Krogstad as an Unexpectedly Admirable Character Anonymous 10th Grade

In “A Doll’s House” by Henrik Ibsen, Krogstad is primarily presented as a an antagonist who brings hardship and blackmails Nora. However, Ibsen’s naturalistic style recognises the complexities of characters and allows the audience to view the admirable aspects of Krogstad’s character even though this may not be the most obvious interpretation. Ibsen makes Krogstad such as admirable character by presenting his values and motives as morally sound.

The first way in which Ibsen makes Krogstad so admirable is by portraying his will and determination to work for his family. This is demonstrated through the phrase “I will not fall back down again, but if I do, you can be sure to be dragged down as well”, the use of monosyllabic words creates a threatening tone and, combined with the verb “dragged”, reveals the desperation with which he is willing to fight and illuminates his dedication to his family. By illustrating Krogstad’s motives Ibsen portrays him as an admirable character as he is fervent in his fight to reclaim his reputation for the good of his family.

Another way in which Ibsen presents Krogstad as admirable is that despite societal norms at the time, Krogstad was still willing to loan Nora two hundred and fifty pounds...