Henrik Ibsen’s Plays – Comparing and Contrasting Nora and Hedda

Henrik Ibsen is a playwright,  a theater director and a poet. He wrote   the plays “A Doll’s House” and “Hedda Gabler”. In the plays mentioned stresses of modern life become evident as events in the lives of the characters unfold.  Each unfolding of an event requires a reaction from each of the characters which lets them exhibit certain values in life.  In “A Doll’s House”, the very first stress is Helmer’s illness that brings the main character Nora to loaning money in the amount of two hundred fifty pounds from Krogstad, the act which causes Nora to forge the signature of his father   for a bond which on the latter part of the play leads her to a realization of her husband’s character. Helmer practices the custom of making the husband provide everything for the family especially where finances are concerned so when Nora hints him of making a loan he strongly opposes the idea. However, nobody extends them help and the situation prompts Nora to do something and that results to her signing a bond with Krogstad. Hence, Helmer overcomes the illness and gets back to work. Next, Catherine Linde is brought to Nora’s house by a stress called poverty. Nora, trying to help her friend, asks Helmer’s help for he has been promoted in the office. As the job is given to Catherine another person loses it and this is none other than Krogstad, the man to whom Nora is indebted, happens to be Catherine’s old flame, and a wicked employee in the bank where Helmer works. Losing the job to Catherine stresses Krogstad so he proceeds to seeing Nora and poses threats upon her. The pressure of being found out of an immoral act pushes Nora to present Krogstad’s case to her husband but since Helmer is bothered by the pressure of living up to society’s norms and standards he pursues his plan of terminating Krogstad, thus, prompting the victim to take his revenge upon Nora. The revenge 

materializes just in time that Catherine is settling down things with Krogstad. Helmer’s fury and fear of people’s criticism pour out all of his emotions and make him suggest a superficial connection with Nora. He says,
. And as for you and me, it
must appear as if everything between us were just as before--but
naturally only in the eyes of the world. You will still remain in
my house, that is a matter of course. But I shall not allow you
to bring up the children; I dare not trust them to you. To think
that I should be obliged to say so to one whom I have loved so
dearly, and whom I still--. No, that is all over. From this moment
happiness is not the question; all that concerns us is to save the
remains, the fragments, the appearance
—( http://www.fullbooks.com/A-Doll-s-House3.html).
  As Krogstad’s letter of apology is read by Helmer the latter instantly retracts every word that he has said. However, Nora has made up her mind. She cannot go on living with a man who all of a sudden transforms into somebody whom she thinks is the total opposite of the person who made her sacrifice her morality and everything about her. Thus, she gets her bag and shuts the door before Helmer.

As for Hedda of “Hedda Gabler” it is her detached character that brings stress and pressure to people around her which later affects her in an unexpected manner. Hedda’s social status and her bias perception of things prevent her from associating with and showing people warm

appreciation of them. One proof is that when Miss Tesman tries to greet her warmly she

responds in a sarcastic manner. Further, she pretends that she enjoys the vacation whenever 

she is asked of it. Thea Elvsted, whom the main character befriends with, is introduced as she

comes in the house stressed by her escapade from her husband. The woman used to be the main character’s enemy in school and was a girlfriend to the latter’s husband.  Her appearance at Hedda’s place seems to pressure Hedda because everything that happens to the main character after that is connected with the woman. Thea is pressured by the thought of letting her husband, who used to be her master, meet with Eilert Lovborg, who used to be the tutor of her husband’s children, now her lover and a budding writer. It seems that Hedda is so affected by Thea’s presence that Hedda pretends to be good to Thea and make the latter confide everything about her life. As the play progresses, scenes of Hedda inducing physical pain upon Thea is observed. Hedda seems to be envious of  and so angry with Thea considering that everything that she wishes to have is already possessed by her former enemy. Great pressure comes when Tesman comes home with Lovborg’s manuscript that he plans to return but does not happen because Hedda burnt every page of it and as she is doing it she keeps on saying ,
[Throws one of the quires into the fire and whispers to herself.]
Now I am burning your child, Thea!--Burning it, curly-locks!
[Throwing one or two more quires into the stove.] Your child and
Eilert Lovborg's. [Throws the rest in.] I am burning--I am burning
your child.
—( http://www.fullbooks.com/A-Doll-s-House3.html).

 As for Hedda her biggest pressure approaches as she bestows a gun of his father to Lovborg, primarily because Judge Brack, her confidante knows everything about it and warns her of the

consequences when the owner of the gun will be found out.  The warn brings a sound of a gunshot at Hedda’s place that when people of the house went about to inspect the place Hedda’s body lying on the floor confirmed her death.

In both plays it is quite evident how each character is affected by life’s stresses and pressures and how people in the society impacted each of them. It was living up with people’s expectations that made Helmer decide on Krogstad’s work status. It was also the people’s standards which made Krogstad cling to the job since he promised to do better when he will be given another chance. In case of Nora, it was her own conviction which made her leave Helmer and go on her own way. She was not swayed by Helmer’s words and she never thought of the society’s standard for if she did she would never leave.

Comparison and Contrast – Hedda and Nora

Nora as a character is a protagonist because despite the fact that she did something outrageous the act impacted them positively. For example, it was her borrowing of money and forging her father’s signature that brought them money which they used for Helmer’s medication. It was the offshoot of that act which brought Catherine and Krogstad back together again which may bring changes in Krogstad’s character. As the man said, It was Catherine’s rejection of him which had brought him to where he was when the woman returned.  Last proof of Nora’s goodness is when she withheld the desire of entertaining Dr. Rank’s confession that the old man loves her and is willing to do everything for her. In her pursuit of proving her worth as a woman of maturity, a good wife and a responsible mother she was able to commit faults which she accepted and regretted,  faults which have not ruined her somehow but strengthened her even more. Thus, Nora is a protagonist for she is the leading character in a work, and plays  the role of the hero or heroine (http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-protagonist.htm).

On the other hand, Hedda is categorized as the antagonist in the play for her acts brought miseries to all the other characters in the play. For example, her way of treating her husband in front of the people, she does not call him by his first name and that kind of address gives people around the idea of distance between the two of them. Another is her treatment of Thea whom she superficially considers a friend. She used to physically hurt Thea which she did again when the opportunity allowed her. She keeps guns which she aims at Judge Brack. She practices firing them often, an act which reflects the negative side of her. When Lovborg came to her place, she knew that the man was troubled yet she gave him a gun instead of an advice. Hedda’s shooting of herself proved her weakness and inability to overcome problems that came along her way. Thus, Hedda is an antagonist. She plays the lead role but she is foiled by conflict with another character. (http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-protagonist.htm).

Reference:

Fullbook.com.homepage.

—( http://www.fullbooks.com/A-Doll-s-House3.html)

(http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-protagonist.htm).