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Veronica Bendele

Dr. Stephenson

Theatre History II – TA 3182

01 February 2018

Doll House as a Melodrama

A melodrama is based on good triumphing over evil, while realism is based on revealing

the truths of society. In a Doll House there would need to be a clear-cut good versus evil. Where

the production stands, the antagonist may be Krogstad. During the play he is blackmailing Nora.

Nora would be the good. She is the hero that saved her husband in his time of need.

However, there would need to be a change in the ending, as that instead of Torvald

finding Nora as someone to be ashamed of, he would have a stronger love for her after realizing

the truth. That way it is shown that they have a stronger marriage, that is truly based on love.

This would also mean that Kristine would not choose to return to a relationship with Krogstad.

Instead Kristine would be a friend who moves in with Nora and Torvald. She will be able to

replace her emptiness with her new career, as well as helping with the children from time to

time. Kristine, would have known Krogstad, but only through her past relationship where it

could be hinted at him treating her poorly, and causing her to have needed to be saved by her

now late husband. By the ending of the play Krogstad would instead be imprisoned for

blackmailing Nora. Nora would have confided in Kristine about the blackmail, in which Kristine

would have told her to talk to Torvald about this, assuring he would be understanding. That way

they then could put up a case against Krogstad, to ensure he is able to face punishments for his

crimes. Another change would be, is that Nora never committed forgery, she only asked to
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borrow the money, and had been able to do so prior to her father’s death. That way Nora’s

character remains pure.

Which can create the costuming ideas for the characters. Such as Krogstad being dressed

in black during the production, as black tends to be associated as being impure. While Nora

would wear white at the beginning of the play to show her purity, but as she struggles with the

pressure of Krogstad’s blackmail, fearing that perhaps her husband could feel insecure by

needing to be saved by a woman, she would wear clothing that is more of a light blue.

With the play taking place in one room during the whole time, this play would be good to

have in a black box theatre. That way the production can become more intimate with its

audience. As that it could be an open space in which it is more like a direct walk into the living

room upon entering from an exit, whether an exit is designated to be the front door, Torvald’s

office, or a door to lead to the hall in which could lead to a variety of unknown rooms in the

home. The lighting in the living room would change to the mood that is set in each scene, such

as when Krogstad appears, the lighting would be set to make the scene appear to be colder, so

that the audience would be left in suspense at what is to occur next.

The play as an overall would need to be stylized in the time that it was originally written,

creating more specifics to the scenery and the costuming that would be needed in this production.

By the play staying in its correct timeline it is at least staying true to Henrik Ibsen in one sense.

As it would also make more sense as to why there are religious undertones that seem to share

more commonalities in the past, than they do now. Even though play is going through major

changes as to be made into a melodrama, it is still important to keep some truths to it from the

original author.
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Citations

Ibsen, Henrik. “A Doll House.” The Norton Anthology of Drama, edited by Peter Simon. W.W.

Norton and Company, 2014, pp. 722-769.