Notes on "Hedda Gabler" Lecture

Introduction

• Playwright: Henrik Ibsen
• First Performance: 1891
• Genre: Tragic play

Act 1

• Characters Introduced:
  • Hedda Gabler: Main character, newly married
  • George Tessman: Hedda's husband, a historian
  • Miss Juliana Tessman: George's aunt, raised him
  • Mrs. Elvsted: A former classmate of Hedda's, in love with Eilert Lovborg
  • Judge Brack: George's friend and rival
• Setting: Return to Norway after six months abroad
• Plot Points:
  • Tension between the bourgeois Miss Tessman and Hedda; Miss Tessman's discomfort as a socialite
  • Mrs. Elvsted’s relationship with Eilert Lovborg is revealed
  • Eilert's recent sobriety and success become a competition for George's professorship

Act 2

• Plot Development:
  • Judge Brack returns to discuss the party with George
  • Eilert arrives and reveals he has a new manuscript
  • Tension builds as Hedda attempts to drive a wedge between Eilert and Mrs. Elvsted
• Symbolism:
  • Vine leaves mentioned as romantic symbolism, referring to Hedda's past with Eilert

Act 3

• Events:
  • Morning scenes reveal conflict and tension following the previous night
  • Eilert's downfall as he grapples with drunkenness and the loss of his manuscript
  • Hedda encourages Eilert’s destructive thoughts, lending him a pistol
• Symbolism:
  • Vine leaves versus the stark reality of Eilert's actions
• Themes:
  • Hedda's romanticized view of Eilert contrasts with his current condition

Act 4

• Major Turning Point:
  • Aunt Rina dies; reveals Hedda's destructive actions (burning Eilert's manuscript)
  • Mrs. Elvsted and George work to reconstruct Eilert's work
  • Eilert’s attempted suicide confirmed
• Themes and Symbols:
  • The manuscript acts as a symbol of Eilert’s potential and connections to others
  • Guns symbolize both power and despair; pivotal in Hedda's fate

Key Themes

• Boredom of the Idle Rich:
  • Hedda's manipulations stem from her existential boredom
  • Critique of high society and the lack of fulfillment
• Power & Powerlessness:
  • Hedda’s grasp for control shown in her interactions
  • Her sense of power is often derived from the misery of others
• Sexism & Liberation:
  • Repressive structures confine Hedda, limiting her choices and freedom
  • Other female characters respond differently to societal constraints

Conclusion

• Audience Reception:
  • Controversial in Ibsen's time and remains relevant
  • Critics noted Hedda's complex, contradictory nature
  • Play expresses themes prevalent in women's struggles against societal limitations and expectations.

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