Question

read the excerpt from act 3 of a dolls house.
mrs. linde: we have a great deal to talk about.
krogstad: i shouldnt have thought so.
mrs. linde: no, you have never properly understood me.
krogstad: 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?
mrs. linde: do you believe i am as absolutely heartless as all that? and do you believe that i did it with a light heart?
krogstad: didnt you?
mrs. linde: nils, did you really think that?
how does ibsen use dramatic irony to heighten suspense in this scene?
○ mrs. linde knows that she has always loved krogstad, and so does the audience, but krogstad does not know this at the beginning of the scene.
○ mrs. linde knows that she is taking krogstads job, and so does the audience, but krogstad does not know that this will happen.
○ krogstad has always been in love with mrs. linde, and the audience knows it, but mrs. linde does not know this at the beginning of the scene.
○ krogstad is going to try to take his job back from mrs. linde, and the audience knows it, but mrs. linde does not know that this will happen.

Explanation:

Dramatic irony occurs when the audience knows more than one or more characters in a scene, creating suspense. In this excerpt from A Doll's House, the audience can infer Mrs. Linde's lingering affection for Krogstad from her tone and words, but Krogstad starts the scene believing she is a heartless woman who abandoned him for financial gain, unaware of her true feelings. This gap in knowledge builds suspense as the audience waits for Krogstad to learn the truth. The other options are incorrect: Mrs. Linde is not taking Krogstad's job, Krogstad's feelings are clear to him, and there is no indication Krogstad will try to take a job back from her.

Answer:

Mrs. Linde knows that she has always loved Krogstad, and so does the audience, but Krogstad does not know this at the beginning of the scene.