Comparison Between Medea And A Doll's House

1605 Words7 Pages
Through various rituals, such as oaths and vows, men and women have promised through marriage to abide by the laws created by society and altered through time. In literature, the theme of marriage has always been an important ingredient because it questions the role of wives and husbands in this “sacred union”. In the two texts – “Medea” by Euripides and “A Doll’s House” by Henrik Ibsen, ‘marriage’ is the focal point around which becomes the crux of the tragedy. ‘Medea’ and ‘A Doll’s House’ are set in different eras, but Medea and Nora, the chief protagonists of the stories respectively, find themselves in marriages that have difficulties and complications and even betrayal. The husbands wield power over their wives because society permits them to do so. Both the stories, whose protagonists are poles apart in nature, are expertly narrated. On one side we have a fiery Medea plotting against her infidel husband while, on the other side, we have an apparently submissive Nora who gilds her marriage with sugary deception. Henrik Ibsen’s play “A Doll’s House” dances around what love is, what a marriage is and what comprises a healthy marriage. The chief protagonist of the play, Nora, is a bubbly, cheerful, full-of-life woman who is completely in love with her husband, Torvald Helmer. In the play Nora and Torvald exist in their marriage in stereotypical roles of their time. Torvald is the breadwinner and head of the household who is also in charge of taking care of Nora, scolding her when she spends money carelessly and keeping her under his control at all times. On the other hand, Nora is expected to sing and flit about the house at the convenience of her husband and be dependent on him at all times. But when he retreats into his study she is not to disturb him. In contrast to Henrik Ibsen’s play, in Euripides’ ‘Medea’ the relationship between Medea, the
Open Document