Hedda Gabler

Hedda Gabler

It is early in the morning and Auntie Juju has come to the Tesmans' to greet the newlyweds after their honeymoon. George welcomes her, however Hedda is still asleep.

Act 1

Hedda enters and immediately complains about Bertha leaving the windows open – even though it was George. She then insults Auntie Juju's hat believing it to be the maid's and apologises when she is confronted. George comments on how Hedda has 'filled out' over the last 6 months, which she denies.

After Auntie Juju leaves, George asks Hedda to be nicer to her. Hedda says she doesn't like the piano in the living room and George offers to exchange it when he gets paid, however she suggests simply buying a new one.

Mrs Elvsted arrives and is in town looking for Eilert Loevborg, on a book tour, fearing he may relapse and fall back into alcoholism. She tells the Tesmans what a success his book has been. Despite his jealousy, George pledges to support Eilert and Hedda persuades him to invite Eilert to dinner.

Hedda presses Thea Elvsted for more information once George leaves and cites their old friendship at school. Thea reminds her that she used to pull her hair. Hedda is not phased and gets Thea to reveal she has an unhappy relationship with her husband and she left the family household to be with Eilert. She fears that there is another woman from Eilert's past who allegedly wanted to shoot him with a pistol.

Thea leaves as Judge Brack arrives. Brack and Tesman discuss the new house, which Brack helped finance, and George emphasises that it was crucial to Hedda's happiness. They also discuss Eilert Loevborg's new book and Tesman fears they may have to compete for a professorship. Brack assures him this is not the case, but Hedda is unsympathetic.

Once Brack leaves, George tells Hedda they must cut back on their spending. She tells him at least she'll have her pistols to keep her from boredom. This concerns him greatly.

Act 2

Hedda greets Brack, entering via the back door, with her pistol, scaring him. He removes the pistol from her and they sit down eager to gossip. Hedda reveals how bored she is and how miserable her honeymoon was. She tells Brack she only married George because she was tired of the rigors of being single. Brack admits he has little aspiration and says he wants only a few trusted friends – preferably women.

Tesman arrives and Hedda and Brack exchange friendly glances at unknowingly amusing things he says. He goes up to get ready for Brack's bachelor party and Hedda tells Brack she isn't happy. She reveals that her 'dream house' was a joke; she had come up with the statement during a particularly awkward silence with George when passing the house.

Hedda suggests that she likes the idea of George being a politician, however they both laugh the thought off due to his scholarly character. Brack suggests Hedda may have children to keep her company soon, however she resents the idea of something that limits her freedom.

George enters and Hedda suggests that if Eilert Loevborg does not decide to join the men for the party, he can have dinner with her. George thinks this would not be respectful, since Aunt Juju will not be there.

Eilert arrives and says that his new book is not very good because he was just trying to please everyone, but that his new book, the manuscript of which he has with him, will be worth reading as it contains a prediction for the future. Eilert also states that he won't compete with George for the professorship, as he only wants public acknowledgement of his reform and success. Tesman is relieved, but Hedda doesn't enjoy her inclusion in his excitement.

Hedda suggests that the men drink some punch before leaving, but Eilert refuses, not wanting to drink alcohol. Brack and George go to another room while Hedda entertains Eilert. He doesn't like to refer to Hedda as a Tesman. They talk about their past, and Eilert correctly guesses that Hedda does not love George and asks whether she ever loved him. When their relationship as friends became too serious, Hedda broke off their relationship and threatened to shoot Eilert with her father's pistols. Yet she was too afraid of scandal, and it was at this point that Eilert went to the Elvsteds'. Hedda then says she has something to confess to Eilert.

Thea enters. Hedda makes her sit beside her, so Hedda is in the middle. Eilert asks Hedda to admire Thea, and states that she inspires him to keep his life on the right track. Hedda suggets that some might think he is insecure and does not have enough confidence in himself. Thea is cautious when Hedda mentions Brack's amusement at his hesitance to drink, but Eilert declares he doesn't care what anyone thinks. Thus, Hedda tells Thea that she had no reason to be so anxious when she visited that morning. Eilert is surprised and asks what Thea could have been worried about, and is angered by Thea's presumption that he might relapse now that he is in town.

He downs a drink and pours himself another. Thea is horrified, and Eilert asks whether Thea came to town to spy on him. He decides to go to Brack's party, and he takes the manuscript of his book with him to show to George at the party. He promises to return later to take Thea home. The three men leave. Thea is very worried, but Hedda insists that she stay and wait for Eilert to return. She promises that he will return with vine leaves in his hair.

Act 3

Thea is bundled up on a chair by the fire. Bertha enters, bearing a letter for George. Bertha's exit wakes Hedda up. Hedda tells Thea that the men must staying the night at Brack's house and Eilert is no doubt reading to George, with vine leaves in his hair. Thea goes to Hedda's room to try to sleep.

George arrives home and asks Hedda whether she was worried, to which she replies that she would never feel anxious about him. He tells her that he had fun at the beginning of the night, when Eilert read to him from his fabulous new book. However, there was an "orgy" and Eilert got quite drunk and dropped his manuscript on his way home, which George retrieved and plans to return to him as soon as possible. Hedda asks whether it is the only one of its kind; George assures her that it is irreplaceable.

George shows Hedda the letter he has just received from Auntie Juju informing him that his Auntie Rena is dying. He leaves to visit her.

Hedda locks the manuscript in the writing desk. Brack visits and proceeds to tell Hedda about the previous night. Apparently, after Eilert's group parted ways with George, Eilert went to a brothel. A fight ensued when Eilert accused people of stealing his manuscript, and resisted arrest. Brack says that he doesn't want to get involved in the investigation and warns Hedda that they should close their doors to Eilert. He also hints that he doesn't want anyone interceding in the "triangle" he has formed with Hedda and George.

Brack leaves and Eilert arrives. He apologises for coming so early in the morning. Thea enters, but Eilert tells her that they must stop seeing each other as he has stopped writing and is no longer of any use to her. Thea protests, but he explains that he has destroyed his manuscript. He claims to have torn it into a thousand pieces and thrown it into the fjord. Hedda nearly interrupts but restrains herself. Thea says that this is equivalent to killing a small child, and he agrees. Thea is shocked and leaves immediately.

He then tells Hedda the truth that he has lost the manuscript. He leaves, intending to commit suicide. Hedda makes him promise to do so beautifully and gives him one of her pistols. After he leaves, Hedda is alone in the room. She takes the manuscript over to the fire, sits down, and begins to burn it saying that she is burning the child of Eilert Loevborg and Thea, showing the audience her deep-rooted jealousy and mental breakdown.