Question

Read the excerpt from act 2 of A Doll's House. Helmer: Krogstad's dismissal. Nora: Call her back, Torvald! There is still time. Oh Torvald, call her back! Do it for my sake—for your own sake—for the children's sake! Do you hear me, Torvald? Call her back! You don't know what that letter can bring upon us. Helmer: It's too late. Nora: Yes, it's too late. Helmer: My dear Nora, I can forgive the anxiety you are in, although really it is an insult to me. It is, indeed. Isn't it an insult to think that I should be afraid of a starving quill-driver's vengeance? But I forgive you nevertheless, because it is such eloquent witness to your great love for me. [Takes her in his arms.] And that is as it should be, my own darling Nora. Come what will, you may be sure I shall have both courage and strength if they be needed. You will see I am man enough to take everything upon myself. Nora: [in a horror-stricken voice]. What do you mean by that? Helmer: Everything, I say— Nora: [recovering herself] You will never have to do that. What dramatic irony occurs in this passage? Select two options. Helmer thinks that Nora's worry about him is related to his reputation and is a sign of her love for him, while the audience knows that it is the risk she took to get a loan that shows her love. Nora thinks that Helmer will be furious with her for taking out a loan to help him, but the audience knows that Helmer loves Nora enough to forgive her for committing a crime to save him. Nora thinks that Krogstad has written in the letter that she is having an affair, and is afraid that Helmer will find out, while the audience knows that Krogstad has written about the loan. Helmer thinks that Krogstad is angry at Nora, and he wants to protect his wife, while the audience knows that it is Nora who is angry at Krogstad and has inside information about his lies. Helmer thinks that Krogstad's vengeance will be against him, but the audience knows that Krogstad will take vengeance against Nora and her reputation as an honest woman.

Answer 1

The two correct answers are

1. “Helmer thinks that Krogstad's vengeance will be against him, but the audience knows that Krogstad will take vengeance against Nora and her reputation as an honest woman.”
2. “Helmer thinks that Nora's worry about him is related to his reputation and is a sign of her love for him, while the audience knows that it is the risk she took to get a loan that shows her love.”

Answer 2

The two correct answers are “Helmer thinks that Krogstad's vengeance will be against him, but the audience knows that Krogstad will take vengeance against Nora and her reputation as an honest woman” and “Helmer thinks that Nora's worry about him is related to his reputation and is a sign of her love for him, while the audience knows that it is the risk she took to get a loan that shows her love”. Taken from the three-act play called “A Doll's House” by Henrik Ibsen (1879), in Act Two there are instances of dramatic irony that the reader can easily spot. As regards “dramatic irony”, it is a stylistic device that storytellers use for creating situations in which the audience knows more about the situations before the actors. For instance, the audience already knows that Krogstad will take vengeance against Nora and not against Helmer after being fired by him (First correct answer). Moreover, the audience also knows that Nora’s worry is not about Helmer’s reputation but it is about the risk to have gotten a loan breaking the law by forging her father's name on the loan in order to save her husband (Second correct answer).