NORA HELMER 

(Female 25-30) The frustrated heroine, wife of Torvald, mother of three

 

The protagonist of the play and the wife of Torvald Helmer. She is the central pivot of the story and on stage the whole of the play. It is a colossal role for an actor to play. Nora initially seems like a playful, naïve child who lacks knowledge of the world outside her home. However, she is cunning and shrewd.  She does have some worldly experience, however, and the small acts of rebellion in which she engages indicate that she is not as innocent or happy as she appears. She comes to see her position in her marriage with increasing clarity and finds the strength to free herself from her oppressive situation. She gets sick of her marriage, the man to which she thought she loved and grows more and more wilful, strong and open to what she wants. In the end, she disapproves of men in general on how they treat women in society. She is a tower of strength at the end. This is a great challenge for an actor.  

 

TORVALD HELMER 

 (Male, 35-40) Nora’s devoted husband, ambitious bank manager

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Nora’s husband. Torvald delights in his new position at the bank, just as he delights in his position of authority as a husband. He treats Nora like a child, in a manner that is both kind and patronizing. He does not view Nora as an equal but rather as a plaything or doll to be teased and admired. She is but a Doll to him. And he treats and speaks to her in a manner that is quite demeaning. In general, Torvald is overly concerned with his place and status in society, and he allows his emotions to be swayed heavily by the prospect of society’s respect and the fear of society’s scorn. He does not show any love or care for his children. They are just there for him.  

 

NILS KROGSTAD 

 (Male 35-40) Dishonest and desperate employee of Torvald

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A lawyer who went to school with Torvald and holds a subordinate position at Torvald’s bank.  Krogstad’s character is contradictory: though his bad deeds seem to stem from a desire to protect his children from scorn, he is perfectly willing to use unethical tactics to achieve his goals. He is cunning and cruel in the end. He is willing to do anything to be better than Torvald. When they went to school, Krogstad and Torvald had a fight, and it ended up with Torvald on the ground. This foreshadows on how Krogstad is willing to go the distance to achieve his goals. His willingness to allow Nora to suffer is despicable, but his claims to feel sympathy for her and the hard circumstances of his own life compel us to sympathize with him to some degree. It appears that Krogstad still has an affection for Kristine Linde.  

 

MRS LINDE 

 (Female 35-40) Old friend of Nora, widowed and fallen on hard times 

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Nora’s childhood friend. She is a proud woman. She had a fling with Krogstad and ended it because she could see no future in his prospects.  Kristine Linde is a practical, down-to-earth woman, and her sensible worldview highlights Nora’s somewhat childlike outlook on life. Mrs. Linde’s account of her life of poverty underscores the privileged nature of the life that Nora leads. Also, we learn that Mrs. Linde took responsibility for her sick parent, whereas Nora abandoned her father when he was ill. 

 

DR RANK 

 (Male 45-60) Wealthy family friend, infatuated with Nora 

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Torvald’s best friend. Dr. Rank stands out as the one character in the play who is by and large unconcerned with what others think of him. He is also notable for his stoic acceptance of his fate. Unlike Torvald and Nora, Dr. Rank admits to the diseased nature (literally, in his case) of his life. For the most part, he avoids talking to Torvald about his imminent death out of respect for Torvald’s distaste for ugliness. He is secretly in love with Nora and idolises her in every turn. He wants to be with Nora before he dies and this motivates him to kiss her.  

 

ANNE-MARIE 

 (Female 50’s) Older nursemaid and Nanny to Nora’s children 

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The Helmers’ nanny. Though Ibsen doesn’t fully develop her character, Anne-Marie seems to be a kindly woman who has genuine affection for Nora. She had to give up her own daughter in order to take the nursing job offered by Nora’s father. Thus, she shares with Nora and Mrs. Linde the act of sacrificing her own happiness out of economic necessity. 

 

THE CHILDREN: Bob, Emmy, and Ivar - Nora and Torvald’s three small children. They are never seen and therefore, not cast. They are spoken to and the audience can hear them playing in the other room.