Hedda Gabler | Questions and Answers

Hedda Gabler Questions and Answers

Q.1. How do Hedda and Aunt Julie get along?

Aunt Julie tries very hard to be warm and familiar with Hedda, but Hedda is cold and distant. Aunt Julie is excited by the prospect that Hedda might be pregnant, but that bothers Hedda too. Hedda has a tendency to make Aunt Julie feel unwelcome or that Hedda is embarrassed of her.

Q.2. Describe the incident with the hat in Act 1 of Hedda Gabler?

When Aunt Julie arrives she tells Tesman she bought a new hat in an attempt to please Hedda. She takes off the hat and leaves it on a table. When Hedda comes into the room she sees the hat, and says they will have to let the maid so, because she has left “her old hat” lying around. This is upsetting to Aunt Julie for two reasons, first that it is her new hat, and second because Aunt Julie is close to Berte, the maid, who has been with the family since Tesman was a little boy.

Q.3. In Act 1 of Hedda Gabler, Hedda and Tesman have just returned from a trip. Where were they, and what did they do?

Hedda and Tesman were gone for six months on their honeymoon. They travelled through Lurope, and Tesman spent quite a lot of time researching and working on his dissertation on medieval domestic crafts.

Q.4. What do Julie and Tesman allude to when they talk aboutHedda “filling out”? How does Hedda feel about it?

When Tesman and Julie talk about Hedda filling out, they mean they think she is pregnant. Hedda a strongly denies the possibly and seems against the idea.

Q.5.When Tesman and Julie are discussing future prospects, they are talking about different things. What does Tesman talk about, and what does Julie talk about?

Tesman refers to his work when he talks about his prospects, Tesman talks about his book and the professorship waiting for him. When Julie talks about prospects, she alludes to there soon being a Child Tesman and Hedda’s marriage. She brings up uses for the now empty rooms and the help she soon may be to the couple.

Q.6. How much interest does Hedda show in getting along with .all the Tesman family? Give an example.

Hedda does not show much interest in the affairs of the family. She is not even slightly curious about the slippers that Rina embroidered for Tesman. She also is quick to say she will dismiss the maid who has been with the family since Tesman was a young boy.

Q.7. When Julie and Tesman discuss Hedda, what do they usually focus on?

Julie and Tesman often discuss Hedda not as a person, but more as a figurehead. They talk about how beautiful she has always been and that she was popular and surrounded by suitors. They talk about her being a prize that Tesman managed to “carry off”, and say nothing about her on an intimate, personal level.

Q.8. What is the financial situation of the newly married couple?

Hedda and Tesman just took a very expensive honeymoon that Tesman used partially as work to help pay for. Mr. Brack got them the house on very favourable terms, but Tesman is concerned about the cost of running it. Aunt Julie has mortgaged her annuity to pay for the furnishings inside the house.

Q.9. What is the one trait of Mrs. Elvsted’s that Hedda remembers and characterizes her by?

Hedda remembers Mrs. Elvsted’s beautiful hair, and calls it “irritating”:

Q.10. What is Mrs. Elvsted’s state of mind when she first enters the Tesman household? Why?

When Mrs. Elvsted first enters the Tesnian household she is nervous, agitated, and worried. She is worried about Ejlert Lovborg returning to his dissolute lifestyle.

Q.11. What brought Lovborg back to town?

He published a book that was very well received and he became too restless and excited to out in the country.

Q.12. What does Hedda learn from Mrs. Elvsted when they speak alone in Act 1 of Hedda Gabler that Mrs Elvsted had concealed from Tesman?

Hedda learns that Mrs. Elvsted has left her husband to follow Lovborg to town. She also learns that Mrs. Elvsted feels the “shadow of another woman” between herself and Lovborg.

Q.13. What is the only thing that Mrs. Elvsted knows about the woman from Lovborg’s past?

The only thing Mrs. Elvsted knows about the woman from Lovborg’s past is that at the end of their acquaintance this woman threatened to shoot Lovborg with a pistol.

Q.14. At the end of Act 1, what is the one thing Hedda says she still has one thing to amuse herself with?

Hedda says she still has General Gabler’s pistols to amuse herself with.

Q.15. What does Hedda do to Brack when he approaches at the very beginning of Act 2 of HEDDA GABLER?

When Brack approaches the house in the beginning of Act 2, Hedda shoots at him with her father’s pistols.

Q.16. How did Hedda enjoy her honeymoon with Tesman?

Hedda was bored during her honeymoon with Tesman for several reasons. First was that she found his company tedious and monotonous and she spent all her time with him. She was also bored because it was a working vacation for Tesman and he spent a considerable amount of time doing research in libraries while they were travelling.

Q.17. What reason does Hedda give Brack for her marrying Tesman?

Hedda tells Brack she married Tesman because he promised to look after her, seemed to have good prospects, and wasn’t ridiculous.

Q.18. In the beginning of Act 2, shortly after discussing their financial constraints, what does Tesman return home with?

In the beginning of Act 2 Tesman returns home with a pile of new scholarly books he just “had to have.”

Q.19. Despite it’s great reception, what does Lovborg say about the book of his that was recently published? What about the next one?

Lovborg says his published book doesn’t have much in it, and that he wrote a book that everyone would agree with. He says his next book, it’s sequel, is his masterpiece.

Q.20. What worry of Tesman’s does Lovborg quickly alleviate?

Tesman was worried that if Lovborg got the professorship, that he and Hedda might have financial troubles. Lovborg told Tesman he wasn’t interested in the professorship and would only publish his book after Tesman had been appointed.

