ACT 2
Act 2 opens with Nora alone, obsessively checking the door and mailbox for any sign of a visitor, then receiving a cardboard box of a torn fancy‑dress from the nurse. She argues with the nurse about the dress and the children’s dependence on her, and decides to ask Mrs Linde for help. Mrs Linde arrives, mends the dress, and they discuss the upcoming costume ball, Doctor Rank’s illness, and the mysterious “rich admirer” who is actually a lie. Nora presses Mrs Linde to reveal that Krogstad was the source of the loan.
Later Torvald enters. Nora repeats her desperate request that he keep Krogstad’s position at the bank so she can repay the loan. Torvald declares he has already arranged for Mrs Linde to take Krogstad’s job and refuses to intervene, accusing Nora of obstinacy. He argues that his reputation and authority would be damaged if he yielded to Krogstad’s pressure. He sends the maid with a letter and money to dismiss Krogstad, and Nora frantically begs him to recall the messenger, but he insists it is too late.
Doctor Rank arrives, revealing that he is dying from a “consumption of the spine” inherited from his immoral father. He discusses his impending death, his desire to leave a “black cross” card, and his fascination with Nora, while Nora clings to him for reassurance.
Krogstad then appears, demanding an explanation for Nora’s silence about his dismissal. He hints that he knows about the forged signature and warns that the letter he will send will expose her. He pressures Nora to obtain Torvald’s assistance in reinstating him at the bank, threatening to ruin her reputation if she does not cooperate. Nora, terrified, tries to enlist Mrs Linde as a witness to her sole responsibility for the forgery.
The scene shifts to frantic preparations for the Tarantella. Nora, Torvald, Rank, and Mrs Linde rehearse; Nora’s anxiety intensifies as she insists Torvald not read any letters. The maid serves dinner, and the characters dance wildly while Rank and Torvald alternately accompany Nora at the piano. Amid the chaos, Krogstad slips the incriminating letter into the mailbox; Nora discovers it and, in a hysterical outburst, realizes her secret is about to be revealed. She urges Mrs Linde to become her witness, fearing she may lose her mind or die before the truth is known.