Character Profile

Character: Torvald Helmer 

Torvald Helmer is a bank lawyer and husband of Nora, the main character. He is shown to be loving and doting of Nora, presenting their life initially as near-perfect but he is also patronising and condescending towards her, often treating her as though she is a child and he is her father. 

Previously in the play he has referred to her as "like a child" or compared to an animal such as a "little songbird." While this may, at surface level, present him as affectionate and doting over his wife, the repeatedness of it suggests he genuinely views her as like a child, having inferior experience to his own and therefore less of a wife and more of a pet. 

Despite his impression of superiority and power at the beginning of the play, he is later shown to be completely oblivious to Nora's struggles, showing his selfishness and lack of attention to his own wife. He appears to love his own idea of her rather than who she really is, which is shown to put a lot of pressure on Nora, eventually causing her to snap. 

Because of this I will portray him in the scene as distressed and shocked at Nora's reveal, but stubborn and condescending. He is clearly upset, but even in this state he is not sympathetic to Nora, insisting that she is being dramatic and childish. 

He will be insistent that he is right and that Nora should stay with him, and be dismissive of her, highlighting how much they have grown apart and his lack of understanding of her character. I will use both physical and vocal skills to show this, such as raising my voice during particularly heated moments, and using a condescending tone. I will also attempt to keep my posture straight and use levels to show how my character still feels as though he has more power in the situation. 

How he acts in the scene: 

In the scene, Torvald is trying to convince Nora not to leave him, and is shocked at her statement that she did not want to be with him. At her suggestion that there was a problem between them, he insists that everything is fine, showing his delusion and lack of understanding for her. 

Despite her protests he still treats her like a child and is condescending, telling her she is simply overexcited. This shows his lack of development as a character throughout the play and his refusal to view her as an independent person. 

His role in the play is to highlight the injustice of the life Nora is living, and the sacrifices she has had to make in the play which contrast his belief that they are both living a perfect life. 

His relationship to other characters: 

Torvald is the husband of Nora, and although he is shown to be caring and affectionate towards her, he is often condescending and treats her like a child. Throughout the events of the play it becomes increasingly clearer how uncomfortable Nora is in her relationship with him. 

He is a good friend of Dr. Rank, a wealthy man who visits their house often. 

Torvald used to work with Krogstad in the bank, however Krogstad was fired shortly before the events of the play. He is cautious of him and tells Nora not to get involved with him. 

He did not previously know Mrs. Lind, and was only introduced to her previously in the play. He is distrustful of her at first due to her independence, and the fact that Nora had nor previously mentioned her to him. 

References/Citations: 

- Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. "A Doll’s House". Encyclopedia Britannica, 15 Sep. 2023, https://www.britannica.com/topic/A-Dolls-House. Accessed 12 December 2023. 

- "A Doll’s House ." Drama for Students. . Encyclopedia.com. (December 11, 2023). https://www.encyclopedia.com/arts/educational-magazines/dolls-house 

- Wikipedia contributors, 'A Doll's House', Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 4 December 2023, 21:52 UTC, <https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=A_Doll%27s_House&oldid=1188354232> [accessed 18 December 2023]