Realism of 'King Lear' and 'Rear Window': A Comparison

A point of realism in 'Rear Window', is the state of the society. During the time that 'Rear Window' was set, 1954 New York, society was facing issues and problems. WWII had ended a decade earlier, and men were coming back from war. During WWII, women gained power and prevalence, because the men who were usually holding all of the high positions and power, were off fighting in the war, allowing women to gain power and higher social status, by working. When the men came back from war, they expected everything to fall back into place, the way things were before. However, the women were not willing to give up this newfound power and sense of self-worth. 

This can be seen in the relationship and conversations between Jeff and Lisa. They talk about getting married, and who would have to relinquish power (e.g. change job/lifestyle) for the other. Lisa is an independent woman with a high position well-paying job. She is perfectly self-sufficient and does not need anyone to support her. Jeff is a retired air force pilot, who now works as a photographer for a magazine. He is also self-sufficient, but less well off than Lisa is. This makes Jeff feel intimidated. The fact that Lisa’s possession of power unsettling Jeff, is highly realistic.

Similarly, in ‘King Lear’ the state and balance of power is also highly realistic. In ‘King Lear’, while the women have some power, it generally does not exceed beyond the home. When women marry, they relinquish all of their power to their husband. Goneril and Regan gave up the power they had (by being daughters of the king) when they got married. Their grasp for power when Lear is giving his away is realistic. Women at that time were repressed, and forced to adhere to the desires and orders of their spouse or father. So, when they are given power by Lear, the fact that they exercised it so happily, is quite realistic.

In ‘King Lear’, the setting is unrealistic. It is unrealistic because it is out of time. It is set in a pre-Christian period, where the people were pagan. They worshiped the stars etc. In the period in which the text is set, modern countries exist. This is not realistic because the modern nations (England and France) in the play, have not been pagan for many centuries. This makes the setting unclear. The play is out of time. It does not comply with the timeline of history.

On the other hand, the setting of ‘Rear Window’ is very realistic. The film is set in New York in 1954. Every aspect of the environment, the issues, and the character’s beliefs. The setting of the text is so realistic, that the plot could have conceivably happened in real life. The things that make the setting so realistic, is the fact that we are given an exact time and place, and a clear background of each character.

In ‘Rear Window’, each of the characters are very realistic and believable. Each of the characters has a background and backstory. For example, Jeff and Tom are retired air force pilots, who flew and fought in World War II and Stella has been an insurance company nurse for many years. The characters are realistic because they provide insight into real world issues and topics. Marriage is the biggest topic they discuss. Almost all of the characters have something to say. Another thing that makes the characters realistic, is their interaction with each other. Their dialogue and their body language, are both highly believable. The characters seem to be real people. They appear genuine and realistic.

In comparison, the characters in ‘King Lear’ are slightly less realistic. We are not given much backstory for each of the characters. We are only given bits and pieces of background information, instead of like in ‘Rear Window’, where the characters each have a stated background. The dialogue between the characters is also slightly more unrealistic. Although the language is quite antiquated, even for the time is was written, I think that the language is a bit too flowery to be realistic. I don’t think that people would have used such elaborate language as used in the text.

In conclusion, I think that ‘King Lear’ and ‘Rear Window’ are realistic. They both portray their worlds believably. The characters, the setting, the topics, all blend together to create something that works well. By combining these things, Shakespeare and Hitchcock have made texts that have elements that can be applied and compared to today’s world. This makes both texts believable.

Individuality in King Lear and Rear Window

Individuality in King Lear and Rear Window

Both comparative texts 'King Lear' by Shakespeare and 'Rear Window' by Hitchcock deal with the idea of individualism. Similarly, they provide us with characters who refuse to conform to society's wishes, displaying individuality. 'King Lear''s Cordelia and Lear characters both display a stubbornness and refusal to conform. Lisa from 'Rear Window' displays similar traits. Individuality is also emphasised in both pieces through disability, mental illness in 'King Lear' and physical disability in 'Rear Window'. And finally, the two pieces 'King Lear' and 'Rear Window' utilise asides to create psychologically real characters, rather than stock characters. This creates individual characters with defining personalities.

In 'King Lear', we clearly see individuality through characters who refuse to conform to society's wishes. Cordelia is the most apparent examples for this text, in the opening scene, Cordelia refuses to describe how much she loves her father, when he asks ''Which of you shall we say doth love us most?'' Cordelia's opinion contrasts with Lear's, believing the commodification of love to be shallow and insincere. This refusal to conform proves Cordelia to be an individual, but leads to her banishment. The fact that this clear portrayal of individuality occurs in the opening scene emphasises this theme's impertinence. Another King Lear character who displays individuality would be Lear himself. Lear's individuality is more stubborn and self-centred, while Cordelia's is more moral and sincere. Lear reacts very negatively to any disagreement to his personal views, notably his views on love in the opening scene. However, making a king out to be stubborn is unexpected and very notable, again, emphasising the importance of this theme in the play. We also see this to display individuality in 'Rear Window.'
            Similarly, 'Rear Window' displays individuality through the character of Lisa. Lisa refuses to conform entirely to Jeff's views of how a woman should be, however, Lisa contrasts with the aforementioned characters as she avoids major conflict while displaying her individuality. Lisa does choose less glamorous clothing to appease Jeff, but maintains her interest in fashion through her reading of a fashion magazine while Jeff sleeps in the closing scene. Dis-similarly, Lisa clearly holds the view of ''ignorance is bliss'' and doesn't make her individuality as blatant as the characters in King Lear. However, the texts are identical in that they both use characters to display individuality through refusal to conform.

'King Lear' uses the form of disability of mental illness to emphasise individuality in the play. Lear displays a degenerative form of insanity throughout the play, gradually becoming more and more mentally unstable. We first see this in his rash response to Cordelia's individuality in the opening scene. This insanity is strongest in during the scene which takes place during a storm, symbolising the chaos in Lear's mind. There are also repeated uses of "mad" and "madness" throughout the play. As a disability, mental illness differentiates Lear from other characters and proves him to be an individual. This is mirrored in the text 'Rear Window'.
           We also see disability to emphasise individuality in the text 'Rear Window.'' The film's primary character is Jeff, a man confined to a wheelchair due to a broken leg. This temporary disability limits his behaviour compared to those around him, differentiating him from the other more able-bodies characters, making him an individual. The character of Mrs. Thorwald is another physically confined character in the piece, the nuisance she apparently creates due to her illness costs her her life. However, the form of disability contrasts with that of 'King Lear', as 'Rear Window' emphasises physical disability to display individuality, rather than mental illness.

There is a heavy use of asides in 'King Lear.' Asides create a more psychologically real and genuine character as we get to understand their true feelings and thoughts, differentiating them from others and emphasising individuality. A notable aside very early on in the play is one said by Cordelia in Act 1: Scene 1. In this aside, Cordelia states "I am sure my love's moe ponderous than my tongue." We understand Cordelia's reasoning for defying her father, making her a more layered and individual character. Edgar is another character who frequently engages in asides. While Edgar's asides clarify why he is in disguise, they also add a depth to his character, making him more of an individual. This technique is also used to emphasis individuality in 'Rear Window.'
          Asides can also be seen in 'Rear Window.' Jeff frequently comments on the behaviour of Mr. Thorwald, voicing his concerns, while also making him more psychologically real, and, therefore, more of an individual. However, 'Rear Window' contrasts with 'King Lear' in that their asides are much less lengthy and frequent, but are, nevertheless, present in this text.

