A Dolls House As A Tragic Hero Analysis - 967 Words

A tragic hero is defined as a person â€Å"who has achieved, or who has the ability to achieve greatness but who through a weakness, or tragic flaw in his character, falls into the depths of misery and often to his death† (Ingham 1). Within Oedipus Rex, Sophocles laid the foundation for what is now considered the ideal tragic hero. Within A Doll’s House, Ibsen creates a modern hero in Nora Helmer; a woman who was oppressed for going against social rules for saving her husband. Nora follows the Aristotelian journey of a tragic hero, from hamartia through her tragic fall into catharsis. She is considered a modern day heroine, but critics argue that Nora does not represent the classic tragic hero because she does not have a reversal of fortune†¦show more content†¦Killing his real father, King Laius, is a good example of hamartia because he acted impulsively with anger. However, that anger was kindled by the pressures and judgements surrounding him. While Oedipus killing his father is an essential link in his downfall, he is just as innocent as Nora for his undoing. Oedipus, blind to the complexity that makes up the universe, tries preventing the prophecy that he â€Å"must make love with [his own] mother† and â€Å"shed [his] father’s blood with his own hands† (Sophocles 1453). The audience is moved at the end of each play not because Nora and Oedipus are sinful and insecure, but because they tried doing what was right. This irony is what makes these stories so tragic. These heroes desired the right thing, but it ends up leading toward their destruction. Many people have a hard time conceding that A Doll’s House is a tragedy because it has no visible catharsis. Admittingly, it is not a traditional tragedy. It lacks emotional relief for the audience, while Oedipus Rex contains it. A Doll’s House is left wide open at the end and Nora’s character â€Å"experience[s] a painful dying of the old self and an equally painful emergence of a new being† (Durbach 58). Nora’s understanding of the tragic flaw leads her to reach her own personal catharsis, which is self-realization, allowing her to fix her problem and complete her tragic hero story. During Act II, NoraShow MoreRelatedHenrik Ibsen s A Doll s House899 Words   |  4 PagesAcclaimed as one of the principal playwrights that gave birth to modernism in theatre, Norwegian playwright and theatre director Henrik Ibsen pushed boundaries with his plays that analyzed and criticized societal norms and values. A Doll’s House provides one such example, w here the play’s protagonist Nora leaves her husband in the final scene to undertake a spiritual journey of self-discovery. An alternative ending was made for this play posthumously as a result of the controversy it caused at theRead MoreThe Changing Relationship Between Individual and Society in Modern Drama3272 Words   |  14 Pagesthe stage to exert their messages within the culture of Ancient Greece. Their psychological interest in the characters on stage demonstrated to their audiences their connections to both natural law and mortal law in the context of tragedies. These tragic occurrences `must have had their therapeutic effect by raising to conscious awareness the clans capacity for brutal and unredeemed violence so that it could be sublimated and contained by new institutions . In this way, the Greek dramatists taughtRead MoreHenrik Ibsen s Hedda Gabler Essay2029 Words   |  9 Pagessuccessful merchant providing a plentiful life for his family, while his mot her, Marichen, played the piano and loved theater. Ibsen showed little interest in theater as a child until his family went into bankruptcy and eventually into poverty. That tragic event in his life made Ibsen put his time into reading, painting, and performing acts. By the time he reached the age of 21, he wrote this first play called, â€Å"Catilina,† which was inspired by his idol, William Shakespeare. After Ibsen’s play, CatilinaRead MoreCritical Analysis of Zaabalawi by Naguib Mahfouz6285 Words   |  26 Pagesmuch people care to do justice with their entrusted responsibilities. Theoretically speaking, everybody shows his passion for â€Å"responsibility†. However, he/she may never put the principles of â€Å"responsibility† into practice. As a result of that, the tragic stories of corruption, lies, terror and manipulation start. For instance, politicians claim to be the supporters of democracy and freedom of speech; however, when it comes to their own parties they do not even tolerate opposite ideas from their party