Hedda Gabler
October 24, 2010 by Keri Constable
To like, or not to like… that is the question. If you like the drama, suspense and a lot of confusion then you have come to the right play. Hedda Gabler is a spoiled aristocratic wife of George Tesman. While they are newly weds they don’t seem to have the normal happy marriage that you would assume. They live in a beautiful home which Tesman’s Aunt helped to finance. While that would please most people, Hedda scorns it and it becomes apparent later on in the play that she doesn’t even care for the home in which she resides in. Hedda is the protagonist of the play and we learn much about her in the first two acts. I personally think she’s like one of those serial killers that nobody knows about. Not only is she spoiled, she is manipulative and cold hearted. She cares for nobody but herself and she will stop at nothing to get her way. One thing which I don’t understand yet is her apparent love for pistols. (Possible foreshadowing of craziness to come?)
I personally find this play hard to understand. I don’t get its purpose so far. We learn very little about the setting or background of the play. So far the entire play has taken place in the living room of Tesman and Hedda. We are introduced to a few characters but nothing has really happened yet to catch the attention of the reader. It is like a soap opera on tv, the tv show goes on forever and yet nothing ever really happens. One week on a soap opera can literally be just the actors and actresses depicting one day. That’s what this play feels like, a never ending day of the rich and spoiled.
In my attempt to understand the play better I did some research and came upon these videos of the play. After watching this I find the play alot more interesting. I suggest you watch them, it is quite interesting.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qKgcjssJgvY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Vk9QKZwAG8&NR=1