In conclusion, individuality is a very key theme to both 'King Lear' and 'Rear Window.' Both of these texts utilise similar means to display individualism. The two pieces present us with character who refuses to conform, namely Cordelia and Lear in 'King Lear' and Lisa in 'Rear Window," however, Lisa's avoidance of conflict in exercising individuality contrasts with Lear and Cordelia. Both texts also use disability to emphasise the idea of individuality, 'King Lear' using mental illness and 'Rear Window' physical. Lastly, asides are readily used by 'King Lear' and 'Rear Window' to create more psychologically real and, therefore, more individual characters.

Women in Power

Women In Power

 The powerful woman is a key factor in King Lear, A Doll's House and Rear Window. She has a central role in each story and is represented in different ways throughout the three texts. Ibsen shows the powerful woman breaking out of oppression in a time when it was not heard of, Shakespeare's powerful woman has her own ideas and is strong willed, Hitchcock's is a persistent and independent young woman.

 In King Lear, Cordelia stands out to the audience as she defies her father from the very first scene,showing her freedom of expression and strong will from the onset. Cordelia separates herself from her sisters as she does not agree with what they are saying, or what their father is asking for. Shakespeare's use of the powerful woman in this play is the beginning of the downfall for King Lear and those around him. By banishing Cordelia and allowing the malevolent daughters to rule the kingdom is the beginning of the end for Lear. Cordelia's powerful attitude turns everything around and ultimately leads Lear to madness.

 Similarly, in Rear Window, Lisa Freemont is extremely independent and has a very clear set of ideas and goals. She has her own work, interests and achievements, separate from any man. It is clear that she wants to marry Jeff but she is not put off by his obvious doubts. In this text, however, this powerful woman drives the story to an ultimately happy ending. Her self confidence does not anger Jeff and by her uninfluenced actions trying to catch Torwald, Jeff sees that she is someone he wants to marry. 

 This can also be observed in A Doll's House, the power of a woman is the key to this whole play. The play begins with a woman who has no life of her own, she is living under the spell of her husband, she has absolutely no real independence. In this play, it is an act of blackmail that ultimately changes things for Nora, but her new outlook gained from this experience is what changes the ending of the play. She suddenly realises what has been at the back of her mind for her whole life, that she is not really living. She takes control of the situation and by doing so she becomes the powerful woman that sets an example for the world at this time.

 All three authors take the same approach to the powerful woman as they don't lose their independence throughout their story. They are strong women who don't lose their point of view in situations, they stick to their ideas and have their voice heard.

 King Lear's Cordelia firstly tries to make her father realise her love for him in a true way not just as he has asked or as her sisters have done, but she is immediately put down for her defiance. She is told that she is horrid and has no respect. To hear this from a father she loves so dearly may be enough for her to breakdown and take back her words, but Cordelia is strong in her own mind and ideas, she will not be controlled by a man. This continues throughout the play as she accepts her banishment and travels away, returning only in war to protect those she loves.

 Likewise, in Rear Window, Lisa is aware of what she wants and doesn't let this go for anyone. She wants Jeff but he doesn't think she is capable of his lifestyle. They have uneasy talks of what will come in the future for them but this doesn't hold Lisa back. She believes in herself and in the end she gets her way. Her and Jeff are happy and most likely to be married, but Lisa has not just conformed to the way that Jeff wants her to be, she is still herself and Jeff now loves her for this. She is even seen reading her fashion magazine in the last scene, a sign she is still herself and in control.

 This can also be observed in A Doll's House, however the text does not begin with Nora as a powerful, independent woman but as the events of the play unfold and Torvald's actions cause her to re-think her life, she gains a much better insight into herself and from that, a sense of independence. She see's things clearly now and must figure the world out for herself. This puts her in a very difficult position of having to leave her family and home behind, but she does not back out despite this, she stays strong to herself and her judgement. She is determined to better herself and her life and she never doubts herself after this.

 The powerful woman in all three of these texts is defined by her independence and courage to speak out in a time when women were thought to be second class citizens and shouldn't have a say in things. This is seen in all three texts even though the texts differ greatly in the time periods of when they were written. The one thing holding the powerful woman back, and this can be seen in all three texts, is their acceptance of how they are treated by those close to them, men in particular.

 We can see in King Lear that Cordelia certainly has no hesitations in voicing her own thoughts of disagreement with her father, which is very true to herself. However, Lear banishes Cordelia and insults her very deeply. Cordelia leaves but returns later on in the play and has men find Lear and care for him. She reunites with a father who has been deeply unkind to her and was so quick to judgement of a daughter whom he has loved and has loved him for her whole life. This shows an acceptance by Cordelia of how she has been treated, which she should never view as having been fair.

 Likewise, in Rear Window, Lisa allows Jeff to speak rudely to her throughout the film. He often puts her down, implying she knows nothing about the real world, only what's in magazines. She does voice her opinion in these situations but only to disagree with what he thinks of her, not acknowledging the fact that what he is saying is quite insulting. she lets the man who she loves and who is supposed to love her speak to her in such an unkind way, she is not staying true to herself in these situations.

 Similar to Rear Window and King Lear, and maybe most obviously of the three texts, is Torvald's treatment of Nora in A Doll's House. As Nora does not have much independence or voice in her life until the end of the play, how unequally she is treated by her husband is quite prominent. He does not allow her to have control of money, she doesn't have a job and he absolutely despises her when he learns that she has borrowed money without telling him, even though it was to save his life. He is obsessed with societies view of their family and he tries to control Nora because of this. Deep down Nora knows this but she lives and does as Torvald says for eight long years. It is not til the end of the play that she no longer accepts it, so in a way she is different to our other powerful woman as she learns that she deserves so much more than this unfair treatment from a man.

Foil Characters in King Lear and Rear Window

Foil Characters in King Lear and Rear Window 

Foil characters are characters that contrast each other.  They are like mirror images; they are clearly different but they share similarities. A writer’s use of foil characters helps the reader understand each individual character better, and develop them as the story goes on. Shakespeare’s plays are rich in complex and interconnected characters which compare and contrast throughout the play.

In King Lear, an example of Foil Characters would be Lear and Gloucester. Their families are nearly identical. They both deal with the issue of blindness. Gloucester is blinded in the play, and throughout the play Lear is blind to what’s going on.

Kent and Oswald are an example of foil characters. The biggest contrast between the two the people they serve.  King Lear and Goneril are enemies in the play. Lear is Kent’s master and Goneril is Oswald’s master. The actions of one bring the other one down. The two servants differ in their values. Kent is a loyal servant and is motivated by defending his values. He confronts Lear after the king banishes his daughter for being truthful. He honors his values more than the King’s judgment. This is done in complete loyalty to the King, even though Lear is blind to it. Kent is trying to make Lear see that he is making a mistake. When it would have been in his best interest to stay silent, Kent decided to speak out in defense of his values and in the best interest of the King.

