Huadan is a role for a vivacious maiden, a young woman with a frank and open personality, or a woman of questionable character.

Caidan, also called Choudan, represents clownish and cunning females. The performance of this part calls for exuberance.

Laodan usually represents aged women. He/She sings in their natural voices, in a style similar to that of Laosheng but in milder tones. In some types of opera, Laodan is called Fudan or Bodan.

- Red stands for loyalty and general goodness (and hence is virtually the national colour of China). Black stands for wisdom and bravery. Gold and silver represent the supernatural.
- Pink powder (which symbolizes humor) is applied to their cheeks.

Face-painting –The make-up that the Beijing Opera puts on the actor's face also has a special characteristic for displaying the character of the specific role. Using particular colors on the actor's face to symbolize their character and quality, role and destiny is not only the major characteristic of Beijing Opera, but also the key to understand the opera's plot.

Beijing Opera Make-up

The colour of the paint on the actors’ face gives you a clue to his or her character:

Red stands for loyalty and general goodness (and hence is virtually the national colour of China).

Black stands for wisdom and bravery.

Gold and silver represent the supernatural.

Yellow and white represent cunning and treachery

Green and blue a rebellious streak, pride, cruelty or lack of self control (the typical rebel against the Dynasty).

The proportion of the face covered in that colour indicates the degree to which they embody that characteristic.

Like many other parts of Beijing Opera, make-up is determined by convention, a Beijing Opera buff can probably tell a character from their make-up.

Meanwhile, Dr. Rank, a family friend, flirts with Nora before revealing that he is terminally ill with Tuberculosis of the spine (a contemporary euphemism for congenital syphilis), with only a month to live, and that he has been secretly in love with her. Frightened of being fired by Torvald, Krogstad approaches Nora, declaring he no longer cares about the remaining balance of her loan but will preserve the bond to blackmail Torvald into keeping him employed. Krogstad informs Nora that he has written a letter detailing her crime and puts it in Torvald's mailbox, which is locked.

Nora tells Christine of her predicament. Christine says that she and Krogstad were in love before she married, and promises she will convince him to relent.

Torvald tries to check his mail before he and Nora go to a New Year's party, but Nora distracts him by showing him the dance she has been rehearsing for the party. Torvald declares that he will postpone reading his mail until the evening. Alone, Nora contemplates suicide to save her husband from the shame of the revelation of her crime, and more important to pre-empt any gallant gesture on his part to "save" her.

Christine tells Krogstad that she only married her husband because she had no other means to support her sick mother and young siblings, and that she has returned to offer him her love again. Krogstad is moved and offers to take back his letter to Torvald. However, Christine decides that Torvald should know the truth for the sake of his and Nora's marriage.

Back from the party, Doctor Rank gives his letters of death to the Helmers, and Nora talks to him as if nothing is going to happen. Torvald goes to check the mail; Nora does everything to stop him but fails. Torvald goes to read his letters and Nora prepares to take her life. Before she has the opportunity, Torvald intercepts her, confronting her with Krogstad's letter. In his rage, he declares that he is now completely in Krogstad's power—he must yield to Krogstad's demands and keep quiet about the whole affair. He berates Nora, calling her a dishonest and immoral woman and telling her she is unfit to raise their children. He says that their marriage will be kept only to maintain appearances.

A maid enters, delivering a letter to Nora. Krogstad has returned the incriminating papers, saying that he regrets his actions. Torvald is jubilant, telling Nora he is saved as he burns the papers. He takes back his harsh words to his wife and tells her that he has forgiven her. He also explains to her that her mistake makes her all the more precious to him because it reveals an adorable helplessness, and that when a man has forgiven his wife it makes him love her all the more since she is the recipient of his generosity. (WHAT THE HECK!)

By now Nora has realized that her husband is not the man she thought he was, and that her whole existence has been a lie. Her fantasy of love is just that—a fantasy. Torvald's love is highly conditional. She has been treated like a plaything, first by her father and then by her husband. She decides that she must leave to find out who she is and what to make of her life. (FIGURING OUT HER REAL IDENTITY!) Torvald insists she must fulfill her duty as a wife and mother, but Nora believes she also has duties to herself. From Torvald's reaction to Krogstad's letters, Nora sees that she and Torvald are strangers to each other. When Torvald asks if there is still any chance for them to rebuild their marriage, she replies that it would take "the greatest miracle of all": they would have to change so much that their life together would become a real marriage.

The play ends with Nora leaving, while Torvald hopefully ponders the possibility of "the greatest miracle of all", punctuated by an infamous door slam.