Heddar Gablar Analysis

Heddar Gablar Analysis

In the play, Hedda Gabler by Henrik Ibsen, the character in the play named Hedda Gabler arouses both sympathy and scorn. Hedda arouses scorn in the play due to the fact that she is a mean woman that manipulates other characters in the play and at the same time one can sympathize with her because of the constraints placed on her for being a woman due to the time period she lives in.

The character Hedda Gabler is a very manipulative and mean woman that many would agree should be scorned for some of the things she’s done. She manipulates Lovborg into going out to supper with Tesman and Brack. She knew that Lovborg had a drinking problem in the past and that he no longer drank, but she knew that when Tesman and Brack went to supper that they would be drinking. When Hedda asked Lovborg if he wanted a glass of cold punch he said no because he doesn’t drink punch anymore. Hedda told him if he didn’t drink when others were around and everyone else was drinking that others might take it as him being insecure and having no confidence. Hedda states, “Otherwise people might be apt to suspect that — in your heart of hearts — you did not feel quite secure — quite confident in yourself” (42). Then Hedda tells Lovborg what Mrs. Elvsted told her about her coming there to look after Lovborg because of his past drinking. She was worried that he may start drinking again. This upsets Lovborg so he decides to drink the punch and go out with Tesman and Brack. Hedda set it up so that Lovborg would go out with them and begin drinking again. This is an act that would be scorned because Hedda manipulated Lovborg into drinking again. Another incident that shows how Hedda’s mean and manipulative character would be scorned is when Hedda doesn’t tell Lovborg that she has his manuscript while eventually burning it. Lovborg tells Mrs. Elvsted, “The manuscript — Well then — I have torn the manuscript into a thousand pieces” (57). Hedda started to say that it was not true but stopped herself. Lovborg didn’t actually tear it up. He said that because he didn’t want anyone to know that he had lost it. He was devastated about the loss of his manuscript. It was his life’s work and his only copy, and Hedda didn’t tell him she had it. She even ended up burning the manuscript. This is clearly an immoral and distasteful act that anyone would scorn. One other example of the meanness of Hedda is when she gave Lovborg the pistol that he used to end his life. Hedda tells Lovborg, “ Take it (pistol) — and do you use it now. And beautifully, Eilert Lovborg. Promise me that (59)”. She was encouraging him to kill himself. This is definitely an act to be scorned because one would normally try and help someone like that who is depressed rather than giving them a weapon then telling them to do it.

Even though Hedda is mean and manipulative, one can sympathize with her, in