In Rear Window, Jeff spends his time sitting in the darkness, watching others and not being seen by his neighbours until the climax of the film. He is more passive than Lisa, who conversely, is very active and exciting. She is always jumping around Jeff’s apartment, doing things for him. She eventually does a lot of investigating about the murder, while Jeff is confined to the apartment.

Lisa is the real dominating character in Rear Window. Even though we see the world from Jeff’s point of view, she is one of the main characters in the film. In King Lear, women play a huge role 

Morality in 'King Lear' and 'Rear Window'

Both William Shakespeare's 'King Lear', and Alfred Hitchcock's 'Rear Windows' present the theme of moral corruption. In both texts, individuals are to blame for their immoral actions. However, I would like to examine how these characters are products of their environment. In 'King Lear', we are presented with the character of Lear, who is initially a narcissist who banishes his daughter Cordelia after she refuses to obey his wishes. Cordelia is clearly a moral person who stays true to herself and serves as a foil for Lear. Lear attempts to commodify his daughter's love by ordering her to profess her affection for him, and in doing so renders familial affection cheap and meaningless. This is one of the first instances of immorality we see in the play, and goes to the heart of the causes of the upset in the play: feudal society. The manner in which wealth and property pass hands through the patriarchal model of marriage is the pillar of the immorality in the play. To quote Karl Marx,‘in pre-capitalist systems it was obvious that most people did not control their own destiny — under feudalism, for instance, serfs had to work for their lords.' In the morally corrupt world of the play, the characters have little control of their own destiny: Lear is doomed to madness, and Cordelia must marry who her father wishes. Similarly, in 'A Doll's House', Nora is not in control of her own destiny, and is constricted by the role of the 'doll wife'. 'King Lear' and 'A Doll's House' are very similar in the way that they show morally strong women defying this system of social slavery: Nora leaves her husband to lead a better life as an educated individual, and Cordelia defies her father no matter the catastrophic consequences in order to stay true to herself.  

Similarly, In Hitchcock's 'Rear Window', the viewer is presented with the morally strong character of Lisa who stays true to herself despite the expectations of society or male characters. However, in contrast to Nora and Cordelia, as a modern, successful woman, Lisa has a lot of agency. She has her own career, as we see in the beginning of the film. She has the money to provide her partner Jeff with an expensive meal, and is dressed in extravagant clothing. Jeff laments that she is 'too perfect', and that he wants a woman who could 'go anywhere and do anything', showing an unethical view of male entitlement: he expects Lisa to change for him but he won't change for her even though she wants to get married. This is very similar to 'King Lear' in the way that Lear rules his family as he does his kingdom: undemocratically. His relationship with Cordelia is a dictatorship in which he demands her subservience. This is also seen in 'A Doll's House': Nora is expected to put her family first while Torvald isn't. All three texts present an array of immoral characters who are products of their society, as well as moral characters who defy their environment to do the right thing. 

The theme of eyesight is used both in 'King Lear' and 'Rear Window' to highlight the theme of morality. The plucking out of Gloucester's eyes mark the most abhorrent and evil scene of the play, the point at which it seems there can be no return to good or civilisation. This is linked to the theme of voyeurism and the moral problems it presents in 'Rear Window'.  The bed-ridden Jeff spies on his neighbours, much to the dismay of Lisa. However, when Thorwald kills his wife, it is due to Jeff's prying eyes that he is caught and charged. This raises the question of whether or not everyone deserves privacy, even murderers and criminals. It interesting to observe how Hitchcock uses point-of-view shots to give the viewer the impression they are Jeff, watching his neighbours: Hitchcock forces the viewer into the role of voyeur, watching others for their entertainment, which, as cinema goers, is exactly what the viewer is. Hitchcock cleverly forces the viewer into a morally compromising position. 

In conclusion, 'King Lear' and 'Rear Window' both display a range of characters who are products of their environment and thus, behave in morally corrupt ways with some individual exceptions. Both texts use the theme of eyesight to highlight the separate themes of evil and voyeurism. 

Fear as a motivation in A Dolls Hous

I think fear is a key emotions of many of the characters in this text. Many of the character’s actions and thoughts are a purely a result of their fear.

   Nora, in the beginning, forges her father’s signature in order to borrow money to save her husband as she fears for his life. Her troubles are a result of this rash action. She spends most of her time working to try and earn this money back, but refuses to tell her husband of what she has done as she fears what his reaction to it will be- she knows he is against borrowing money. She lies and deceives him because of this. She leads him to believe she is irresponsible and unable to manage her money when in reality she is very careful and cautious with the money she spends. Although Torevald may not see it at this time, but I think this causes an emotional distance between these two characters, especially on Nora’s end- I think this, in the end, contributes to the failure of their marriage. This all being a result of Nora’s fear to tell her husband the truth.

   Krogstad, on the other hand fears losing his job and again becoming a social outcast again after spending so much time trying to redeem himself in his community. He is desperate to keep his job and uses Nora’s decision to bribe her. I think this act by Krogstad seemed very drastic and we can see his anxiety and fear because of this .

Likewise, when Torevald finds out about Nora’s doings, he acts extremely irrationally. He loses his temper with Nora and explodes at her, telling her she is no longer suitable to mother his kids and he fears that she will poison their minds with her lies. His first thought is of his reputation and name in society, that Nora has disgraced him and their family, he fears that this will get out and ruin him. He acts and speaks too her very rudely and lets his fear and anger take over him at that moment -a mistake on his part which causes Nora to finally realize that this marriage is over.In one of the versions of the play that we have watched, the directors has interpreted his anger as so violent that he hits Nora.

  I think all of these characters have traits in common. They have all panicked and made rash decisions which in one way or another they have come to regret. If it wasn't for Nora's fear for her husbands life, she would not have committed this crime in the first place, This was an act of desperation and a decision made under great pressure, however her decision to keep this form Torvalds was calculated and planned until krogstad got involved.

KL

I think that this I the case for many of the characters in King Lear also.

Regan poisons her own sister Goneril as she fears he is going to steal the man she is in love with.

Gloucester naively believes the forged letter from his son Edgar and fears for his life as he believes that his son in planning to overthrow him. He orders for him to be captured.

Lear, one of the main culprits of making rash decisions due to fear. He fears lack of acceptance, He feels the need to be loved by everyone. He feels he is going mad and this makes him fearful..He banishes his own daughter from the kingdom when she refuses to follow his orders to tell him how much she loves him. He fears rejection from his family and people and feels the need for their approval and as a result ends up isolating himself because of this. I think that in this play, Lears family have considered his state and treat him slightly more tolerantly because of this. I think that Goneril and Regan are blinded by the power they are being given and will do anything to what. Goneril and Regan reject him from their household and try to takeaway all of his authority. I think that Lear fears this as in some ways he is scared to let his crown go because her does not know who he is if he is not king.

When Thorwald finds out Jeff knows what he did, he tries to kill him. He is terrified about people finding out about what he did and will do anything to keep this secret.

that I some ways Jeff is scared also. He sees the other couples through his window and is probably wondering what his marriage would be like is he did marry Lisa. I think that he is scared of settling down and marrying Lisa because he thinks that it would mean letting go of everything in his old life, travelling around the world. He is too stubborn to compromise and in the end is actually slightly fooled by Lisa.- she pretends to read the travel book but when he is not looking reverts back to her fashion magazines!

