Henrik Ibsen was a 19th-century playwright who pioneered realism in theater. He wrote at a time when very specific gender roles dominated life, particularly for women, who found themselves tied to their homes and husbands, without a voice of their own. The influence of this society is evident in Ibsen's works, many of which seek to analyze and criticize different aspects of it. Ibsen did not hesitate to question even the most widely accepted societal norms; this led many of his pieces to become extremely controversial. The main plays are A Doll's House and Hedda Gabler. However, Ibsen himself said: "A doll's house is a social problem play, while Hedda Gabler is only a problem play." » Although these plays and their protagonists are quite similar, they are fundamentally completely different. One focuses on societal norms, while the other focuses on the actions of its protagonist. The social climate of the late 19th century was still strongly governed by Victorian values, which is clearly depicted in both plays. An example of this is the great disgust we feel towards expressions of sexuality. People, especially women, were expected to be almost completely covered when leaving their rooms. It was also not acceptable to bring up anything mildly sexual in conversation, or to write about it. Whenever something of this nature was brought up, it had to be in the form of subtle euphemisms; a clear example of this in Hedda Gabler is the numerous references to Hedda having "filled the journey" (p. 162) during her honeymoon with George, to refer to her presumed pregnancy. The most prevalent aspect of societal constraints at the time, however, is the weight of the gender role ... middle of paper ... that he faces, and the devious way in which she handles it. Hedda Gabler and A Doll's House are two plays strongly linked by similar protagonists. Both also took place in what was then a modern society, amid restrictive Victorian values; values ​​such as the suppression of sexuality and the relegation of the sexes to traditional roles. The difference is that one of the protagonists, Nora Helmer, is just a vehicle for a frank critique of society. This, coupled with the realistic nature of the play, is what makes the play so powerful and what makes it difficult for 19th century audiences to accept. The other, Hedda Tesman, is herself the subject of the play in which she appears; the society she lives in only adds to the effect of realism to draw the audience into the play and acts as a complement to her, highlighting the characteristics that make her so unique..