The Character of Hedda

Eng. 272

April 19, 2005

Mr. Turner

The Character of Hedda

Henrik Ibsen's play Hedda Gabler portrays the life of a young newlywed woman named

Hedda and her attemps to overpower the people around her. Ibsen succsessfully depicts the

very masculine traits that Hedda displays throughout the play with not wanting to conform to

the feminine ways or the accepted stereotypes of her gender in her society. Hedda's marriage

to her husband, Mr. Tesman, only increases her desire for power because it is a constant re-

minder that she now "belongs" to Mr. Tesman which Hedda resents. Hedda considers her life

to be boring and finds solace in playing with her father's pistols, which is considered not a thing

for a young lady to do and a very inappropriate form of entertainment for a woman. Hedda is a

person that displays characteristics of masculinity and jealousy, and is shown to be very

unconcerned about the fellings of others she may incounter.

The play begins with Miss. Tesman, Mr. Tesman's Aunt, greeting her nephew after his

six month wedding-tour. They speak briefly about his journey, and Miss. Tesman comments

several times about his new beautiful wife and how lucky he is to have been the one that was

choosen out of all her other suitors to carry off the lovely Hedda Gabler. Soon after Hedda

enters the room, she has already insulted Tesman's Aunt by implying that her bonnet is the

servants: Hedda-"Look there! She has left her old bonnet lying on the chair" Tesman-"But

Hedda, thats aunt Julia's bonnet" Miss Tesman-"Yes, indeed it's mine. And, what's more it's

not old, Madam Hedda" (Act I). Hedda again shows her disconcern when her husband tries

to show her the slippers that his aunt has made for him as a gift: Hedda- "Thanks, I really

don't care about it" Tesman- "Only think-as ill as she was, Aunt Rina embroidered these for me.

Oh you can't think of how many associations cling to them" Hedda - "Scarcely for me"(Act I).

Hedda pretends to befriend Mrs. Thea Elvsted ( a schoolmate from her youth) in order to

solicit her confidence about her situation with an old friend of Mr.Tesman and an old flame of

hers, Eilert Lovborg, who was a drunk back in the day, but has cleaned up his act and has

recently written a book and moved back into town. Mrs. Elvsted has asked Mr. Tesman to

kind of keep an eye on Lovborg now that he has moved back, since they were such great

friends in the old days and are interested in the same studies. Mr. Tesman assures her

that he will do all he can. Hedda, on the other hand, has a feeling Mrs. Elvsted is covering

something up and insist that Tesman go write him and invite him over. Now that she is alone

with Mrs. Elvsted she convinces her to confide in her the truth about her and Lovborg: Hedda-

"Why, weren't we schoolfellows?" Thea- "Yes, but you were in a class above me. Oh, how

dreadfully afraid of you I was then!" Hedda- "Afraid of me?"(Act I). Once Hedda finds out about

the true feelings involved, she plans to use it against Thea to destroy their comradeship. Mean-

while, as Hedda waits for her visitors to arrive she plans to occupy her time with her fathers

pistols, which frightens most :Hedda- "Well, I shall have one thing at least to kill time with in

the meanwhile" Tesman- "Oh thank heaven for that! What is it, Hedda?" Hedda- "My pistols,

George, General Gabler's pistols" Tesman- "No, for heavens sake, Hedda darling-do not touch

those dangerous things! For my sake Hedda!"(Act I).

At the beginning

of Act II Hedda is visited by Judge Brack, which whom she tells she has

missed his company during her long and boring trip. They begin to conversate in a flirtatious

manner with one another as she begins telling him the true nature of her marriage to Mr.

Tesman, that it is just for convenience and there is no love on her behalf. Hedda, again

manipulating the conversation, encourages Bracks flirtation by her talk of a "third person"