1. The Effectiveness of Stage Directions in Portraying Changes in the Personality of the
Protagonist, Nora and Changes in Relationships Between the Protagonist and the Major
Characters After Immense Revelations in the Play, ‘A Doll’s House’
Introduction
‘A Doll’s House’, written by Henrik Ibsen, is a 3 act play by which, the important message of every
human being shall try to reach to a certain level of self-development and evolution is encouraged. The
play consists of many literary devices that are intelligently implemented throughout the play, some of
which are monologue, use of diction, symbolism, tone, foreshadowing, juxtaposition and more
importantly, stage directions. Stage directions are directions and guidelines given to the actors and
actresses in the play as to how to act and engage physical movements. Stage directions are widely used
in almost all the plays because of their important role of creating dramatic tension and enabling the
readers visualize the stage and the characters acting while reading the play. The use of stage directions
in the play, ‘A Doll’s House ‘ is of great importance due to the fact that they are in charge of expressing
and unveiling the changes that occur in the characters’ personalities as the story goes on. In the story,
Nora Helmer, who is Torvald Helmer’s wife and the mother of his children, is threatened and
blackmailed by Krogstad, a lawyer, working at Helmer’s office, to force her husband let Krogstad keep
his job at the office or he will reveal Nora’s big secret to Torvald, something that Nora desperately
doesn’t want to face. At the end of the story, Nora’s secret is revealed in form of a letter that Torvald
gets his hands on and that is as well the moment when Torvald’s real personality and true face is
revealed to Nora which causes her to leave her children and husband despite 8 years of marriage in
order of an attempt to transform from a doll, who has always been a playtoy to her husband and also
her dad, Papa, to a human with all the rights and freedom.
The first important revelation in the story is when Krogstad approaches Nora’s house, waits for Nora to
cease playing with her children and then unveils to her the big mistake she has made by forging her
dad’s signature in the loan contract she has been having with Krogstad, which he uses to blackmail and
scare Nora to force her husband not to fire him. The stage directions firstly show how defenseless Nora
is against Krogstad’s attacks as when he mentions that the date the contract was signed was after the
date when Papa was dead, [Nora is silent],(p174), and when she is asked to explain, [She (Nora) is still
silent+,(p174). Nora’s silence is a sign of her little knowledge about what she has done and the
consequences of her actions. However, after Krogstad leaves the house, Nora is completely shocked and
scared by what has been said and expected tries to act as oblivious as she possibly can about it as [She
starts to busy herself by tidying the children’s cloths but soon stops], (p176). Stage directions in this part
clearly express and portray Nora’s new fear of Krogstad that she extremely tries to hinder by making
herself busy with the daily tasks of life such as tidying the children’s cloths however, she is unsuccessful.
Nora’s panic does not cease here. She simply refuses her children’s request to play with them and
[pushes them gently into the other room and shuts the door after them. She sits on the sofa and,

2. picking up her needlework, she does a stitch or two but stops], (p176). Nora cannot just pretend nothing
has happened and stage directions enlighten the readers that she is so frightened that [She throws
down the work and rising…+, (P176). The author’s clever combination of diction with stage directions
creates a more dramatic effect on the readers by emphasizing the changes in Nora’s behavior and acting
in an evident manner.
The other and the most major revelation in the story is when Torvald opens up and reads Krogstad’s
detailed letter about how Nora has forged a signature in order get a loan and save Torvald’s life. That is
the moment of realization for Torvald that his little ‘Skylark’, Nora, has just been more than an innocent
singing bird. After Torvald is aware of everything, he stops Nora from leaving the house and begins to
confront her. While confronting her, Torvald uses the word ‘Wretched Woman’ to call Nora and that is
what strikes and opens her eyes to reality. She then begins to realize that she has wasted 8 years of her
life being a tool in Torvald’s hands and this is reflected back in her expressions, [hardening as she
speaks] , (p220). Nora’s realization of Torvald’s true character is beyond her ability to act towards it and
therefore, shockingly, *She (Nora) looks fixedly at him without speaking…+, (p221). Nora’s reactions
harden as she faces her husband’s criticisms rise up and he, beginning to blame, insult and belittle Nora
by stating that he is “brought so pitifully low all because of a shiftless woman!”, (p221), and by directly
calling Nora, “a liar, a hypocrite”. However, Nora does not listen to him anymore and with [calm and
cold+, (p221), expressions, she answers “yes” to all the offensive and blameful questions. Even when the
second letter arrives in Torvald’s hands, stating how Krogstad has taken all his complaints back, Nora’s
feelings towards Torvald does not vary and therefore causes her to respond [in her everyday things],
(p224), a way of normal and casual responding, instead of being overwhelmed by the fact that her life is
not on jeopardy anymore and she can forget everything and start anew. Nora’s doesn’t recognize
Torvald as her husband anymore and therefore in response to Torvald’s request to wait till morning, she
states that “she couldn’t spend the night in a strange man’s house”, (p231). Here again, the clever use of
the word strange, signifies author’s excellent use of diction followed by a great effect on both the
readers and the characters in the play.
Nora’s changes were deep, unexpected and fundamental in a way that at the end of the play she had
the courage to leave her husband and more importantly, her children. Nora’s inner feelings for her
children were so deep and strongly bonded that it is a bit of a shock to the readers when they find out
about Nora’s decision to leave the house. In the first act of the play, when Krogstad’s about to walk
through the door, the stage directions mirrors Nora’s love for her children as *She and the children play,
laughing and shouting, both in the room and the room on the right. At last, Nora hides under the table.
The children come rushing in to look for her but they can’t find her. Then, hearing her smothered
laughter, they run to the table, lift the cloth, and see her. Loud shouts. She comes out on all fours as if to
frighten them. Fresh shouts…, p (169). All what stage directions affirm are pure love and absolute
dedication that Nora has for her children. Nevertheless, at the end of act 3, after the revelation of what
Nora has done and despite Torvald, forgiving her, she is determined to leave the house and her beloved
children in an effort to explore the world outside of Torvald’s house and that’s when *…the noise of a
door slamming], (p232), is heard and Nora has left forever, leaving her children and husband behind.
The last stage direction in the play is one of the most important stage directions since the element of

3. juxtaposition can be appeared by comparing this last stage direction, especially the words, ‘door
slamming’ with the previous stage directions that all implied Nora’s hope and willingness to stay.
At conclusion, the role of stage directions and its importance can vividly be perceived as it