is almost like being a man. She enjoys working. She is forced to do it secretly because of social tradition. This shows her love for self liberation. At the end of the play, she told Torvald that she hasn’t been happy in her marriage. She decides to be free from the rules that have been imposed upon her. When Torvald tells her duty as a wife and a mother. Nora says that she is first and foremost a human being.

Ibsen creates a female protagonist who chooses to leave her family to gain freedom. Nora believes that Torvald’s new managerial position at the bank will solve all of her troubles and make her free. She says “Oh, Christina, I feel so light-hearted and happy. Its delightful to have lots of money, and no need to worry about things, isn’t it?”(Ibsen 36). This incident shows that Nora was always freedom loving.

As a stereotypical wife, Nora did not work outside. As a result, she did not know the outside world. Torvald used this chance to rule over her. Being ignorant of the external world, Nora was compelled to take what Torvald imposed upon her in the name of love. Social convention interrupts her to achieve self-liberty. To control Nora, Helmer said, “ Oh,in your blind inexperience”(Ibsen 166) Being a home maker, Nora had to depend on her husband for money. Torvald controlled the economy of his family. So it was easy for him to subjugate Nora by dint of his economic power. Thus societal expectations and monetary needs have influenced Nora’s life.

Social convention clearly shows the rule of gender, more specifically the role of husband and wife. As a wife Nora is expected to obey his husband’s wishes and tries to please him. The event of Macaroons shows that she has no freedom of choice. Her choice of freedom thus interrupts by Torvald. Nora wears the fancy dress according to the direction of Helmer. She wants to stay at party but Helmer forces her to go back home early after tarantella dance. He wants to have sex with her. Even he became angry, when she refused his appeal. This reveals that women are not supposed to have the freedom to decide when to have sexual intercourse. Helmer’s authoritative mentality is responsible for this.

Relationship between Nora and Helmer is not based on equal power distribution. As a result Helmer is the dominant partner who hinders the freedom of Nora. This typical power imbalance conflicts with Nora’s freedom.

It is a conventional for a woman to be passive and have no individual opinion. Nora utters “But our house has been nothing but a playroom. Here I have been your doll-wife as I used to be papa’s doll-child” (Ibsen 164).

Nora’s own opinions are to a certain extent, shaped by her father and her husband. Nora says that at home her father had to tell what her father thought. She kept quiet about her different opinion. She was her father’s doll. In this way patriarchal society hinders her freedom of expression. After her manage her opinions are shaped by Torvald.

Women are never thought of an in dependent individual. They are thought as mother, wives and daughters Nora’s decision to abandon her husband and children to discover her real self. Torvald tried to convince her in the name of social rules.

Torvald is the stereotypically strong husband while Nora is little sky lark. Torvald used bird image for addressing Nora. In the first act, Torvald refers to Nora as his little feather brains, his little scatter brain and his squirrel sulking. Thus he depicts the weakness of Nora. It is seen that if a person heard his weakness continuously she started to believe that she / he is weak. It is a way to control a person which Torvald used.

Actually Torvald threats Nora like a child for example as a child forbidden by her mother from eating candy. Nora hides macaroons from Torvald. Acting as a parent-husband Torvald controls her easily.

Nora’s self deception prevents her from understanding the social prejudices that limit her independence. Nora does not initially question her situation. Even she sees her husband’s possessiveness as an expression of his love for her.  Torvald loves me beyond words. He would feel jealous if she even mentioned any of her old friends back home. So of course she dropped that. In this way, to some extent, she is also responsible for her subjugation.

Why she departs from Torvald’s home:

In Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House the protagonist took a crucial decision to leave her family. Nora decides to leave because she understood that she had lived in illusion so many years in Torvald’s home. So she wants to face reality.

Comforts can often blind someone from the real truth. It is very true in Nora’s case. She is utterly trapped in domestic comfort. She gets everything in her doll’s house. she eventually loses touch with the outside world and consequently realises truth. When Torvald chastises her because of her lies, she finally notices that she is confined. She is not truly loved. Nora recognized that she had lost sight of the truth. So she takes a radical action.  Torvald told about her ignorance of the world.  She replied that she didn’t have an experience. But now she is going to make out who is right the world or she. It is the realization that forces Nora to take such a radical action.

Nora was expecting for a miracle. The miracle was that her husband would save her from the coming danger. She thought that Torvald would forgive her for her forgery. When she saw its opposite scenario, she revolted against her husband and left him. She always obeyed his wishes and tried to please him because of the expectation of a miracle from him. She says “I have so patiently all these eight years; for of course I saw clearly enough that miracles don’t happens everyday”(Ibsen 170). She was sure that Torvald would step forward to take the blame on himself.

Nora found that she had no identity. Her identity is shaped by her husband and father. Then she revolts against her husband who represents patriarchal society. Being deprived of speech, action and performance, she decided to leave Torvald. When her forgery was revealed, Nora found that her relation with her husband is not mutual. She also found an imbalance in the power distribution between her husband and her. Helmer is the dominant partner. Nora finally realized that for eight years she did not understand her husband at all. She has made nothing out of her life because she has been constantly living in the shadow of men. She has been deprived of her freedom to grow to become an individual. She says that Helmer and her father have done her a great wrong. So she decides to leave Helmer and her children in order to experience the world.

Actually Nora wants to discover who she really is. She wants to educate herself. At the same time she wants to gain experience and knowledge to find out things like religion and morality. She is not content with any second hand experience or what is written in books. She is willing to break up her marriage to fulfil her sacred duty. These things help her to take decision to depart from Torvald’s family. When Nora learns that her marriage was not effective, she decided to leave Torvald. Her marriage was playful wedlock.

