Who is the antagonist in A Dolls House?

This is actually a much more complicated question than it first
appears. The antagonist is defined as the character or force who is trying to prevent the
protagonist achieving their goal. Obviously, Nora is the protagonist of this excellent play, but
when we think about what she is trying to achieve, it becomes more complicated. It appears that
Krogstad is the antagonist, as he is threatening Nora's security and position with the knowledge
that he has. Thus we could argue that Nora's aim is to prevent Helmer discovering her fraud and
to keep everything smoothed over in her marriage.

However, when we
come to the final act of this play, and Helmer has discovered the truth, we come to reassess such
conclusions. From what Nora says, we could state that Helmer has been the antagonist all along in
the way that he has kept Nora in a "doll's house," just like her father, and treated her like a
child rather than as an adult:

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Now I look back on it, it's as if I've been living here
like a pauper, from hand to mouth. I performed tricks for you, and you gave me food and drink.
But that was how you wanted it. You and Papa have done m great
wrong.

Thus, arguably, we can say that
it is Helmer who is the true antagonist of the play, as he has constantly acted to prevent Nora
developing a true self or understanding of her own identity.