One of humanity's most primal instincts is to gain power and authority. In the past, power was obtained through fear, but as humans progressed, they created money, the symbol of power. Henrick Ibsen, the author of A Doll's House, was born in 1828 to a wealthy family, but soon lost his social status due to his family's bankruptcy. Ibsen soon learned that money played a huge role in society, especially in Norway. Dürrenmatt, author of The Visit, instead had a pessimistic vision of post-war Europe and the general corruptibility of justice. Both authors imprinted their previously held views into their corresponding literature. Regardless, both plays use money as a motive for revenge and control. The motif conveys effects such as altering people's opinions, changing a society's power hierarchy, and destroying a person's reputation. The effect leads to the creation of a society based on corruption because money controls society rather than ethics. Ibsen and Dürrenmatt believe that conveying this message to the masses is harmful because ethics rather than money should be the basis of a utilitarian society. A doll's house is based on a semi-aristocratic lifestyle where the family culture is centered on money and materialistic objects. Nora, the protagonist, makes decisions based on morality and personal choices, while Nora's husband, Torvald, makes decisions based on money by illustrating foil characters. Furthermore, Torvald accuses Krogstad, the antagonist, of participating in irregularities such as money laundering, who in turn blackmails Nora under the premise of money to protect her life and even improve it. However, Kristine, Nora's partner, is a woman thrown by fate who marries for money rather than for love and yet... in the middle of paper... of the hierarchy of a society. While similar in nature, both works have distinct differences that reflect their time period, society, and the society's cultural focus. For example, A Doll's House uses money to reveal its corrupting effects on society, but ultimately focuses on women's struggle to achieve equality in 1800s Norwegian society, whose cultural goal is to subjugate women. This cultural focus can also be traced and matched to the time period because in the 1800s women had no rights both politically and culturally. On the other hand, The Visit uses money to reveal corruption in society, but focuses on the human ability to distinguish between right and wrong. Works Cited Dürrenmatt, Freidrich. The visit. Trans. Patrick Bowles. New York: Groove Press, 1956. Print Ibsen, Henril. A doll's house. Trans. Rolf Campi. New York: Signet Classics, 1992. Print.