        

Foil Characters in A Doll's House

Foil Characters in A Doll’s House

Henrik Ibsen creates characters in A Doll’s House who change throughout the play. Foil characters are characters that contrast each other. They are like mirror images; they are clearly different but they share similarities. Ibsen’s use of foil characters helps the reader understand each individual character better.

Christine is a foil to Nora. Nora is the main character and Christine is a less important character. They both have similarities, but generally Ibsen uses Christine to compare with Nora and to bring out her flaws. Nora is living in a dolls house, and this is a separate environment from Christina and the real world. This is the world that Nora is longing to be a part of but Torwald won’t let her.

Christina is a hard working independent adult, and she is more than capable of looking after herself in the outside world. Nora is something of the opposite. She can’t even look after herself, let alone her own children. Chrisitinas journey from independence to marriage is a foil to Noras journey in the opposite direction.

Some of the characters in the play seem to be opposites, but in fact they have several similarities. Krogstad and Torvald, Christine and Nora, and Krogstad/Christine’s relationship and Torvald/Nora’s relationship are all foils to each other. As foil characters, they have similarities as well as differences.

Krogstad and Torvald are foils to each other. They both have children and are lawyers. They were childhood friends and now they work together at the bank. Even though they have the same professions as each other, Torvald’s position at the bank is much higher than Krogstad’s. Everyone hates Krogstad, while on the other hand everyone loves Torvald. The idea that Krogstad is the villain of the play is reinforced by the reactions that Nora displays whenever Krogstad is around. Eventually we understand that Krogstad committed forgery to help his children, not to help himself. Krogstad is hated by others for the crime he committed to help his children, yet Torvald is loved even though he committed a dishonest act to serve himself. Torvald helped Nora’s father in order to win Nora as his wife. Krogstad no longer has a wife because Christine left him for money.

A Doll’s House

Ø Cultural Context : Male Characters

A Doll’s House is set in Norway in 1879, a time where people were more conservative, and male dominance in domestic and social life was prominent and unquestioned. Torvald Helmer, the main male character of the play, often shows a controlling personality towards Nora, belittling her by calling her pet-names like “songbird”. He (and Nora) has a fantasy where Torvald is the hero who saves his “innocent, little, mistress”, but after seeing how cowardly and aggressively Torvald handles the situation after he discovers Krogstad’s letter, Nora decides he is not the “hero” she had hoped he was. He is a capable and intelligent man; his high position in the bank proves so. Despite his ‘book smarts’, he is a man who values reputation over moral values. His pride is solely based upon what the higher class considers him, rather than the decisions he makes that seem morally correct. He was quick to anger once his reputation was close to being destroyed, ready to practically disown his own wife whom he “loves dearly” because of the choices she made. Once he felt he was “saved” from this humiliation, he did not once consider how his behaviour affected Nora, not apologizing to her once, and repeatedly told her “I forgive you!” even though the audience/reader know that it is not her who needs to apologize. His selfish thinking was unfortunately a common mind set for married men in the Victorian era, and to most modern readers his behaviour is shocking, especially when he says to Nora “Aren’t I your husband?” when she refuses intimacy with him. This whole idea of consent between couples should be unquestioned, but back then, it was normal for a wife to give herself like a toy to her husband even if she did not wish for it, as it was common belief that women had no sex drives and existed for the sole purpose of having children and pleasing their husbands. That is why once this play was released in that day and age, people were shocked to see this culturally normal yet deeply flawed mind set that was driven into people’s minds at a young age be questioned.

women in power

The two predominant female characters of power in "A Dolls House" are Christine Linde and Nora Helmer, Christine shows direct power through her independence and ability to stand on her own two feet, whereas Nora does not reveal her power . Nora's power comes from her manipulative qualities, she is able to get her way by deceiving her husband , she puts on the illusion of helplessness and innocence.Nora is able to influence big decisions in the household by manipulating Torvald for example she convinced Torvald to hire Christine.Both these characters develop throughout the text, at first Christine may seem like a more empowered woman than Nora but Christine settles down with Krogstad because she needs stability. Nora realises that she must educate herself and must not be dependant on her husband. In the last scene she is able to change the course of the whole story with little effort, this shows that Nora truly has power. Women at the time of this text had very little control and power, the role of women at the time was to be the homemaker. This may have been because women were not often well educated, this lack of education would make them less capable of powerful responsibilities. This ideal became deeply embedded in society causing the men in the household to overpower the women. This is evident in Torvalds mentality throughout the text, in the end he wasn't able to accept the fact that Nora took control of a difficult situation and was able to take matters into her own hands. Torvald's response to the situation was not unusual because any major decisions in life were to be handled by the man. Even when Christine heard what Nora had done she was shocked that Torvald was unaware. This shows how women were valued at the time. Women were given the illusion of having power, but in reality they had no control.

Whereas in "Rear Window" women have more power, women are able to work and contribute to society, women were able to vote and the gender role of a domestic wife was not enforced as much.
We can see a bit of Torvald in Jeff, Jeff does not want to marry Lisa because he does not believe that Lisa is capable of living an adventurous life alongside Jeff. This shows that the idea of women not being capable has stuck with society ever so slightly. Lisa changes Jeff's mind by surprising him, she shows him that she has the power to do exactly what he can do when she sneaks into Thorwald's apartment. Stella also holds power because she is a working woman. We can see that Women lacking power is not as big as an issue in this text. Lisa also shows signs of deceptive power, she is able to prove to Jeff that she can change for him and vise versa, but in the end Lisa is reading Travel magazines in order to decisive Jeff but then she takes out her fashion magazine and continues to be who she is.

Nora is a foil for Lisa, Lisa is who Nora would like to be but her circumstances prohibit this. They way Lisa and Nora deceive their partners are similar, although Lisa's deception in on a smaller scale it shows what both these women are capable of. Both Torvald and Jeff have a preconceived idea of what their partners are capable off and are proven wrong by the end of the text.


In "King Lear" Women of wealth have power. Cordelia is completely powerless because she refused to express her love to her father , so he refused to provide her with wealth. Power in "King Lear" is very much linked to wealth and royalty, but there is clear evidence that women had very little power. Regan and Goneril are very deceitful and and use their femininity as a weapon. These women possess power in a very unique way, their royalty and status brings them power but so does their sexuality. Which they use in order to win over Edmund.

Power

Power in 'A Doll's House'

In Ibsen's 'A Doll's House', the subject of power is displayed throughout. At the start of the play, Nora is childish and immature, and associates power with money. She is obsessed with money, and therefore obsessed with her husband who has a good job and is wealthy. Because of her immaturity and naivety, Nora is easily taken advantage of, by both Krogstad and her own husband, who imposes rules upon Nora so that she makes him look good, for example, he doesn't allow her to eat sweets and unhealthy food, as it will rot her teeth and make her gain weight. Nora allows this, as she doesn't know any better, but after years of oppression she realises that she doesn't have to go through this hardship. 

There is clear patriarchy in the household; Torvald is the lord and master of his home. Nora accepts this as men are all powerful during this time. She knows that she is to stay at home whilst her husband works, as she is the woman and must be home maker for her family. This is at the beginning of the play, when Nora has absolutely no power whatsoever. She doesn't realise how important power is, as she's never had it. Nora thinks that this is how all women live, until her childhood friend Christine makes a visit.

