Essay About Henrik Ibsen And Realistic Problem Drama

Realism Theatre
Essay title: Realism Theatre
Realism is the movement toward representing reality as it is, in art. Realistic
drama is an attempt to portray life on stage, a movement away from the
conventional melodramas and sentimental comedies of the 1700s. It is expressed
in theatre through the use of symbolism, character development, stage setting
and storyline and is exemplified in plays such as Henrik Ibsens A Dolls House
and Anton Chekhovs The Three Sisters. The arrival of realism was indeed good
for theatre as it promoted greater audience involvement and raised awareness of
contemporary social and moral issues. It also provided and continues to provide
a medium through which playwrights can express their views about societal
values, attitudes and morals. A Dolls House is the tragedy of a Norwegian
housewife who is compelled to challenge law, society and her husbands value
system. It can be clearly recognized as a realistic problem drama, for it is a
case where the individual is in opposition to a hostile society. Ibsens
sympathy with the feminine cause has been praised and criticized; as he requires
the audience to judge the words and actions of the characters in order to
reassess the values of society. The characters in A Dolls House are quite
complex and contradictory, no longer stereotypes. In Act II, Nora expresses her
repulsion about a fancy dress worn to please Torvald (her husband): “I wish
Id torn it to pieces”; she attempts to restore it and resign herself to
her situation right after: “Ill ask Mrs Linde to help”. In Act III,
Torvald ignores his wifes plea for forgiveness in order to make a moral
judgement: “Youve killed my happiness.Youve destroyed my future”.
“I can never trust you again.” Later on in the same act, he
contradicts himself: “Ill change. I can change-“; much after Nora
confronts him: “Sit here, Torvald. We have to come to terms”.
“…Theres a lot to say”. Here, Ibsen shows us he has worked in depth
with the psychology of the characters, giving them a sense of complexity and
realism. Playgoers therefore recognize the revelation of characters through
memory. Thus drama became an experience closely impinging on the conscience of
the audience. Ibsen was also unique for his use of symbolism to assist realism
on stage. Symbolic significance is presented through the detail of design, props
and actions of the characters. For example, in Act III, Nora goes offstage to
get changed; “Im changing. No more fancy dress”. It is a symbolic
representation of her personal change, one where she has come to the realization
that she has been living the life of a doll, confined to the roles of a
“featherbrain”, “plaything”, “dove”,
“skylark” and “songbird”. Thus, symbolism enhanced realism,
and its effect can be seen as positive in the sense that it stirred conscious
awareness of values. The stage settings of A Dolls House are an integral part
of the theatrical design, and not mere dйcor to be overlooked. The setting in
Act II; “…the Christmas tree stands stripped of its decorations and with
its candles burnt to stumps” is symbolic of the lack of happiness in Noras
life at that moment. Also the change of setting in Act III; “The tables and