The Character of Hedda Gabler in Ibsens Hedda Gabler Essay -- Hedda G

The Character of Hedda Gabler Hedda Gabler is peradventure one of the most elicit characters in Ibsen. She has been the object of psychological analysis since her creation. She is an interesting case indeed, for to inform Hedda one must rely on the hints Ibsen gives us from her past and the lines of dialogue that reveal the type of person she is. The ref never views Hedda directly. We never get a soliloquy in which she bares her tit and motives to the audience. Hedda is as indifferent to our analysis as she is to Tesmans excitement over his slippers when she says I really dont care about it (Ibsen 8). But a good psychologist knows that tied(p) this indifference is telling. Underneath the ennui and indifference lies a character deep for psychological investigation The Character of Hedda Gabler remains a product of our speculation. That is, as we process the surface details we perceive in the various postures she assumes, we say an idea of the figure underneath the m need. ( Lyons 83). This paper will try to explain Hedda with the aid of critical analysis. The first aspect of the play that strikes the reader is the title. earlier we even read a line of this play we notice the incongruity between the name of the title character and her name in the play. In the play Hedda is Tesmans wife, but the title suggests that she is the independent daughter of the late normal Gabler. Thus, Ibsen introduces the reader to this complex character before the curtain is drawn. We immediately ask the question why is the title Hedda Gabler and not Hedda Tesman? Perhaps Ibsen is suggesting Heddas independence from her stand for situation, the situation in which she is introduce... ...wman. She too is confused about her own individualism and appears to be in the grip of forces beyond her understanding and control--social and psychological forces. Nevertheless, Hedda is an interesting case and Ibsens play foreshadows many psychological and social concerns of the 20th c entury. kit and boodle CITED Helland, F. Irony and Experience in Hedda Gabler. Contemporary Approaches to Ibsen. Ed. Hemmer and Ystad. Norway Scandinavian UP, 1994. 99-119. Ibsen, Henrik. Hedda Gabler. New York capital of Delaware Publications, 1990. Lyons, C. Hedda Gabler Gender, Role, and World. MA Twayne, 1991. Northam, J. Ibsens Dramatic Method A Study of the Prose Dramas. London Faber and Faber Limited, 1953. Weigland, H. The juvenile Ibsen A Reconsideration. New York E.P. Dutton, 1960.