Christine Linde has lived independently for years, but it has been tough. She originally gained respect by marrying a wealthy man. She used marriage as a way of gaining power, but when her husband died and left her in debt she lost all of her respectability. She has had to scrape by to survive, and while it sounds like a difficult life to live, it appeals to Nora. Nora is at the mercy of two powerful men: Torvald and Krogstad. She wants to feel free and independent, the way Christine was, despite how hard it may be. She likes the idea of having no debts or lies to keep up with, that she only must care for herself and no one else.

Nora decides to act on her feelings and takes power into her own hands. By the end if the play, Nora is the most powerful person in the play, and becomes independent and strong. Everyone is shocked by her act but she does what is best for herself and her state of mind, which is the most empowering moment if the play. By gaining her independence, Nora takes power away from her husband and her blackmailer, as she doesn't care for what they think of her anymore. She leaves, and goes from the least influential and most powerless character, to the most influential powerful character. Ibsen used Nora as a way to give women all over the world during this time the confidence and inspiration they needed to take control of their own lives, to not be oppressed by men, and to be powerful in their own homes.

Power in 'King Lear' 

At the beginning of 'King Lear', Edmund has no power. He was born out of wedlock to his father's mistress, and is therefore illegitimate. He has been sent away by his father for years, whilst his younger half-brother Edgar stayed with Gloucester. Edmund knows that when their father dies, Edgar will inherit Gloucester's money, land and title. He decides to try to stop this, as he feels a great injustice against him. He lies to his brother and his father and double-crosses them both, and gains power while Edgar has to assume the alias 'Poor Tom'. By gaining this power, he becomes infinitely more attractive to Goneril and Regan, who compete with each other for his affection. This gives him power over the two sisters too, and he becomes the most powerful, influential person in the play.

None of the women in 'King Lear' have any power at the start of the play, and Lear had it all. They have been reduced to expressing their love to their father in exchange for land. Cordelia is the only sister who refuses, and loses what little power she had over her father as the favourite, and is banished to France. By doing this, Lear essentially passes his power straight into the hands of the mistreated and neglected Goneril and Regan. They take full advantage of this newfound power and abuse it, firstly by overthrowing the King, and then by using it to get closer to Edmund. This backfires badly, and they turn against each other. To get rid of her sister's power and influence over Edmund, Goneril poisons her, but then loses the will to live when Edmund dies, and commits suicide. Goneril and Regan had a lot of power in the middle of play, but lost it almost as quickly as the received it.

In opposition to the sisters is their father, who had all of the power at the beginning of the play, but naively splits his power between Goneril and Regan.

Relationships in A.D.H

                                     Relationships in A.D.H

There are many relationships in A Doll's House, each as complex as the next. Some of the relationships tie in with each other creating more layers of the text to be analyzed and studied. I will highlight the key relationships in A.D.H and how they add to the main themes and story of the text.

The key relationship in A.D.H is of course that of Nora and Helmer.

Straight away we can see that it is not an equal sided relationship. In the opening scene we are shown how Nora is on an allowance provided by Torvald. "Has my little squanderbird been overspending again?"

Not only is Helmer controlling her finances but it is apparent that he feels that he owns her, (he uses possessive language "my little squanderbird"). Their relationship adds to main theme of power in the story.

Another key relationship in A Doll's House is the relationship between Christine and Nora. Christine acts as a foil for Nora and provides Ibsen with the means of showing how Nora truly feels. During one of their conversations, Nora reveals that she is proud of her actions to save her husbands life. "I too have something to be proud and glad of. It was I who saved Torvald's life." First it was her eating macaroons behind her husband's back, now this. This reveals a new side of Nora that was previously unseen and shows that Nora is not always truthful to her husband. Nora is proving that she can not be controlled and she won't do as Torvald bids. Her relationship with Christine highlights major themes in A.D.H making their scenes vital in the overall text.

The relationship between Christine Linde and Nils Krogstad is a very interesting one. During their conversation by the lamp, they discuss their history and how they have done wrong. Despite their actions of the past, it seems as though they are given a second chance when they decide to try their relationship again. Their relationship is a curious one and causes the viewer to contemplate the character's cases and whether they deserve a second chance or not. And then onto the global topic, if people in general deserve a second chance, if so under what circumstances? This relationship adds diversity to A.D.H with a surprisingly light-hearted scence in an overall melancholy play.

Throughout the text, Ibsen uses relationships as a way of connecting the viewer to the story. With Nora and Helmer the viewer has mixed feelings about both characters motives, constantly second guessing themselves as the characters go through a wheel of emotions. This level of engagement with the story is part of what makes it such a complex and memorable text.

     Relationships in King Lear and Rear Window

It is clear that in King Lear and Rear Window that relationships play a key part in developing the story and characters. The characters can be used to different effects and I will discuss how this impacts the content and overall quality of King Lear and Rear Window.

Opening of A Dolls House

Opening of A Dolls House, King Lear and Rear Window

The start of a play is key to story telling as it gives us our first impression of the characters, the setting and the general mood of the movie. At the beginning of A Doll's House by Henrik Ibsen we see deceit and lies straight away which is a common them through out the play.

From the very beginning of the play we see both the main characters, Nora and Helmer, portrayed in very different ways. Nora is portrayed as a kind of silly character who is completely dependent on her husband Helmer. Whereas Helmer is portrayed as a stern and strict man who hates to be lied to and wants everyone around him to live by a certain set of rules. I found is interesting because Nora's character completely changes throughout the play until she is the one making decisions at the end of the play.  

Lies and deceit is evident as Nora lies to Helmer from start to end of the play no matter how big the lie was. We see she lies at the very beginning when she is eating macaroons which is one of the things that Torvald (Helmer) is so against.

Nora is very content and comfortable to lie straight to her husbands face which in the end is part of her downfall. Is this what marriage should really be about? My impression of marriage was that all secrets were shared to prevent any conflict but the marriage between Helmer and Nora completely goes against this theory.

The interesting thing in A Doll's House is that is begins with Nora opening the door full of hope and laughter and ends with Nora closing the door in a serious and determined way.

This relationship reminds use of the relationship between King Lear and his daughters as both relationships are destructive and pessimistic as no good comes out of their relationship.

The relationship between Lear and his daughters is similar to the relationship between Helmer and Nora due to how negative both relationships are. Lies and deceit is also evident in King Lear as we see Goneril and Regan plotting against Lear from the beginning. As soon as they receive their land from Lear from lying about how much love they have for their father they both plan how to put Lear out of power and control. There are similarities between this play and A Doll's House due to the switch in power and control from the beginning to the end of the play.

In the beginning of King Lear, Lear is a man a power making rash and crazy decisions such as dividing his land with his daughters that openly speak fondly of him and banishing those who refuse
who refuse to openly explain their love for him. This is interesting as it is the complete opposite throughout the play as we see Lear lose all his power and his evil daughters, Goneril and Regan, take complete advantage of this by declining him the right to live with them. We also see Edmund, a man of no power or wealth slowly begin to use lies and deceit to get his brother Edgar, who is the rightful heir to his father, banished and how his also back stabs his own father to take his status as Earl of Gloucester. By doing this he is responsible for the eye gouging of his own father.

