Hrafnkel, in the eponymous Hrafnkel’s Saga, by modern standards would certainly be considered a ruthless murderer. However, it is necessary to take into consideration the time period and culture of this historic Scandinavian saga. The entirety of the Icelandic population was illiterate and as such the justice system established in 10th century Iceland was based mostly on a system of honor and violence. The laws of Iceland were not actually written down, but rather kept alive verbally. An oral oath was considered to be a legally binding contract. This system was a weak attempt at avoiding bloody feuds and altercations among the common people, amidst a governing system of honor and trust. Hrafnkel, the protagonist of Hrafnkel’s Saga, demonstrated this skewed justice system by asserting himself as a Chieftain and bringing wrath upon his enemies or anybody who crossed his word. Thus, when Einar broke his oral agreement with Hrafnkel, Einar essentially broke a legally binding contract and was consequently subject to the full penalty of their agreement. Therefore, Hrafnkel, who agreed to kill anybody who rode his beloved horse, Freyfaxi, was then not guilty in committing murder as he was not breaking any Icelandic laws and was simply committing to his contract with Einar.…
Torvald is physically controlling for example in Act 3 he expressed how Nora made him feel when she was dancing the Tarantella. He said “ my blood was on…
Nora is in an interesting relationship with her husband Torvald. When readers first get an image of how their relationship is, it would not seem that bad. Once further into the play you see that it is just because Nora is submissive, and lets it be that way. The only reason she is loving her husband is because that is what she thinks she is supposed to do. Her husband will not let her expand as a person, and she just lets it happen. Women are constantly treated as a lower class among men. Nora is just as capable as her husband Torvald, with all of the talents that could lead her into being an important or meaningful person to society just like her Husband. Throughout the play Torvald says over and over again that his wife cannot possible understand…
Moreover, a very intriguing ironic parallel can be drawn between Nora and Torvald, when Torvald finds out about Nora’s forgery, he exclaims “Now you’ve wrecked all my happiness—ruined my whole future. Oh, it’s awful to think of. I’m in a cheap little grafter’s hands; he can do anything he wants with me, ask for anything, play with me like a puppet—and I can’t breathe a word. I’ll be swept down miserably into the depths on account of a featherbrained woman” (1292), which is a complete role-reversal of the literal control Torvald has over Nora, because all of those years she was his ‘puppet’. A supplementary illustration of dramatic irony is when Torvald says that he will willingly sacrifice his happiness and dignity if some danger were to threaten…
Hrothulf’s mentor, Red Horse, comments on the idea of good versus evil actions. Red Horse says, “The incitement to violence depends upon total transvaluation of the ordinary values. By a single stroke, the most criminal acts must be converted to heroic and meritorious deeds” (Gardner 117). Red Horse shows the idea of the similarity between good and evil and how easy it is to mistake one for the other. In the quote, “heroic and meritorious deeds” show the idea of good, and “most criminal acts” communicate the idea of evil (Gardner 117). The quote also mentions that “violence depends upon total transvaluation of the ordinary values”, meaning that the ideas of good and evil are subjective, depending on personal or societal opinions or ideas (Gardner 117). As such, it implies that good and evil are subjective, as certain actions may be seen as good in one's eyes and evil in others. There must always be a balance of the two, as the ideas of good and evil change from person to person (one person may believe that they are doing good, while another thinks that the action is in fact evil). Gardner uses aphorisms through a mentor to communicate ideas of balance between good and…
President John F. Kennedy once said that, “conformity is the jailer of freedom and the enemy of growth.” This concept has been seen through centuries of civil rights movements and literature by renowned authors such as Franz Kafka and Henrik Ibsen. Franz Kafka’s short story, “The Metamorphosis,” illustrates the life of traveling salesman Gregor Samsa, the breadwinner of his family who seems to face a transformation that affects his role in his house and society. This change into an unknown insect, both physical and mental, ultimately leads to his loss of humanistic characteristics and eventually death. In Henrik Ibsen’s play A Doll’s House, a young woman named Nora surpasses the bounds of a housewife when attempting to save her husband’s life.…
What ways that Nora and Torvald did not have her “most wonderful thing”? At the climax of the play in act III, when Torvald reads the first letter Krogstad sent, his reaction to this is inappropriate. Those sweet endearing pet names Torvald calls Nora turn into the opposite … “She who was my joy and pride, a…
