A Doll's House: Act III

by Henrik Ibsen
Nora Helmer appears to be a happy wife and mother—but when someone from her past threatens to reveal a devastating secret, Nora must reevaluate the assumptions she made about her marriage. Read the full text here.

Here are links to our lists for the play: Act I, Act II, Act III
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. jilt
    cast aside capriciously or unfeelingly
    Was there anything else to understand except what was obvious to all the world — a heartless woman jilts a man when a more lucrative chance turns up?
  2. prospect
    the possibility of future success
    We couldn't wait for you, Nils; your prospects seemed hopeless then.
  3. imply
    express or state indirectly
    You seemed to me to imply that with me you might have been quite another man.
  4. elapse
    pass by
    But twenty-four hours have elapsed since then, and in that time I have witnessed incredible things in this house.
  5. disclose
    expose to view as by removing a cover
    This unhappy secret must be disclosed; they must have a complete understanding between them, which is impossible with all this concealment and falsehood going on.
  6. apparition
    something existing in perception only
    I took my charming little Capri maiden--my capricious little Capri maiden, I should say--on my arm; took one quick turn round the room; a curtsey on either side, and, as they say in novels, the beautiful apparition disappeared.
  7. captivating
    attracting and holding interest as if by a spell
    And it makes you more captivating than ever.
  8. disengage
    release from something that holds fast or entangles
    Nora [disengages herself, and says firmly and decidedly]. Now you must read your letters, Torvald.
  9. unfathomable
    impossible to come to understand
    Never! Never! — Ah! the icy, black water — the unfathomable depths — If only it were over!
  10. unscrupulous
    without principles
    I am in the power of an unscrupulous man; he can do what he likes with me, ask anything he likes of me, give me any orders he pleases — I dare not refuse.
  11. appease
    cause to be more favorably inclined; gain the good will of
    I must try and appease him some way or another.
  12. consternation
    sudden shock or dismay that causes confusion
    You must not think anymore about the hard things I said in my first moment of consternation, when I thought everything was going to overwhelm me.
  13. repudiate
    cast off
    Can you suppose I should ever think of such a thing as repudiating you, or even reproaching you?
  14. reproach
    express criticism towards
    Can you suppose I should ever think of such a thing as repudiating you, or even reproaching you?
  15. abyss
    a bottomless gulf or pit
    An abyss has opened between us — there is no denying it.
Created on Mon Jun 10 13:32:50 EDT 2013 (updated Thu Jul 17 19:45:11 EDT 2025)

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