1

Communication

In the play A Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen, there are many literary elements that were

chosen to convey the theme of the story. Following the protagonist Nora in her journey through

her life as a wife and quick witted thinker trapped in a patriarchal world, Ibsen created a story

that would show the audience the true imbalance of their own society. In order to demonstrate

this, he developed well made characters, both male and female, and wrote an arc in which Nora

could grow, learn, and develop with the audience. However, for the theme to truly be achieved

Ibsen had to use one element more than any other: dramatic irony. This literary tool is used in

many ways to communicate the theme of the story, such as its ability to compel the audience to

look beyond what is being said.

Nora’s secrets are both the plot and the stakes, as the audience follows the character to

see if she can keep her lies from being told to her husband, Torvald, a man who prides himself as

the master of the house and superior figure to his wife. The dramatic irony is in his oblivious

perspective to the plot itself, as Nora and the other supporting characters struggle through

countless problems. The scenes switch between ones with Nora and other characters and ones

with her and Torvald. When with other characters, the audience sees her true self, a woman with

a strong determination and witty personality. However, when with her husband, she transforms

into an immature and naïve wife ready to do whatever he says.

The dramatic irony urges the audience to look beyond what is being said or shown before

them. For example, Torvald’s actions and words go against what is truly happening. He calls

Nora a “helpless little thing”, but the audience knows she can take care of herself (180). Even
 2

Nora contradicts herself and lies in front of the audience. Torvald asked her, “trying your dress

on perhaps?”, and to cover up her conversation with another character about her secret, she lies

and says “Yes, yes; I’m trying it on” (161). Nora represented the women at the time, forced to be

servants to their husbands and nothing more. The use of dramatic irony demonstrates the

struggles women went through during this time period and, following Nora’s perspective, the

audience is able to sympathize with and understand what life is truly like in such a role.

This pattern of lies and irony leads the audience through most of the play, however, the

element’s most important moment is when it disappears altogether. The theme of the play

worked well with the lies, as it was clear how much women struggle in such a patriarchal society,

but in order to achieve a complete theme, Ibsen had to remove the irony altogether. At the end of

the play, despite Nora’s many actions to keep Torvald from knowing her secrets, he finds out,

and suddenly the play shifts. After he yells at his wife and tells her the punishments he is ready

to inflict upon her, the scene settles, and suddenly Nora changes. She tells her husband, “sit

down here… I have a lot to talk about” (181).

This is the first time in the entire play that the audience does not know an important

detail. They knew all of Nora’s plans, all of her lies, and all of Torvald’s ignorance, and now left

without direction, it is at this point when they become the most compelled to listen and learn

what they do not know. Ibsen created this moment using dramatic irony and then the lack of to

allow Nora to speak her mind. She says, “But our home has never been anything other than a

play-house. I’ve been your doll-wife…” (183). This is the true theme of the play communicated

in gorgeous monologues, but the moment would not be what it is without the use of dramatic

irony.