In the play A Doll's House, by Henrik Ibsen, Nora and Torvald's marriage appears to have been torn apart by Krogstad's extortion plot, but in reality , their marriage would have ended even without the events of the play. Torvald's obsession with his public appearance would eventually lead him to break off the marriage. Nora's need for identity will ultimately drive her to leave Torvald even without Krogstad's plot. Finally, the amount of deceit and dishonesty between Torvald and Nora would have led to the same conclusion sooner or later. In this essay, I will argue that Nora and Torvald's relationship would have ended even without Krogstad's extortion plot. Torvald is extremely cautious about how he is perceived by others. He would Even though it seems that without Krogstad's extortion plan, Nora would never have developed her need for an identity, but she showed signs of a new identity long before Krogstad attempted to extort from Nora her work. At the beginning of the play, we already see Nora defying Torvald's wishes by eating macaroons. Not only that, but when Torvald reminds Nora of last Christmas and how Nora "locked herself up every night, until after midnight, to make flowers for the Christmas tree" (1.125-127). Nora told Torvald that she "wasn't bored at all" (1.129). This small act of defiance toward Torvald may seem like nothing special, but it's a subtle hint that Nora no longer wants to be Torvald's plaything. Another example of challenge occurs right after, when Nora discusses her loan with Mrs. Linde. Nora was extremely delighted when she spoke of her loan of four thousand eight hundred crowns. She even describes the loan as something she is “proud and happy about” (1.316). Not only was Torvald's wish to have no debt defied by Nora's own action, but she has a sense of pride and believes that her actions were justified without any input from Torvald. Nora taking out the loan was her first step towards maturity and independence and it instilled in Nora's mind the need for an identity different from that of Torvald. Krogstad's extortion plot likely accelerated. Nora and Torvald live in a world of lies and both are not honest with each other and themselves. At the beginning of the play, Torvald and Nora are described as a perfect couple with a perfect life. We see Nora returning home after a day of shopping and is greeted lovingly by her husband. Although they seemed to have had financial problems in the past, Torvald just got a new job as a bank manager and everything seemed to be going well, but behind the scenes, nothing is going well. Nora took out a loan, which Torvald would have forbidden. Not only that, but she tricks Torvald by pretending it was his father's money and she continues to trick him into making his payments. Another reason Nora keeps Torvald out of her secret is that she needed something "to lean on" (1.371), something which is very strange if they truly loved each other. Torvald also deceives Nora in several ways, such as claiming that he is much more honorable than Krogstad even though he would also do the same thing if he were in the same situation. Not only that, but he unjustifiably fires Krogstad just to keep him from telling people his school nickname since his public appearance is his biggest priority. These lies will eventually unravel even without Krogstad's help since both characters