Hedda Gabler

The play of Hedda Gabler is a tragedy that takes place in Christiania, Norway in George Tesman’s house. His new wife, Hedda, as well as their maid Berta now lives there too. The plot plays out as a series of events leading up to Hedda’s justification of her death. It reads in a way that the reader understands emotions and intentions of every character. Hedda is bored with her life as a wife and creates excitement from burning Eilert Lovborg’s manuscript “for your sake, George,” she claimed. (Page 1,458) The manuscript could have put George out of business, but she was never worried about her husband, only trying to satisfy a need to spice up her own life.

                Hedda entered into the marriage to George Tesman with the hope that he would one day become someone Hedda could be proud of. One who travels the world and meets interesting people, not do research and exclude her every day. According to Judge Brack, George is “Acceptable and solid,” which is why she chose to marry George over her other interested suitors.  (Page 1,431) I believe one should marry for love, not convenience or on a false hope that the husband will change into who the wife thinks he should be. If you chose a life with someone, it better be the right choice, one that satisfies every desire and concept of what a marriage should be. Hedda could not even say that she loved George, calling love a “syrupy word.” (Page 1,430) Nor should a man have to beg and plead for a woman’s attention, it should come naturally, in my opinion. One has the option of saying no, but Hedda says “then when he went around constantly begging with all of his strength, begging for permission to let him take care of me, well, I didn’t see why I shouldn’t take him up on it.” (Page 1,431) This line summarizes the reluctance in Hedda’s life, an answer that foretold of where her life was going, of what she could do in the future. This example leaves us to believe Checkov wants readers to sympathize with Hedda and what life is like for her, giving justification and understanding of her choices and her death at the end of the story.