The typical type of play that was popular at the time that Ibsen wrote A Doll's House contained the same type of characters: the aggressive father, the innocent damsel-in-distress type, the jealous husband, the loyal friend, guilty secrets and unfound identities. In these types of plays, there was always a moral and the audience left with the problem solved and a happy ending. Ibsen adopted these basic techniques but he changed the characters. The characters in A Doll's House are superficial on the outside but less so on the inside. They are complicated people and the problems that we see them face, are like the ones we would be experiencing. .
One of the structural techniques used in Ibsen's work is placing the most important events before the play even starts. Instead of seeing Nora's "scandal" take place during the play, we come to understand what has happened through her conversations with Mrs Linde. Nora's loan from Krogstad is the main event going on before the play starts. Other events include, Krogstads past crime that has jeopardised his chance at getting a new job, Mrs Linde and her past relationship with Krogstad and Dr Ranks illness. .
The play is set over a period of three days and it takes place in the same setting, the Helmer's living room. The main characters are closely linked together in some way and there is a juxtaposition between all five different lives. There is never a point in the play where one character can do something without affecting the others. Even the maid has her affects. She acts as the "comforter" in the house, for whenever there is danger, Nora will give the children to the maid, because she feels they are not safe in her charge. .
The play is split into three acts and each act ends at a pivotal moment in the play. This maybe a technique used in order to keep the audience intrigued. Throughout the three acts, however, there are pauses in the action of the play.