Comparison of Albee’s the Goat and Ibsen’s a Doll’s House, Essay Example

Ibsen’s A Doll House portrays the financial struggle of a young couple Nora and Torvald Helmer whilst their first year of marriage. Quite often the first year of marriage depicts the rest of the marriage whether it will be successful or not. Often psychologists dictate if a couple can make it through the first five years of marriage then the chances of the marriage being successful are very high.  The couple had to travel to Italy because Torvald was ill of which Nora “made an illegal loan deceitfully telling her husband she was given the money from her father.” (A Doll’s House). Nora thought at the time she was making the right choice because there was no other way to obtain the money for her sick husband. This choice was doubtful though because she knew her husband would not approve and all lies eventually come to surface sooner or later. Her husband was a man of strict values and she knew he could not find out what she did.

As the play opens Nora confides this information in Mrs. Linde, an old friend that comes for Christmas whose husband has passed away just a few years prior. Still to this day after eight years of marriage she has not confided this secret to her husband. She is feeling very weak emotionally and vulnerable because Mrs. Linde requested Nora ask Torvald’s assistance to help her find a job at the bank where he worked. The lie is weighing heavily on Nora and after all Nora is about to make the last payment and Nora feels the guilt is about to be released. She is proud she did this for her husband and she was able to repay the loan all alone. She wants to share this with Mrs. Lined that she can make it financially too. Mrs. Lined is having financial struggles since her husband’s passing. Little does Nora know that Mrs. Lined is up to trouble and using Nora. Mr. Krogstad and Dr. Rank come to the home to visit with Torvald and Torvald “reveals that he could probably give Mrs. Linde a job at the bank.” (A Doll’s House). Dr. Rank makes a statement that Krogstad has no moral character. Nora is quite uncomfortable with Krogstad’s appearance at her home. Krogstad is a lower level employee at the bank where her husband has just received a promotion with a pay increase. Soon it is revealed that Krogstad is the source of the illegal loan of which funded Nora eight or so years ago whilst Torvald was ill.

As the play progresses Torvald wants to fire Krogstad because he finds him repulsive and his character highly unethical and immoral. He begs Nora to help him keep his job. He reminds Nora that he is the one that gave her the loan so long ago when she most needed it when her husband was ill and needed to go to Italy.  When Nora refuses he begins to blackmail Nora by telling her he will reveal her scheme where she forged her father’s signature on a contract loan that he actually financed. This would ruin her reputation and Torvald’s. She tries to convince her husband to keep Krogstad on staff at the bank but he refuses by stating his character is deplorable and unethical by all standards of morale. Nora begins to feel helpless and begs her husband but he refuses.

The play gets even more twisted as Dr. Rand bequeaths his love to Nora as he is near his death. She does not feel the same so refuses to keep communication with him. He is friend of Torvald but very dishonourable. Nora is very disengaged emotionally and spills her story to Mrs. Linde who agrees to help prima facie. It is learned that Mrs. Linde used to be lovers with Krogstad but left him for a wealthier man years ago who could take care of her family. She reveals to Krogstad that she wants to be with him again to help take care of his children. Krogstad agrees that he will take the letter back informing Torvald of the blackmail contract but Mrs. Linde tells him that it might be best for Torvald to know to clear the air with their marriage. She is not on Nora’s side after all. She is simply an opportunist. Nora has already made it clear to Mrs. Linde, “she does not care about her boring society” and perhaps that is why she has a slight jealousy and vengeance against her. She is pretending to care about her and only using Nora to obtain a job from her husband. (Ibsen 1972).

