Hedda Gabler and A Doll House are undoubtedly two of Ibsen's most famous and best works. In both cases, the central protagonists are women in strained marriages who do not accept social norms. Both are independent-minded, but Nora in A Doll House still feels strongly about the duty of marriage and motherhood, while Hedda in Hedda Gabler seems to think little of the institution of marriage and duty. Both A Doll House and Hedda Gabler were sensations in their day. A Doll House, written in 1879, was Ibsen's first foray into creating a sensation, which soon became his trademark. His later Ghosts (1881) and Hedda Gabler (1890), among others, were scandals in their day, often even banned for periods of time, although his canon is now widely read around the world. In both works, the female protagonist is in a strained marriage and takes drastic measures to end that relationship. Nora has been married to Torvald for eight years and has three children with him. However, she hides things from him and lies to him, for example, her sweet tooth for macaroons, which he has forbidden her, and, most importantly, the large loan from Krogstad. Nora hides, lies and pleases: she plays Torvald's trophy wife, but still does what he wants. He doesn't do it cruelly, but he does it anyway. As the show progresses, she realizes that their marriage was loveless, more “for show” than anything, and was based on trivial conversations and issues. He tells Torvald: “Eight whole years, no, more, even since we met – and we never exchanged a serious word about serious things… [You] never loved me. You only thought how good it was to be in love with me” (Ibsen 79-80). Nora was Tor's "doll wife" ... middle of paper ... Hedda knows what she wants and uses other people to get it. She is a manipulator, even a murderer in the eyes of some readers. However, the underlying reason he commits the actions he does stems from his desire to ignore his role in society. Once again, like Nora, she makes choices for herself in a society where it is not hers to do so. Both of these dramas revolutionized the nineteenth century. Being a sacred covenant, marriage in this light was seen as imperfect, artificial, perhaps even doomed to disaster. Both comedies also start with endings that aren't as clear or "well done" as the time period required. The reader does not find out what happens to Nora after she leaves, nor what becomes of Tesmond and company after Heddda's suicide; no stasis was achieved. “'I only ask....my business is not to answer,'” Ibsen wrote at one point. And in fact he asks for it with these comedies.