A Doll's House

Quote

Character

Act

“No debts, no borrowing. There’s something constrained, something ugly even, about a home that’s founded on borrowing and debt.”

Torvald

1

“Now the door half opens, revealing Krogstad. He waits a little as the game continues.”

Stage directions

1

“Mrs Helmer, you obviously don’t realise what you’ve been guilty of; but let me tell you that the thing that I once did that ruined my reputation was nothing more – and nothing worse – than that.”

Krogstad

1

“... Torvald wants me to go as a Neapolitan fisher-girl and dance the tarantella that I learnt in Capri. / Mrs Linde: I see, you’re going to give a real performance?”

Nora and Mrs Linde

2

“The man writes for the most scurrilous newspapers.”

Nora

“Just remember the wicked things they put in the papers about Papa – how cruelly they slandered him. I believed they’d have had him dismissed if the Ministry hadn’t sent you to look into it, and if you hadn’t been so kind and helpful to him.”

Nora

2

“Your father’s reputation as an official was not above suspicion – mine is, and I hope it will continue to be as long as I hold this position.”

Torvald

2

“Suppose it were to get about that the new Manager had let himself be influenced by his wife...”

Torvald

2

“So I’m to make a laughing stock of myself before the whole staff – with everybody saying that I can be swayed by all sorts of outside influences?

Torvald

2

“In fact, he seems to think he has a right to be familiar with me, and out he comes with ‘Torvald this’ and ‘Torvald that’ all the time.”

Torvald

2

“Now you must rehearse your tarantella – with the tambourine.”

Torvald

2

“Think of my little children.”

Nora

2

“Have you or your husband ever thought of mine?”

Krogstad

2

“I want to get back my standing in the world, Mrs Helmer; I want to get on, and that’s where your husband’s going to help me.”

Krogstad

2

“I was prepared to work my way up step by step. Now I’m being thrown down again, and it’s not going to be good enough for me to be taken back as a favour.”

Krogstad

2

“You forget that then your reputation would be in my hands.”

Krogstad

2

“A letter falls into the box. Krogstad’s footsteps are heard fading away down the staircase.”

Stage directions

2

“Yes, just look at her! She’s worth seeing, if you ask me! Isn’t she lovely, Mrs Linde?”

Torvald

3

“She danced her tarantella; it was a huge success.”

Torvald

3

“You’ve completely wrecked my happiness, you’ve ruined my future!”

Torvald

3

“ – the thing must be hushed up at all costs. As for ourselves – we must seem to go on just as before... but only in the eyes of the world of course.”

Torvald

3

“From now on, there’ll be no question of happiness, but only of saving the ruin of it – the fragments – the mere façade.”

Torvald

3

“I’m saved! Nora, I’m saved!”

Torvald

3

“You can rest safely, and my great wings will protect you.”

Torvald

3

“But our home has been nothing but a play-room. I’ve been your doll-wife here, just as at home I was Papa’s doll-child. And the children have been my dolls in their turn. I liked it when you came and played with me, just as they liked it when I came and played with them.”

Nora

3

“But to leave your home – your husband and your children...

You haven’t thought of what people will say.”

Torvald

3