Krogstad

a) What role does Krogstad serve in the play?

Henrik Ibsen presents Krogstad as a antagonist in A Doll's House.
Krogstad used some villainous tactics over the course of the play. Nora had once borrowed money from Krogstad as her family had to take a trip to Italy due to her husband Torvald's health issue. She had forged her father's signature and due to Nora's actions, Krogstad has the ability to blackmail her. He uses this advantage when Torvald wants to replace Mrs Linde for his place in the bank. Krogstad intimidates, blackmails and threatens Nora to persuade Torvald to let him keep his place in the bank or else that he will tell Torvald about Nora's loan and her forgery of her father's signature. Furthermore, his 'villain' like qualities are shown when readers find out that Krogstad has previously committed a crime similar to what Nora has done; forging a signature on a document, although it was relatively a minor crime.

However, this character of Krogstad acts as a catalyst that enables Nora to find her Independence. The character Krogstad leads to conflict between Torvald and Nora, which allow truths to be revealed; this break Nora away from her doll-like character, and Torvald and Nora's false relationship.


b) In what way does Ibsen develop the charater, i.e. how does he change and for what reasons?

Although Krogstad might be presented as an antagonist who constantly asks Nora to pay back and a person who uses Nora's crime in order to benefit oneself in the beginning, as the story develops, readers are able to see that Krogstad is not necessarily a villain. Krogstad just wants to regain his standing in the community. He tells Nora, "I want to rehabilitate myself". Nora, our sympathetic protagonist, is guilty of the exact same thing. After the community turned its back on him, Krogstad was forced into the unsavory business of money lending and black mailing in order to support his family. In a way, it was the community's close-minded lack of forgiveness that created him. Here again we see the central motif of all of Ibsen's plays: the individual vs. society. Also readers are able to see that Krogstad is not without sympathy for her. One of the most poignant moments between the two is when they commiserate about their suicidal thoughts. He tells her, "Most of us think of that at first. I did, too – but I hadn't the courage". She replies quietly, "No more had I". And he also says, “Even money-lenders, hacks, well, a man like me, can have a little of what you call feeling, you know.” He visits Nora to check on her, and he discourages her from committing suicide. Moreover, Krogstad has reasonable motive for behaving as he does: he wants to keep his job at the bank in order to spare his children from the hardships that come with a spoiled reputation. Unlike Torvald, who seems to desire respect for selfish reasons, Krogstad desires it for his family’s sake.

The biggest change we come across while studing the character of Krogstad, is while Krogstad and Mrs Linde is having a conversation in the opening of Act 3. As soon as Mrs Linde tells him that she has always loved him and asks him to resume their relationship, he reveals himself as a more loving, joyful and merciful character. He is even willing to give up his place in the bank and take his letter that tells Torvald about what Nora has done. The biggest reason that led to Krogstad's change in character would be Mrs LInde.


c) What themes does the character assist conveying to the audience?