Henrick Ibsen’s “Hedda Gabbler” highlights the decadent life of the lead Hedda. She is in a constant struggle as she battles for happiness and “freedom.” Through the play Hedda is obsessed with this theme of freedom, she admires Thea Alvsted for running away from her constrained monotonous life. When Thea first comes to the Tesman household in hopes they would assist her “soul mate” Eilert Lovborg, Hedda takes advantage of this opportunity in attempts to recapture her freedom. She expresses to Thea “Yes, I have. I want for once in my life to have power to mould a human destiny.” She feels if she is able to mold Lovborg’s life it will bring her the satisfaction she seeks in her life.
It is significant the play should be named “Hedda Gabler” given that Hedda’s name during the time of the play is Hedda Tesman. This highlights Hedda considers herself more her father’s daughter rather than her husband’s wife. She would prefer to identify with her father which can only lead us to assume, she preferred living the life she had when living under her father. Her father was a general and a man of power. As the general’s daughter, especially when she was around him, she was sure to have power and influence over others. This may explain why Hedda strived to manipulate Lovborg’s love for her and use it to control him. This would bring back the sensations she once experienced when living with her father, it would give her one last taste of the power she previously endured.
Through the play Hedda entertains the idea of being with three different men: her husband George Tesman, Judge Brack, and Eilert Lovborg. This develops her desire to bring back the influence she held with her father. First, she may feel empowered toying with the feelings of three distinct men. More importantly, she may be seeking the man that can bring back the experiences she had with her father. It is ironic because surely a powerful man such as Judge Brack can bring her this influence, however he wants her as a toy not a partner.
Hedda toys with the lives of everyone around her, it is the last taste of power she experiences as she no longer lives with her father. By the end of the novel, Lovborg has died from the gun she gave him and Tesman and Thea conjoin to re-write the memoir Hedda destroyed. George Tesman expresses this project will take him months of concentration and expresses to Hedda she can have the judge’s company to keep from boring. Tesman expresses this project will take him months of concentration and expresses to Hedda she can have the judge’s company to keep from boring. At this point, the judge already blackmailed Hedda as he recognized it was her gun that killed Lovborg. The judge expresses to Hedda they will have a lot of fun together in their alone time and he is clearly implying sexually. Hedda responds “Yes, don’t you flatter yourself we will, Judge Brack? Now that you are the one cock in the basket.” This line confirms she has lost both Tesman and Lovborg as Judge Brack is the only “cock” left. Hedda could not bear to live inside of Judge Brack’s game. It was he who would be in the position of power of over her, Hedda has no alternative and takes her life.