The only difference in King Lear is that two characters, Cordelia and Kent, actually try to keep a positive and healthy relationship with Lear by not lying about their love to him but by doing this they irritate Lear and he banishes them.( Although Kent stays in disguise.)

The start of King Lear was key to story telling as we also see lies and deceit from the very beginning of the play with is also a common theme throughout the play, as we see Gloucester gets deceived by  a lie told by his son Edmund at the beginning which ends up with him getting his eyes gouged in the middle of the play.

Lear's generosity in the opening scene is his downfall in my opinion as he doesn't anticipate how selfish his daughters can be. Shakespeare draws us in due to Lear being a crazy man making crazy decisions such as banishing his friend Kent and daughter Cordelia. This is a big bang that immediately grabs our attention.

In contrast to Rear Window by Hitchcock which is a slow burner and takes a while to get into the climax of the story which is Thorwald's murder of his wife.  The method of story telling in this text is different as Hitchcock draws the audience in slowly and steadily with his slow build up of climax with hits its peak when Thorwald kills his wife.

This text is also similar to both King Lear and A Dolls House in the way in which the relationships between characters are destructive. The relationship between Thorwald and his wife is negative as it results in him killing her as she constantly annoys him. As the film progresses we see the relationship between Thorwald and his wife start to worsen and worsen. She pretends to be sick and irritate him until it gets to much for Thorwald and he kills her.

In contrast to every other relationship I have studied the relationship between the main characters of Rear Window, Lisa and Jeffery. The relationship differs as it goes from them clashing at the start to actually being happily together at the end. In the beginning Lisa is not what Jeffery wants in a girlfriend as he doesn't believe she is daring or brave but she proves throughout the story that she does have these characteristics and Jeffery falls from her.

Depiction of Women - General Vision and Viewpoint

A Doll's House

In Ibsen's A Doll's House Ibsen depicts women in a modern and realist way. The relationship between Nora and Christine Linde is a key cornerstone of the play. The two characters contrast each other throughout the text and their relationship is filled with underlying tension. They are both depicted in different ways with their polar opposite situations and personalities. Ibsen shows two different options available for women in society at that particular time; to be independent and work oneself, or marry, be a housewife and have children.

 Nora took the marriage and housewife option. Nora is the perfect wife, in Helmer's eyes. She is compared to the beautiful decorations hung throughout the house; temporary, fragile and Helmer's possession. She is solely dependent on her husband, he enjoys exploiting his position of control over her and likes her weakness and fragility. Throughout the text we see how Helmer exploits his position in the household. His successful career and position as the sole earner gives him a sense of control and dominance. Nora struggles internally with this, and her lack of power upsets her, This is why when presented with the option of finding away to save her husband and family, she took it, without pausing to think of the consequences. She equates money with power and her indiscretion gave  her a sense of purpose and power which she craved. Similarly, Christine also equates money with power. However Christine is already in a position of control  as she is independent and controls her own affairs.

Nora married for love, or what she believed  to be love whereas in contrast Christine married her late husband out of necessity, in an desperate attempt to be able to provide for her mother and young brothers. When he died she was left with nothing, forcing her to make her own way in the world, in a society that belittled women and provided them with little opportunity to succeed. Ibsen here shows modern ideas, depicting a new era of women, independent and self-providing. Christine herself enjoys the feeling that working gives her, she has been providing for herself and her family for so long that it gives her satisfaction, she knows of no other way to live now, and it is now her role in  life in her opinion. However Nora and Christine are similar in how they both had to use their intuition to provide for themselves and their family. Nora was desperate to save her husband and get him the best possible care by whatever means necessary as was Nora. However in their first meeting at the beginning of the play, their is some underlying tension between them as they discuss their lives, which is seen in Christine's slightly condescending attitude towards Nora. Christine thinks that Nora knows little of the 'worries and hardships of life', and Nora strives to prove her wrong. Their is a lack of sincerity and empathy in their relationship as seen through how they sympathise and patronise one another. I think that some of Christine's condescension towards Nora stems from jealousy, seeing how comfortable and successful Nora's life apparently is.   

Christine continuously manipulates Nora throughout the text to further her own agenda; to get a job. She shows another side to her character. Ibsen shows the depths that people can go to, to better themselves and their quality of life. In doing so he also depicts women as more than how society portrayed them at that time, strong characters with ideals, future aspirations and ambition. 

In "A Doll's House" Ibsen frequently uses symbolism to depict Nora. He compares her to the Christmas tree as she is on show, a possession of Helmer's that has no real purpose to him other than be decorated and displayed.  

King Lear and Rear Window 

Shakespeare's "King Lear" and Hitchcock's "Rear Window" all depict women of differing personalities in various situations. Shakespeare writes about three different sisters; Goneril, Regan and Cordelia. The way Shakespeare depicts women could be seen through two alternate views. On one hand he could be seen as depicting the women in the play as deceptive and selfish, all against each other. However it could also be seen as Shakespeare depicting women who are strong and determined. Goneril and Regan are not afraid to go after exactly what they want, even if it means hurting one another in the process. Cordelia in another way is portrayed as a strong woman, who stands up for herself and challenges her father by refusing to answer him. The sisters are all headstrong but divided in their quest for independence. In contrast to this, the women in "Rear Window" are united. Hitchcock depicts the women in a modern way similar to Ibsen in "A Doll's House". Lisa is a working girl like Christine Linde in ADH. Lisa is self-sufficient and successful and her hard-working image portrays a new era of feminist upheaval at that time, in post war America where men were returning from war to find that their jobs had been done by capable, powerful women in their absence.

King  Lear and "Rear Window" are similar as they depict women who take care of or provide for men rather than the opposite. Both Lear and Jeff are invalids who are relying on women to care for them. Lear is at the mercy of his daughters, who each have their own hidden agendas, and Jeff is trapped in his apartment with only Stella and Lisa for companionship. After Lear gives up his land and power to his daughters he is left with nothing and as his mind gradually starts to go he relies on Goneril and Regan to take him in. However Goneril and Regan are focused more on their own livelihood. They are in battle against each other for Edmund's affections and this overrides any concern they have for their father. In contrast to "King Lear", Lisa in "Rear Window" is happy and obliging to cater for Jeff in his invalid state. She is a strong women with her own life and independence. Therefore what all the women in both the texts have in common is that they are  portrayed as dominant characters as opposed to supporting roles in the background.

Thirdly the women in both of these texts ( RW and KL) , are determined to maintain or pursue their relationships. Lisa strives to have a future with Jeff as both Goneril and Regan do with Edmund. The contrast is that Goneril and Regan are willing to do whatever it takes, even if that means hurting one another, or their husbands. Lisa offers to get Jeff a job with her magazine, hoping that he will stop his vagabond lifestyle and settle down with her. This shows how Lisa is pro-active and intuitive. However despite her best efforts, Jeff remains unconvinced of her proposal. Nevertheless Hitchcock shows the audience another side to Lisa.

Hitchcock also uses symbolism to portray Lisa's character, as Ibsen does in "A Doll's House". Lisa is repeatedly associated with light throughout the film, turning on lamps and lights whenever she enters a room. This helps depict an atmosphere of hope and positivity around her character.

