Appearance And Reality In A Doll's House Analysis

The theme of appearance and reality is an essential tool for many dramatists. Although appearance and reality contrast heavily with each other, writers use them to convey underlying messages in their works. William Shakespeare and Henrik Ibsen use the theme of appearance and reality in A Midsummer Night's Dream and A Doll's House in order to highlight the downsides to love. Shakespeare and Ibsen depict love as irrational, or “blind” in their respective plays through the characters’ idealized perceptions of their love interests. In Ibsen’s A Doll’s House, Nora quoted, “You know how devotedly, how inexpressibly deeply Torvald loves me; he would never for a moment hesitate to give his life for me” (Ibsen Act II). Initially, Nora believed that

An obvious example of this in A Doll’s House is Nora’s forgery. Nora believed that she broke the law in the name of love as shown when she asked Krogstad, “Is a wife not allowed to save her husband’s life?” (Ibsen Act I). From Nora’s perspective, her crime was justified, but she was also aware that it would destroy her and Torvald’s marriage. Ibsen contrasts appearance of love with the reality that love can compel one to perform actions with hazardous consequences. On the other hand, Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream exemplifies a far more desperate love than A Doll’s House. When Helena discovered Hermia and Lysander’s plan to run away, she remarked, “I will go tell [Demetrius] of fair Hermia’s flight./Then to the wood will he tomorrow night/Pursue her. And for this intelligence/If I have thanks, it is a dear expense./But herein mean I to enrich my pain,/To have his sight thither and back again” (Shakespeare 1.1.246-251). Here, Ibsen clearly wants the audience be aware that Helena knows that Demetrius does not reciprocate her feelings. Helena loves him, but also knows the reality of what will ensue when she tells him of her perceived rival’s whereabouts. She believes that possible gratitude from Demetrius would be worth the pain of helping him chase after his love interest. Ibsen and Shakespeare depict love as a reason why those in love believe their actions are justifiable, no matter how extreme. However, Ibsen’s play emits a darker tone and incorporates more serious issues, while Shakespeare demonstrates the pain and heartache a character experiences from