A POISON TREE William Blake

A comparison and analysis of…

A DOLL’S HOUSEA DOLL’S HOUSE Henrik Ibsen

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“From this moment, happiness is not the question; all that

concerns us is to save the remains, the fragments, the

appearance.”

From Torvald’s speech in Act III from A Doll’s House

CHARACTERS FROM A DOLL’S HOUSE …and what they represent in ‘A POISON TREE’

Friend…

Foe…

The narrator

Wrath…

Analysing the titles… metaphor

s

Use of “a…” refers to general

situations

Use of simple words allows reader to guess the content…

- Nora’s words

- Dr Rank’s words

“I have existed merely to perform tricks for you, Torvald. But you wanted it like that. You and father have committed a great sin against me. It is your fault that I have made nothing of my life…our home has been nothing but a playroom. I have been your doll-wife, just as ay home I was father’s doll-child; and here the children have been my dolls.”

A Doll’s House ACT III – Nora’s

speech

“At the next fancy-dress ball I shall be invisible…there is a big black hat – have you never heard of hats that make you invisible? If you put one on, no one can see you.”

A Doll’s House ACT III – Dr.Rank’s

speech

THEMES…

• Unreliability of appearances

• Sacrificial role of women

• Definition of freedom

• Deception

A Poison Tree

-threat posed by Krogstad’s revelations

- poison of deception and hypocrisy that characterises the Helmer marriage

Represents the wrath (the blackmailing) that grows over time.

A POISON TREE…By William Blake

I was angry with my friend:

I told my wrath, my wrath did end.

I was angry with my foe;

I told it not, my wrath did grow.

Nora’s perception

Torvald or stereotypical female

Symbolises Krogstad blackmailing Nora due to the loan

And I watered it in fears,

Night and morning with my tears;

And I sunned it with my smiles

And with soft deceitful wiles.

Nora’s fear of Torvald finding out about the loan

…could be Nora’s playing the role of a wife i.e. doing whatever Torvald wanted her to do

…links to the theme deception

And it grew both day and night,

Till it bore an apple bright;

And my foe beheld it shine,

And he knew that it was mine.

Personification

Represents Nora’s relationship with Torvald

And into my garden stole

When the night had veiled the pole:

In the morning glad I see

My foe outstretched beneath the tree.

-Light

- new beginning

-stereotypical portrayal of females

- Torvald

…suggests that Nora is now “free”

Krogstad or the foe “stole” all of Nora’s happiness

Free. To be free, absolutely free. To spend time playing with the children. To have a clean, beautiful house, the way Torvald likes it.

A DOLL’S HOUSE – ACT I – Nora’s speech