  

Comparative of costumes in the play 'A Doll's House' by Ibsen, 'Rear Window' by Alfred Hitchcock and 'King Lear' by William Shakespeare

  Costumes are a very important aspect in all three texts, 'A Doll's House' by Ibsen, 'Rear Window' by Alfred Hitchcock and 'King Lear' by William Shakespeare. Costumes provided a sense of identity or lack there of. This importance of attire can easily and quickly show what a person's personality is like. They can be used in many ways, and this variety of expression through clothes shows each authors sense of imagination and creativeness in all three texts.
 In the text 'A Doll's House' by Ibsen, costumes are a large focal point to develop the final scene. Costumes can be used to show the audience that a character is being transformed into a completely different character.
   One of the first costumes that can be greatly recognized is when Christine enters the 'dolls house' . Christine being the foil for Nora, is wearing plain boring work clothes. The opposite of Nora, she is independent and loves to work and provide for her family. This work costume that she is wearing portrays her character, not overly dramatic or flamboyant. Throughout the play we see Christine's costume contributes to her character and her personality. She is the one who tries to make sense of all the drama in Nora's life. After caring for her brother's and her mother, this simple minded ' work ethic' is seen as she talks to and treats Nora. She almost switches from person to person, trying to fix their lives, without looking at her own life. Her costumes shows her sense of identity. Simple, and she would rather care for someone else than spend too much time on her outfit. A practical costume. We can also see this idea when she fixes Nora's tarantella costume.
   One of the most important costume changes in the entire book is Nora's costume change after the tarantella. This dress shows he freedom and her realization of her current situation. This costume towards the end of the text, is being mended by Christine. While Christine is mending Nora's dress, she is also mending Nora's life. She continues to tell Nora that she needs to tell her husband, this is the miracle that Nora is searching for, whether she knows it or not. This mending of the dress shows how Nora's thoughts and feelings are being changed for her husband and her life. She starts to realize that she has never loved her husband, and it has only been some sort of game. For her, love or flirting is some sort of game (which she also shows by flirting with Dr rank). This is wildly portrayed through her (unlike Christine) flamboyant, tight and beautiful attire. Nora's final realization that her husband is not the man she thought he was finally appears, the miracle shes been searching for. After this epiphany, Nora removes her costume. She removes the person she was, the person everyone thought she was. She reveals her true self. Someone who is lost and needs to search for her real passions and she needs to seek after her own beliefs before she can care for anyone else. Her costume mimicked this masc that she had been wearing for the eight years of her marriage with Helmer.
  One of the small costume changes in this drama, is when Nora is in a dire situation. She is in debt to Krogstad and cannot afford to waste any money on buying really expensive clothes for her or even her children. She buys attire that has less elegant fabric, but being the smart woman Nora is, she knows her husband would not notice. This shows that Helmer does not notice the little things about Nora and it portrays his lack of love for her. He does not know his wife and can't tell little differences with her and her children's clothes.
   Likewise in the text 'Rear Window' by Hitchcock, costumes continue provide a large sense of identity and personality. Costumes are very important to the character of Lisa since she works for a fashion magazine.
   Due to the occupation of Lisa and the position of her in that job, we see it really effects her clothing choice. For example the first time Lisa enters a scene to visit Jeff in his apartment, we see her wearing a black and white dress. This black and white dress is very important when comparing Lisa's views and morals to Jeff. Her views are very straight to the point. She has no grey or blurry views. She knows what she wants when she wants and no one can tell her otherwise. We can also compare this type of thinking to Nora in 'Rear Window' and Cordelia in 'King Lear'.
   Lisa continues to impress us with her outfits when she visits Jeff a second time. She wears this almost wedding-like dress where she tries to influence Jeff on his view of marriage. Again we see this black and white sense of thinking, she is not willing to change at the moment with her views and nearly doesn't want to hear Jeff's. Lisa wears a veil covering the top of her face which adds to this idea of marriage. Marriage is a very prominent subject that continues to appear throughout the text and we can see this  not only through dialogue but through the costumes of others.
   One of the final and main costume changes we see with Lisa or any other character, is when we see Jeff and Lisa sitting in his apartment but Lisa's outfit has changed, She is now not wearing her usual elegant and 'typically feminine for that time' attire. She now has changed, into a new person, wearing trousers. These trousers mark her willingness to change, but we can still ask has she really changed? Just before the text comes to a close, we see Lisa unexpectedly pull out a fashion magazine. Unlike Nora in 'A Doll's House', we see Lisa stay the same person she was even though she went through an important costume change. Costumes represent an identity in this text but for Lisa, they do not define her. She stays the same no matter what outfit she wears.
  So far we can see how costumes can define or not define certain characters in each text. 'King Lear' by William Shakespeare takes a strong hold when it comes to costumes and costume changes. Compared to the other two texts, Shakespeare concentrates more on the removal of clothes and how it can really have an impact on identity, inside and out, or how other people may see you. He also takes a look on the idea of costumes becoming a new identity to disguise or protect, just like in 'A Doll's House' by Ibsen.
   For example, in the first scene we see Lear's rashness and how he casts out his own daughter and his loyal friend and knight Kent. Cordelia does what her father says, but Kent takes another approach of disguising himself to look after Lear. Costumes in this text can be used as a sort of protection not just a sense of identity. This costume allows Kent to protect not only himself but Lear. We see throughout the text that this costume allows a shield for them. Using this idea as a comparison, it is similar to 'A Doll's House' because Nora uses her tarantella dress as protective shield from not only Helmer, but herself. Not only does Helmer not know the real Nora, but neither does she, but this realization eventually comes to her towards the final scene.
   We can also see costumes used as protection when Edgar is being chased out of his own house on a false accusation, he is forced to remove most of his clothing to hide his true self. He covers himself in dirt and even cuts himself to to appear as this peasant. He fools not only others around him but his friends and family too. He is seen as nothing but someone of a lower status. Even though this might not seem like justice, it gets him out of death and a terrible situation. This costumes change, or removal, marks Edgar's insanity or him pretending to be insane to stay alive. Edgar goes from a person of royal status to someone of the lowest.
  We can see almost the same image when King Lear is just outside the hovel, during the storm. As this storm rises and continues to shatter the world around them, Lear's mind does the same. He begins to remove his clothes, just like Poor Tom but unlike any of the other two texts. This removal of of costumes also marks the peak of insanity and the peak of where Lear loses himself completely. As he removes his clothes, he removes everything he was, he loses his own self and his own identity. This also can be compared to Nora in a Doll's House where she removes her tarantella costume, she removes the person she was.
   Thus, throughout all three texts of 'A Doll's House' by Ibsen, 'Rear Window' by Alfred Hitchcock and 'King Lear' by William Shakespeare, costumes are evident and have a large impact on characters identities and their personalities. Costumes reflect this through colour, style and even fabric. These costumes allow the audience to connect and get a deeper sense of the character. They really contribute to the development of plots and stories in each of the texts.

