Read the excerpt from act 2 of A Doll's House.Mrs. Linde: Listen to me, Nora. You are still very like a child in many things, and I am older than you in many ways and have a little more experience. Let me tell you this—you ought to make an end of it with Doctor Rank.Nora: What ought I to make an end of?Mrs. Linde: Of two things, I think. Yesterday you talked some nonsense about a rich admirer who was to leave you money—Nora: An admirer who doesn't exist, unfortunately! But what then?Mrs. Linde: Is Doctor Rank a man of means?Nora: Yes, he is.Mrs. Linde: And has no one to provide for?Nora: No, no one; but—Mrs. Linde: And comes here everyday?Nora: Yes, I told you so.Mrs. Linde: But how can this well-bred man be so tactless?Nora: I don't understand you at all.Mrs. Linde: Don't prevaricate, Nora. Do you suppose I don't guess who lent you the two hundred and fifty pounds?
Read the excerpt from act 2 of A Doll's House.Helmer: Rank led me to expect a splendid transformation.Rank: [in the doorway] I understood so, but evidently I was mistaken.Nora: Yes, nobody is to have the chance of admiring me in my dress until tomorrow.Helmer: But, my dear Nora, you look so worn out. Have you been practising too much?Nora: No, I have not practised at all.Helmer: But you will need to—Nora: Yes, indeed I shall, Torvald. But I can't get on a bit without you to help me; I have absolutely forgotten the whole thing.Helmer: Oh, we will soon work it up again.Nora: Yes, help me, Torvald. Promise that you will! I am so nervous about it—all the people—. You must give yourself up to me entirely this evening. Not the tiniest bit of business—you mustn't even take a pen in your hand. Will you promise, Torvald dear?Helmer: I promise. This evening I will be wholly and absolutely at your service, you helpless little mortal. Ah, by the way, first of all I will just— [Goes towards the hall door.]Nora: What are you going to do there?Helmer: Only see if any letters have come.Nora: No, no! don't do that, Torvald!Helmer: Why not?Nora: Torvald, please don't. There is nothing there.
Read the excerpt from act 2 of A Doll's House.Nora: You never can tell what mischief these men may contrive. We ought to be so well off, so snug and happy here in our peaceful home, and have no cares—you and I and the children, Torvald! That is why I beg you so earnestly—Helmer: And it is just by interceding for him that you make it impossible for me to keep him. It is already known at the Bank that I mean to dismiss Krogstad. Is it to get about now that the new manager has changed his mind at his wife's bidding—Nora: And what if it did?Helmer: Of course!—if only this obstinate little person can get her way! Do you suppose I am going to make myself ridiculous before my whole staff, to let people think that I am a man to be swayed by all sorts of outside influence? I should very soon feel the consequences of it, I can tell you! And besides, there is one thing that makes it quite impossible for me to have Krogstad in the Bank as long as I am manager.Nora: Whatever is that?Helmer: His moral failings I might perhaps have overlooked, if necessary—Nora: Yes, you could—couldn't you?Helmer: And I hear he is a good worker, too. But I knew him when we were boys. It was one of those rash friendships that so often prove an incubus in afterlife. I may as well tell you plainly, we were once on very intimate terms with one another. But this tactless fellow lays no restraint on himself when other people are present. On the contrary, he thinks it gives him the right to adopt a familiar tone with me, and every minute it is "I say, Helmer, old fellow!" and that sort of thing. I assure you it is extremely painful for me. He would make my position in the Bank intolerable.
What dramatic irony occurs in this passage? Select two options.
Read the excerpt from act 2 of A Doll's House.Nora: [putting her arms round her neck] Dear old Anne, you were a good mother to me when I was little.Nurse: Little Nora, poor dear, had no other mother but me.Nora: And if my little ones had no other mother, I am sure you would—What nonsense I am talking! [Opens the box.] Go in to them. Now I must—. You will see tomorrow how charming I shall look.Nurse: I am sure there will be no one at the ball so charming as you, ma'am. [Goes into the room on the left.]Nora: [begins to unpack the box, but soon pushes it away from her]. If only I dared go out. If only no one would come. If only I could be sure nothing would happen here in the meantime. Stuff and nonsense! No one will come. Only I mustn't think about it. I will brush my muff. What lovely, lovely gloves! Out of my thoughts, out of my thoughts! One, two, three, four, five, six— [Screams.] Ah! there is someone coming—. [Makes a movement towards the door, but stands irresolute.]