In A Doll’s House Nora’s independent nature is a direct contrast with the tyrannical authority of Torvald. Nora and Torvald are not truthful to each other. When Torvald is proved as disloyal and ungrateful, Nora departs from his home.

Self-awakening:

In acts 3 Nora’s illusions about her family life are shattered by Helmer’s selfish and insensitive reaction to the news of Nora’s forgery. He said, “oh, what an awful awakening!” In all these eight years she who was my pride and joy a hypocrite, alien worse, worse – a criminal! How infinity disgusting it all is! The shame!”(Ibsen 154).  Helmer’s outburst grows her self-awakening. It is not until she sees the truth of Torvald’s character. She finally breaks free as a lark from his grasp. Her long expected miracle never took place because of Torvald’s selfish character. In fact, he said that no man world sacrifice his honour for his criminal wife. She finally comes to a much longer understanding of women’s plight. She replies “thousands of women have”. This four words statement shows that she had many achievement and she is worthy of a larger award than what she has been given. Thus Nora discovers her situation in Torvald’s family.

Moreover Nora found that society norms and forms are also against a woman. So she refused to believe these social norms. She said “I don’t believe in that anymore. I believe that, before all else, I am a human being, as much as you are or at least that I should try to become one. I know that most people agree with you, Torvald and that they say in book. But henceforth I can’t be satisfied with what most people say, and what is in books”.(Ibsen 168) I have to think over this things myself and try to understand them.

Pain of getting individual freedom:

 Her departure from Torvald’s family will help Nora to gain her freedom as an individual. Though the Kristine’s statement we got the idea of Nora’s coming future. Kristine said that she had to work for living.  Christine had worked all day long which was her only joy. She was completely alone in the world. Actually Nora lost her husband children, social status and security but she gained her freedom as an individual.

The ending of the plays makes the situation ambiguous. We are unsure that she will return to her husband’s home or not. But she proves it clearly that she failed to flourish herself in Torvald’s house. Through the weapon of resistance one can establish one’s identity and equal right. Nora’s actions and decisions prove that only the resistance can establish a person’s true identity.

Work cited:

Ibsen, Henrik. A Doll’s House. Trans. William Archer. Dhaka: Friends Book Corner, 2009. Print

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"A Doll's House" - Henrik Ibsen - Critical Analysis

 "A Doll's House" - Henrik Ibsen - Critical Analysis

Introduction:

Ibsen is called the father of realistic drama. He perfected the drama of conversation. He was the first man to show that high tragedy could be written about ordinary people and in ordinary everyday prose. His plays deal with the problems of contemporary everyday life situations. “A Doll’s House” is the best known and one of the most popular of Ibsen’s works. It is a play about women’s freedom, which deals with the liberation of the individual from the shackles and restraints of custom and convention.

Problem in Husband-Wife Relationship:

The play deals with the problem of marriage, of husband-wife relationship. It deals with the condition of a married woman under the excessive control of a husband, and shows the method which the woman employs in order to get out of that predicament. The play’s central idea is that a woman is not given to a man as a commodity but as a human being to be respected and treated affectionately by her husband.

Nora’s wifely Devotion to her Husband:

Nora is full of devotion to her husband. She loves him and is very faithful to him. To save his life she borrows money and has to commit forgery. She hides the act of forgery only because of his love for her. She signed in place of her father as she was compelled by circumstances. Even though she is blackmailed, she tries to keep the secret of helping her husband. She enjoys doing something extraordinary for her husband. And, in return, she expects her husband to love her equally.  But atlast she finds that her husband does not love her as an equalmate, but only as an inferior being. She has made all possible sacrifices for Helmer, but Helmer proves to be selfish.

Nora’s Treatment as a Pet:

When the play opens, we find that Nora has been leading the life of a pet in her husband’s home. There is no doubt that her husband is very fond of her, but the loving expressions that he employs when addressing her clearly shows that he regards her as a kind of pet. He addresses her as “my little squirrel”, “little skylark” etc.

Helmer’s Possessive Attitude towards Nora:

Helmer regards Nora as his property. He has a possessive attitude towards her. He believes that she belongs to him completely. His treating her as a pet only manifests his possessive attitude. In the end, as the danger from Krogstad has been avertd, Torvald compares her to a hunted dove whom he has rescued from a cruel hawk.

Nora’s Desire for Her Own Identity:

Nora thus develops a desire to find her own identity. She decides to leave Helmer and tells him that first her father and then her husband had wronged her. Under the parental roof, she had to adopt the views and opinions of her father; and under her husband’s roof she had to adopt the ideas and the tastes of her husband. Her father treated her as a baby doll, and her husband treats her as a doll-wife. Now, she realizes her duty towards herself. Besides being a wife and a mother, she is an individual. So, she takes back her wedding ring and steps out of the house, slamming the outer door behind her. Thus she becomes a woman who is in search of her own identity.

A Doll’s House – A Feminist Play:

The play thus deals with the problem of feminine liberty. A woman after her marriage does not lose her identity and individuality. She can maintain her freedom as an individual and can refuse to act as a slave to her husband. Ibsen championed for the right of women. Hence, without doubt, “A Doll’s House” can be called a feminist play. It advocates the rights of the women, and especially of wives in relation to their husbands.

 Conclusion:

Thus, by the end of the play Nora becomes an independent individual, to discover her own potentialities and achieve self-awareness and self-reliance. Though she will be facing an uncertain future yet she is ready to take the risk. She has now matured. She has achieved self-confidence. Hence, “A Doll’s House” is a suitable title thematically and structurally. The play deals with the making and unmaking of a woman as a doll.

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