One evening whilst Torvald was away, Krogstad visits and has a chat with Nora. He tells her that if she didn’t convince Torvald to let him keep his job that he would blackmail Nora about the money she borrowed from him and forging her father’s signature on the contract for paying him back. Presenting that maybe…
Henrik Ibsen uses connecting themes such as the uncovering of Torvald’s true nature, his real characterization of Nora and the inevitable hampering of Nora’s rightful individualistic growth in order to show this moral justification. In the beginning, Nora’s fondness for Torvald knew no limits and she sought to do whatever was possible without due regard for herself to please him. She believes being the source of entertainment, indulgence, and appeasement for Torvald allows for her own source of contentment. Although Torvald commands a certain sentimental affection towards Nora, the source for most of these feelings however come solely from the appreciation of her alluring outwardly complexion. Nora’s intricate emotions and intelligence take a back seat in Torvalds mind to the more important plastic image that she is mandated to portray. Perfect examples of this dynamic throughout the whole story…
The virtues of a good warrior are wisdom and courage. A good king must possess not only these qualities, but he also must be concerned for the welfare of his people. Hrothgar possesses wisdom, but his courage is lacking. However upon closer inspection of the prose, one begins to see Hrothgar not as a coward, but as a symbol of basic human reaction. For example, when Grendel attacks the hall, all Hrothgar can do is hold his head in despair. While others react in violence when threatened, Hrothgar lacks the strength to do so. Although it is not a celebrated virtue of human nature, all can relate to the feeling of despair that arises when a positive solution to a negative situation is beyond one's immediate control/…
At the start of the play, Nora seems humble and responds positively to her husband’s humor and lightheartedness. “[smiling quietly and happily] ‘You haven’t any idea how many expenses we skylarks and squirrels have, Torvald.’ ‘You are an odd little soul. Very like your father. You always find some new way of wheedling money out of me,”… (Ibsen, pg.8). Ibsen’s view of human life was much tilted toward men in this play and he did a good job making the wife very doll-like in her husband’s eye. “She is to live for his sake only, to have no other thought than of him, no feelings, no opinions, save those which are his” (Jaeger, Henrik Bernhard. Henrik Ibsen: A Critical Biography. Benjamin Blom, inc., New York 1972, pg 240). She is excited about all the money that Torvald’s new job will…
A symbol is an object, action, or event that represents something or that creates a range of associations beyond itself. In literary works a symbol can express an idea, clarify meaning, or enlarge literal meaning. In A Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen, Ibsen uses the title as a somewhat symbol to portray to the reader that the household within the story could be compared to a doll house which is pretty and well kept together on the outside but could possibly be in disarray on the inside.…
Henrik Ibsen foreshadows potential trouble in the marriage between the self-centered Torvald and the immature Nora, as the reader learns that a big secret is creating tension in their relationship. We discover that Nora has mistakenly forged a signature, committing a crime which Krogstad is now using to blackmail her. Weary of what her husband’s reaction might be if she were to tell him the truth, Nora learns of Torvald’s thoughts on this subject after thinking Krogstad has forged someone’s name. “Just think how a guilty man like that has to lie and be hypocrite with everyone, how he has to put on a false mask even in front of those he loves, even in front of his own wife and children.”(p. 50) This creates dramatic irony because although Torvald does not know it, what he is saying applies to his own wife. This also shows how Torvald is obsessed with image and reputation as he argues that this sin forces one to create a false image in order to maintain their reputation. The line that appears to scare Nora the most is when he says, “ Most of the people who get into trouble early in life have had a mother who lies and cheats.”(p. 51) These lines create interest as it is almost as if Torvald knew exactly what to say to worry his wife. Nora, who has dedicated everything to her husband and children, does not believe the consequences of her mistake. “Corrupt my little children? Poison my home? It’s not…
3. Torvald calls Nora his little songbird, squirrel, extravagant little person, and spendthrift. This tells the reader that Torvald does not take Nora very seriously and is only married to her because of her good looks. To Torvald, the relationship is very simple Nora is extremely pretty, and he job in the relationship is just to be pretty while Torvald provides the money for the family.…
The feminist movement started in the nineteenth century and still present and widely discussed to this day. With so many existing publications that touch this difficult topic. We don't know what books or stories first discussed the role of the woman and hinted at feminism. Based on the story "The Yellow Wallpaper" by Charlotte Perkins Gilman and the drama "A doll house" by Henrik Ibsen, there is a theme of burdened womanhood and toxic marriages.…