Read the excerpt from act 2 of A Doll's House.Nora: [putting her arms round her neck] Dear old Anne, you were a good mother to me when I was little.Nurse: Little Nora, poor dear, had no other mother but me.Nora: And if my little ones had no other mother, I am sure you would—What nonsense I am talking! [Opens the box.] Go in to them. Now I must—. You will see tomorrow how charming I shall look.
Read the excerpt from act 2 of A Doll's House.Krogstad: I shall only preserve it—keep it in my possession. No one who is not concerned in the matter shall have the slightest hint of it. So that if the thought of it has driven you to any desperate resolution.Nora: It has.Krogstad: If you had it in your mind to run away from your home.Nora: I had.Krogstad: Or even something worse—Nora: How could you know that?Krogstad: Give up the idea.Nora: How did you know I had thought of that?Krogstad: Most of us think of that at first. I did, too—but I hadn't the courage.Nora: [faintly] No more had I.Krogstad: [in a tone of relief]. No, that's it, isn't it—you hadn't the courage either?Nora: No, I haven't—I haven't.Krogstad: Besides, it would have been a great piece of folly. Once the first storm at home is over—. I have a letter for your husband in my pocket.Nora: Telling him everything?Krogstad: In as lenient a manner as I possibly could.
Read the excerpt from act 2 of A Doll's House.Rank: Let me play for her.Helmer [getting up]. Yes, do. I can correct her better then.[RANK sits down at the piano and plays. NORA dances more and more wildly. HELMER has taken up a position beside the stove, and during her dance gives her frequent instructions. She does not seem to hear him; her hair comes down and falls over her shoulders; she pays no attention to it, but goes on dancing. Enter MRS. LINDE:]Mrs. Linde: [standing as if spell-bound in the doorway] Oh!—Nora: [as she dances] Such fun, Christine!Helmer: My dear darling Nora, you are dancing as if your life depended on it.Nora: So it does.Helmer: Stop, Rank; this is sheer madness. Stop, I tell you! [RANK stops playing, and NORA suddenly stands still. HELMER goes up to her.] I could never have believed it. You have forgotten everything I taught you.Nora: [throwing away the tambourine]. There, you see.Helmer: You will want a lot of coaching.Nora: Yes, you see how much I need it. You must coach me up to the last minute. Promise me that, Torvald!Helmer: You can depend on me.
Read the excerpt from act 2 of A Doll's House.Nora: [going up to HELMER] I have wanted you so much, Torvald dear.Helmer: Was that the dressmaker?Nora: No, it was Christine; she is helping me to put my dress in order. You will see I shall look quite smart.Helmer: Wasn't that a happy thought of mine, now?Nora: Splendid! But don't you think it is nice of me, too, to do as you wish?Helmer: Nice?—because you do as your husband wishes? Well, well, you little rogue, I am sure you did not mean it in that way. But I am not going to disturb you; you will want to be trying on your dress, I expect.Nora: I suppose you are going to work.Helmer: Yes. [Shows her a bundle of papers.] Look at that. I have just been into the bank. [Turns to go into his room.]Nora: Torvald.Helmer: Yes.Nora: If your little squirrel were to ask you for something very, very prettily—?Helmer: What then?Nora: Would you do it?Helmer: I should like to hear what it is, first.Nora: Your squirrel would run about and do all her tricks if you would be nice, and do what she wants.Helmer: Speak plainly.Nora: Your skylark would chirp about in every room, with her song rising and falling—Helmer: Well, my skylark does that anyhow.Nora: I would play the fairy and dance for you in the moonlight, Torvald.
Read the excerpt from act 2 of A Doll's House.Nurse: What, out again? In this horrible weather? You will catch cold, ma'am, and make yourself ill.Nora: Well, worse than that might happen. How are the children?Nurse: The poor little souls are playing with their Christmas presents, but—Nora: Do they ask much for me?Nurse: You see, they are so accustomed to have their mamma with them.Nora: Yes, but, nurse, I shall not be able to be so much with them now as I was before.Nurse: Oh well, young children easily get accustomed to anything.Nora: Do you think so? Do you think they would forget their mother if she went away altogether?Nurse: Good heavens!—went away altogether?
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