Ibsen's A Doll's House was first published and performed in 1879. The play revolves around the Helmer family. When an outsider threatens to reveal one of Nora Helmer's past actions, her illusions about marriage and loyalty are shattered. This play is an early depiction of female independence.

Swedish playwright August Strindberg was a contemporary of Ibsen. His play Miss Julie is one of his most notable works. It focuses on Julie, a young aristocratic woman who has a brief affair with her father's valet. In this play, Strindberg blends dramatic naturalism with his unique approach to psychology. With such works, Strindberg contributed to the development of Expressionist drama in Europe.

George Bernard Shaw's play Mrs. Warren's Profession (1898) centers on a young woman's discovery that her mother's escape from poverty was through prostitution, and that her mother continues to have financial interests in several brothels. Learning these harsh truths forces the young woman to reconsider her relationship with her mother and others.

Irish playwright John Millington Synge also explored unsentimental studies of his people's character. His 1907 comedy, The Playboy of the Western World, like The Wild Duck, was initially unpopular with local audiences but has since been recognized as a masterpiece. It focuses on a young Irishman whose claim of having murdered his father earns him considerable admiration.