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Why did the ending of A Doll’s House scandalize audiences?

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Portrait of Henrik Ibsen, Norwegian dramatist and poet, with glasses, prominent sideburns, and formal attire, photographed in 1901. — Henrik Ibsen Norwegian dramatist and poet Henrik Ibsen.

The ending of A Doll’s House scandalized contemporary audiences primarily because Henrik Ibsen refused to provide a "happy ending," which was the standard expectation for plays of that era.1

In the final scene, after discovering that his wife, Nora Helmer, committed fraud to save his life, Torvald reacts with outrage and prioritizes his own social reputation over their marriage. Disillusioned by her husband’s hypocrisy, Nora declares her independence and leaves both him and their children, famously slamming the door behind her.21

By rejecting a contrived or "shoddy" resolution in favor of a conclusion centered on self-discovery and personal integrity, Ibsen challenged the social conventions of his time. This departure from tradition, combined with the depiction of a woman abandoning her domestic duties, led many critics to denounce the play as a desecration of sacred social and family values.1