In the play A Doll's House, by Henrik Ibsen, Nora and Torvald's marriage appears to have been destroyed by Krogstad's extortion plot, but in reality their marriage would also have ended without the events in the show. Torvald's obsession with his public appearance will eventually lead him to break up the marriage. Nora's need for an identity will eventually lead her to leave Torvald even without Krogstad's plot. Ultimately, the amount of deception 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 plan. Torvald is extremely cautious about how he is perceived by other people. She would, although it might seem that without Krogstad's extortion plan, Nora would never have developed her need for an identity, but she showed signs of a new identity well before Krogstad tried to extort Nora of her job. At the beginning of the play, Nora is already seen defying Torvald's wishes by eating macaroons. Not only that, but when Torvald reminds Nora of last Christmas and how Nora "locked herself away every evening, until well past midnight, making flowers for the Christmas tree" (1.125-127). Nora told Torvald that she was "not bored at all" (1.129). This small act of defiance towards Torvald may not seem like anything special, but it is a subtle hint that Nora no longer wants to be Torvald's toy. Another example of defiance occurs soon after, when Nora discusses her loan with Mrs. Linde. Nora was extremely ecstatic when she talked about 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 is Torvald's desire to be debt-free challenged by Nora's action, but she has a sense of pride and believes that her actions were justified without any input from Torvald. Accepting the loan for Nora was her first step towards maturity and independence and instilled in Nora's mind the need for an identity other than Torvald's. Krogstad's extortion plot likely accelerated. Both 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. Nora is seen returning home after a day of shopping and is lovingly welcomed by her husband. Even though it seemed like they had some 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 right. Nora asked for a loan, which Torvald would have forbidden. Not only that, but he deceives Torvald by claiming it was his father's money and continues to deceive him into making his payments. Another reason why Nora keeps Torvald out of her secret is because she needed something to "fall back on" (1.371), something that would be very strange if they really loved each other. Torvald also deceives Nora in many ways, such as claiming to be much more honorable than Krogstad, even though he would do the same thing if he were in the same situation. Not only that, but he unjustifiably fires Krogstad just to prevent him from revealing his nickname to people at school since his public appearance is his top priority. These lies will eventually untangle themselves even without Krogstad's help as both characters