Unexpected Endings In The Comparative Texts

Unexpected Ending in Ibsen's 'A Doll's House'

The ending of Ibsen's play 'A Doll's House' is highly unexpected. The ending shows Nora and Helmer arguing about what Nora has done and Helmer's reaction to it, which then leads to Nora walking out leaving Helmer and their children to go and 'educate' herself about the world because up until that point she considered herself a play thing or a doll for her father and then for her husband. Helmer believes however that once the letter comes that exonerates the couple from any legal wrongdoing and blame that things can go back to normal, but they will never go back to the way they were. Nora  realizes even if it could go back to normal it wouldn't be worth going back to as she wasn't truly happy in the old time and it took this time for er to come to this conclusion.

Helmer tries to convince her to stay and she says it would take 'The miracle of miracles" to keep her there and Helmer is hopeful that he can provide such a miracle. But of course he can't the damage has been done and Nora leaves, absolutely shocking the audience as they were expecting Helmer to rescue her and embrace her while the curtains drop providing them with the happy ending they were expecting.

Why is this an unexpected ending?  This is an unexpected ending considering the time this play was written. This would have been a radical idea for the 1870's Victorian era Norwegian audiences at the time as they had a conservative view of religion and family life, the consensus at the time was that a wife/woman's role in the house was to first obey and listen to their father so they could learn to be a good wife for their husband, who would often even be much older than her. Her next role once she was a wife would be to serve her husband, be by his side & do whatever he said and also raise their children while the her husband works. Christine Linde is the exception to this however, she admits that at first she played this role of the traditional Victorian era woman so she could take care of her younger brothers but once her husband died and left her nothing she had to make her own way in the world. This is Nora's inspiration for her next actions. A horrible thought for many in the audiences at the time who would have shared the view of the Victorian era woman as a homemaker not as an independent person with their own life. So shocking in fact that the ending of the play was re-written so that people at the time could see the 'happy' ending that wouldn't shock them.

How does the ending of Ibsen's 'A Doll's House' compare to the other comparative texts?

Unexpected ending in King Lear 

The ending to king Lear in y opinion is the most unexpected ending of the three comparative texts in my opinion as we see the deaths of Lear's three daughters Cordelia, Goneril and Regan as well as the deaths of Edmund and Lear himself. The deaths of Edumnd, Regan and Goneril may have been slightly more expected than the deaths of the others as they were already competing for the throne and it was hinted that they may turn on eachother when the time came.

The deaths of Lear and Cordelia however, are very unexpected as there is a hope that they will overcome the evil sisters and once again regain the power that they once had and good would be restored after the hideous crimes and atrocities that had been committed thus far.

How does the ending of 'king Lear' compare to the other comparative texts? The ending of 'King Lear' is similar to the end of 'A Dolls House' by Ibsen in respect that both are highly unexpected endings, (many characters die unexpectedly in 'King Lear' and Nora laves in 'A Doll's House'). The endings of 'Rear Window' and 'King Lear' are similar as they both have violent endings, ( Many characters die in 'King Lear' and Thorvald breaks into Jeff's apartment and tries to kill him)

How is the ending of 'King Lear' different to the endings of the other texts? Both 'King Lear' and 'Rear Window' have violent endings the ending to Hitchcocks 'Rear Window' however, 'King Lear' leaves any issues unresolved, we don't know who will come to power or if the conflict is over now that the king and his daughters are dead. This is different to 'Rear window' where all issues and questions are resolved at the end; we know Thorvald killed his wife and then buried her around the city and he gets caught and presumably he gets his punishment for this, Jeff is injured in the fall but is otherwise unharmed. So from this we can say the emotion we are left in after these pieces are polar opposites, we are sad about the ending of 'King Lear' but we are glad that everything has a fair ending in 'Rear Window' and we aren't left with any questions about what happens next.

Secrets in 'A Doll's House'

In Ibsen's text ‘A Doll’s House’ secrets are a problem for the main female character Nora. She does not understand the difference between white lies and big lies or secrets. Nora often keeps small secrets from her family, such as when she didn’t want to tell them what gifts she bought or when she didn’t want the children to see the room before it was decorated for Christmas. These secrets and lies are acceptable as they do not have a significant impact on their lives. However for the last eight years she has been keeping a huge secret from her family. The secret is she borrowed money to save Helmer. Not only has she not told anybody about the secret she also forged her father’s signature to get the money from Krogstad.

Her husband disapproves of borrowing money and he is always talking about how much he dislikes Krogstad  as he forged a document long ago. Nora is afraid her secret will come out and ruin her life and relationship with Helmer. In the end her secret does come out but by the end of the text she has come to terms with her crime. She understands that the truth had to come to light and she knows that had Helmer not found out she would have never seen the side of him that surface when he was presented with all the facts. 

Nora keeps many secrets from her husband but does not seem to be so closed off with other people. She is very open with Christine and Krogstad. Nora seems almost proud to tell Christine about what she has done. the same thing happens when Krogstad confronts her about forging her father's signature. Once she has been found out she was proud to tell Krogstad that she did commit the crime. Nora and Dr Rank also seem to have a more open relationship then Nora and Helmer. They keep their own secrets from Helmer and Nora seems to confide in him more then she confides in Helmer. Dr Rank knows more about Christine then Helmer as though Dr Rank and Nora have more open conversations about her past.

Both Nora and Helmer seem to keep keep their fantasies about each other a secret. It was kept a secret until near the end of the text when they both revealed their fantasy. They both hoped that Helmer would have a chance to save Nora. Helmer was given the chance to save her but he did not take this chance. In the end Helmer ended up doing the complete opposite to what they both hoped would happen.




Secrets in King Lear and A Dolls House
There are secret in both King Lear and Rear Window. In Rear Window the secret is a murder. In the apartment across from Jeff a man Thorwald had killed his wife in the middle of the night. Jeff hears the scream and assumes the wife has been killed. Jeff and Lisa know that the wife has been killed but they have no proof.  In King Lear however the secret is the two sisters Goneril and Regan are plotting against their father. Once Lear gave away his land he no longer had any value in the eyes of his daughters. Neither of them wants to have to lok after him or deal with all of his knights in their house. They plot against Lear to get rid of all of his knights and in the end they turn him insane.

In both texts we see love being kept a secret. Jeff cannot tell everyone that he is in love with lisa as they are not married. Lisa decides to sleep over but when she does this we see Jeff keeping them a secret as two unmarried people sleeping together was against social protocol. We also see Thorwald keeping his girlfriend a secret from his wife. in the end this is the reason he killed his wife. Similar to Thorwald, Goneril  in King Lear must keep her feelings for Edmund the son of Gloucester a secret. Goneril is in a loveless marriage with her husband Albany. When she meets Edmund she feels for the first time in her life what love is really like. At this point she no longer wants to be married. Goneril and Edmund secretly plot against Albany in the hopes that one of them can kill him. However Goneril does not know that Edmund is also secretly housing feelings for her sister Regan whose Husband has just died.

In King Lear we see many cases of hidden identities. Both Edgar and Kent have been banished but they both stay in the kingdom but in hiding. Edgar disguises himself as Poor Tom and Kent disguises himself as one of Lear's servants.The fact that they are both there adds dramatic irony to the text as Lear and Gloucester think they are talking to strangers but they are actually talking to an old friend and in Gloucester's case he is speaking to his son. He gets a chance to apologize to his son for banishing him from the kingdom. In the end it is Edgar who saves his father as he stops him from committing suicide on the cliffs of Dover.