Previous
Literary Devices
Definition of Dramatic Irony
Dramatic irony is a plot device often used in theater, literature, film, and television to highlight the difference between a character's understanding of a given situation, and that of the... read full definition
Dramatic irony is a plot device often used in theater, literature, film, and television to highlight the difference between a character's understanding of a given... read full definition
Dramatic irony is a plot device often used in theater, literature, film, and television to highlight the difference between a... read full definition
Act One
Explanation and Analysis—A Fog of Lies:
In an act of both foreshadowing and dramatic irony, during Act One, Torvald criticizes Krogstad’s forgery and deception, declaring that such acts will inevitably have a poisonous effect on the man’s children:
Just think how a man with a thing like that on his conscience will always be having to lie and cheat and dissemble; he can never drop the mask, not even with his own wife and children. And the children—that’s the most terrible part of it, Nora [...] A fog of lies like that in a household, and it spreads disease and infection to every part of it. Every breath the children take in that kind of house is reeking evil germs.
Despite Torvald’s extreme declaration, what he does not know is that his own wife has also committed an act of forgery and deceit and has been keeping this shameful secret to herself for years. Torvald’s adamant insistence that Krogstad’s actions will have harmful consequences is therefore exceedingly ironic, since, earlier in the very same scene, the audience watches as Krogstad blackmails Nora about her own loan.
Additionally, the seemingly contaminating “fog of lies” that Torvald refers to foreshadows the later revelation of the poisonous effect Nora’s secret has had on her own conscience and marriage. The pressure Nora feels to wear a mask of doll-like perfection while at the same time maintaining the success, health, and safety of her family for no credit or acknowledgement is immense and stifling. With this scene, Ibsen demonstrates how the gendered expectations forced upon women when they are confronted by crises can only lead them to make difficult, sometimes damaging choices.
Related Themes:
Explanation and Analysis—The Really Big Thing:
Nora, chafing at constantly being underestimated, ends up confiding in Mrs. Linde near the start of Act 1, seemingly wanting to discreetly unburden herself by sharing her secret about the loan. In an act of situational irony, though, Nora’s attempt to ease some of her worries and frustrations ultimately exacerbates her circumstances later in the play:
Nora: You’re just like the rest of them. You all think I’m useless when it comes to anything really serious…
Mrs. Linde: Come, come…
Nora: You think I’ve never had anything much to contend with in this hard world.
Mrs. Linde: Nora dear, you’ve only just been telling me all the things you've had to put up with.
Nora: Pooh! They were just trivialities! [Softly.] I haven’t told you about the really big thing. [...] Nobody must know about it, Kristine, nobody but you.
Telling Mrs. Linde this secret turns out to backfire on Nora spectacularly, ironically leading to even more troubles and the eventual dissolution of her marriage. Following Nora’s confession, Mrs. Linde condemns the fact that Nora has introduced deception into her marriage, and it is Mrs. Linde’s very dedication to truthfulness that ultimately cements the chain of events that lead to Torvald’s discovery of Nora’s deception. Nora’s attempt to unburden herself from the stress of keeping her family afloat thus ends up leading to even more trouble and hardship.
Related Themes:
