Examine the role of Dr. Rank in A Doll's House.

In the play A Doll’s House, Henrik Ibsen includes Dr. Rank, a seemingly insignificant yet underappreciated character. This particular name is integral to the dramatist’s elaborate characterization of his role. The meaning of the word rank is twofold: it can refer to the high classification of someone or to the offensive characteristics they possess. Dr. Rank is often looked down upon for confessing his love to Nora, a married woman, but it can’t go unnoticed that he holds a reputable profession as a doctor. However, he is an ill, dying character which gives readers the impression that he has limited significance and no resolution. Ironically, he is someone who can cure others but not himself. Ibsen sets a mysterious tone by presenting us with the dichotomous nature of this character. The playwright wouldn’t include him in the play if he was entirely unimportant, begging the understanding of his role. Dr. Rank’s contribution to the play consists of stimulating the development of Nora’s character and accentuating her conflict. He accomplishes this by characterizing Dr. Rank as a harbinger of Nora’s fate and by providing him with a reality parallel to that of Nora.