Considered the forerunner of Western dramatic criticism, Aristotle's notes on The Poetics arm modern readers with the language by which tragedy is evaluated and judged. In this essay, I will examine how Aristotle's classical view of tragedy flourishes in modern plays such as Henrik Ibsen's A Doll House. In particular, I will argue that Ibsen's form of realism uses Aristotle's ideal of plot as "that which is capable of happening according to the rule of probability or necessity" to achieve social or political reaction where the tension between Nora and her audience allows her to be represented. as a tragic character (Aristotle p. 127). The focus here is not on Nora and Torvald's story of female exploitation, but rather on how the play's three-act plot structure adds to the fear and pity of 'a dramatic tragedy. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why violent video games should not be banned"? Get an original essay From the beginning, Ibsen faces a conflict between illustrating a "realistic" story supported by historical, internal details , external and subconscious between the characters. and the need to boil down to only the details necessary for the plot to convey a strong social message. Without artistic selectivity, the play would have to develop every detail contributing to Nora's subservient disposition. Nora's father, mother, Mr. Krogstad, Mrs. Linde, and all the other characters would have an equal right to representation, and Nora would be nothing more than loose connective tissue. Aristotle considers this problem when he states that the beginning of a tragedy "need not follow anything else," so that the plot is not distracted and lost in a mass of introductory details. Rather, the play should find a starting point where “after it, something else is or occurs naturally” (Aristotle p. 127). From the beginning of the play, Nora has experienced a long history of subjugation to Torvald and his father, which Ibsen effectively conveys through a single event, the loan fiasco. Another Aristotelian element evident in A Doll's House is peripeteia, or the "change of what is undertaken to the opposite of the manner previously indicated" (Aristotle, p. 128). Ibsen depicts the incident through a series of causes and effects with predictable consequences. For example, Nora's naivety in signing Krogstad's loan in her father's name and Krogstad's precarious job situation create a situation in which Nora's secret can be revealed. The audience can see the inevitable consequence of Nora's actions, feeling Aristotle's "fear and pity" towards her. Each act has a twist: in the first, Nora and the audience come to understand that Nora's idyllic relationship with Torvald is a farce; in the second, it is Nora's wish to resolve the problem that causes it to arise; in the third, that Torvald will not forgive him, putting an end to the dream of the "most wonderful thing" which must necessarily end their relationship. Ibsen achieves these revelations in just three acts, using carefully programmed characters and aesthetic selectivity. Nora demonstrates many characteristics of Aristotle's tragic character. While the predicted disaster in Nora's relationship with Torvald can be said to inspire public fear, her inability to stop or prevent the collapse inspires public pity. She is "neither a model of virtue and justice", nor does she "undergo the change which leads to unhappiness because of actual wickedness or wickedness, but because of error" (Aristotle p. 129). Nora believes, 2007. 548-71.