As the play progresses Torvald’s reads the letter and accuses Nora of being untrue with him and states she is unworthy of raising their children. He further accuses her of ruining his happiness. Their marriage is based upon lies in his eyes. Torvald then receives the contract signed by her father and Torvald attempts to recant the words told to his wife. Nora states it is too late for that for she feels the last eight years of marriage have been based on a façade and she was treated like a ‘doll’ and she wants out of the marriage. This is classical depiction of sacrifice made for a marriage but based on lies and the other party to the marriage not being able to see what sacrifices have been made. Marriage is give and take and there will not always be full truth but there will always be love and loyalty. True love and devotion is based on being able to weather out the rough times by staying together and not insulting the other and realizing the sacrifices each other has made for one another. People are supposed to compliment each other and be there for one another in a marriage of love. Nora did not make a wise choice by borrowing money against her husband’s wishes but she knew he would not allow her to do so and he needed the money because he was ill. She was afraid he would die without the money to go to Italy. Perhaps she should have told him earlier. I am certain there was no other way otherwise Nora would not have taken the loan. She made the loan with good intentions and her husband was not right to make judgment on her for doing so.

The Goat uses symbolism throughout to attempt to portray love throughout the play. This is a sad attempt though by virtue of the use of primal howls to “speak of bewildered howls of loneliness and childlike passivity.” (Brantley 2002). The play is anything but a joke but “as usual in Mr. Albee’s world, language has its limits in accommodating the ineffable.” (Brantley 2002). “Martin confides unwisely in Ross who sets in motion the disastrous events which attempt to ruin the family in the play.” (Brantley 2002). The family sees infidelity as plausible but cheating with a goat as simply outrageous. Of course the goat lacks certain courage that a human would possess and as with some of Albee’s other plays this play depicts outrageous and outlandish facts of one’s life’s and innermost erotic fantasies you might have to examine. Some might find this play simply disgusting.

With relation to A Doll’s House this play explores the difficulties of a relationship considering relationships come with a natural tendency to have complications and tragedy. With the added fact that lies complicate matters this factor must be taken into consideration. True love is ascertainable only through a state of mind congruent with what one believes. Love lasts as long as people are loyal and committed to the relationship and understand that relationships have to constantly be worked at. Both plays exhibit the nature of tolerant love. A Doll’s House exhibits a natural tendency to want to love to the fullest extent but leave when the relationship becomes rough. People often do not appreciate what they have until it is gone. The Goat represents loving what is odd and non-traditional. Further The Goat represents loving against all odds. People simply do not accept love against the norms of society and love often has to conquer against all odds. This play writer is “classic for depiction of strange and obsessive play wrights in New York.” (The Goat).

Works Cited (Annotated)

A Doll’s House (2009) Retrieved December 19, 2009 from, http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/dollhouse/characters.html

Speaks of the plot of the book how it focuses on the trials and tribulations of the marriage between Nora and Torvald. Torvald began his career with the bank and moved up the ladder after eight years giving his family a better economic life. At the beginning of their marriage he was ill and they had to go to Italy for medical treatment hence Nora took a loan from a lower bank employee illegally without her husband’s knowledge. This same choice brought later turmoil into their lives that made both of them examine their marriage to the fullest extent.

Ibsen, Henrick. A Doll’s House New York: Samuel French, 1972

The book gives grave detail of Nora and Mrs. Linde’s conversation leading to Nora confiding in Mrs. Linde about her deal she made with Krogstad eight years ago financially. This also reveals the personality Mrs. Linde has which is less than worthy.

Albee, Edward. The Goat New York: Dramatist’s Play Service, Inc., 2003

This is a play about a man who has fallen in love with a goat. This play simply falls short of its ambitions. It is set with symbolism to depict love.

Brantley, Ben (2002) Theater Review; A Secret Paramour Who Nibbles Tin Cans Retrieved December 17, 2009 from, http://theater.nytimes.com/mem/theater/treview.html?res=9d00e5db1639f932a25750c0a9649c8b63

This is a review of the play and how it is not respected by the traditional social classes in America. Further a goat is not a symbol of a classic love. This play author uses animals as symbols to depict struggles of love and how people often go through great strengths to achieve relationships.

The Goat (2009) Retrieved December 17, 2009 from, http://www.billpullman.org/goat/Articles.htm mostly depicts obsessive love and strange family values associated with this love and obsession. This play writer is classic for this sort of play wrights in New York productions.