Q.21. How does the title character in HEDDA GABLER feel about motherhood? Do others know or expect her to feel this way?

Hedda denies the possibility that she may soon become a mother. She sees it as a trap and a responsibility and not as something that is going to happen in her life. Everyone else expects her to be happy about it.

Q.22. How does Lovborg feel about Hedda being married to Tesman?

Lovborg can’t believe Hedda is married at all, and thinks that she threw herself away marrying Tesman.

Q.23. What is the main question of importance that Lovborg has for Hedda when they are talking in private?

Lovborg asks Hedda if there was ever any love on her part in their previous relationship. He wondered if all her questions were an attempt to purge him of his habits and “wash him clean.”

Q.24. What reason does Hedda give Lovborg for her asking him all the details of his dissolute life when they knew each other previously?

Hedda tells Lovborg that she wanted to know all the details of his dissolute lifestyle because it offered her a look into a world she was supposed to know nothing about.

Q.25. In Act 2 of HEDDA GABLER, Hedda tells Lovborog that her not daring to shoot him when their previous friendship ended was an act of cowardice, for fear of a scandal, but that it was not her greatest act of cowardice that evening. What do you think she is alluding to aş her greatest act of cowardice?

Herdä is suggesting to Lovborg that the evening she was too cowardly to shoot him she was thinking of also shooting herself, and that her greatest act of cowardice was not being able to face her own death.

Q.26. What does Hedda tell Lovborg that other people may think if Lovborg continued to refuse to drink at all?

Hedda tells Lovborg that people will think he is weak and insecure of keeping control of himself if he doesn’t drink at all.

Q.27. The morning after the party at Brack’s house, what is the situation like at the Tesman household?

The morning after the party at Brack’s house Mrs. Elvsted and Hedda are still in the sitting roorp waiting for the men’to return. Hedda is asleep on the couch but Mrs. Elvsted is still awake and very worried about what might be happening.

Q.28. What does Tesman say about the unpublished manuscript that Lovborg read to him at Brack’s party?

Tesman says that Lovborg’s. manuscript is one of the most remarkable books ever written.

Q.29. Where did Tesman find Loyborg’s manuscript and why didn’t he return it at once?

Tesman found Lovborg’s manuscript dropped on the side of the road. He didn’t return it to Lovborg at the time because he was worried Lovborg was in no state to take care of it.

Q.30. Why didn’t Tesman tell anyone he had Lovborg’s manuscript? What were his plans with it?

Tesman was embarrassed for Lovborg and wanted to spare him the shame of anyone else knowing he had carelessly lost his precious manuscript. Tesman planned on returning it right away as soon as Lovborg was sober.

Q.31. What does the letter from Julie tell Tesman about Rina? What are Tesman and Hedda’s responses?

The letter from Julie tells Tesman that his aunt: Rina is dying. He leaves immediately to be by her side, but Hedda refuses to go with him because she doesn’t want to look upon sickness and death.

Q.32. When Brack adds his own account of the party to Hedda, where does he reveal that Lovborg has gone that Tesman was unaware of?

Brack informs Hedda that after his party Lovborg and a group went to another “particularly animated” party at the house of Diana, a singer and an ex lover of Lovborg’s.

Q.33. An incident happened at Diana’s that ended with the police being summoned. What was that incident?

At Diana’s party, Lovborg suddenly missed the manuscript and accused Diana and her friends of stealing from him. A huge fight ensued and the police were called.

Q.34. What does Brack press Hedda to do regarding Lovborg in the first part of Act 3 of HEDDA GABLER? Why?

Brack presses Hedda to bar Lovborg from her house. He does this because Lovborg will be barred from all decent houses, after his behaviour the previous night, and because he doesn’t want Lovborg to be Hedda’s friend for his own personal reasons.

Q.35. What does Lovborg tell Mrs. Elvsted when he sees her the morning after the party at Brack’s?

The morning after the party at Bracks, Lovborg tells Mrs. Elvsted that he is finished. He says they must part ways and that he will not do any more work.

Q.36. What does Lovborg tell Mrs. Elvsted he did with the manuscript? Why does he tell her this?

Lovborg tells Mrs. Elvsted that he tore the manuscript into a thousand pieces and sprinkled them in the fjord. He does this because he says it’s worse to have simply lost something of such value.

Q.37. What does Mrs. Elvsted liken the manuscript to?

Mrs. Elvsted says the manuscript was like a little child.

Q.38. What does Lovborg say the only option open to him now is? How does Hedda respond?

In regards to his future, Lovborg says he means “only to make an end of the whole thing”. Hedda tells him to try to do it beautifully.

Q.39. What does Hedda. give Lovborg as a keepsake as he leaves her house in Act 3?

Hedda gives Lovborg one of her father’s’ pistols, the same she used to shoot at him once before when they parted ways.

Q.40. When Lovborg leaves at the end of Act 3 what does Hedda do? What does she say while she does it?

As soon as Lovborg leaves Hedda burns Lovborg’s manuscript As she does so she says she is burning Thea and Lovborg’s child.

Q.41. Why does Lovborg not accompany Mrs. Elvsted home’ as promised the day before?

Lovborg does not accompany Mrs. Elv.sted home because he knows he is disgraced and doesn’t want her to be seen walking with him.

Q.42. At the end of Act 3, what does Hedda say to Lovborg about vine leaves? Why?

At the end of Act 3 Hedda tells Lovborg that she doesn’t believe in vine leaves anymore because Lovborg wasn’t free like she had envisioned he would be, just unable to control himself.

Q.43. Describe Hedda Gabler’s character.

Hedda Gabler is manipulative and spoiled. She is used to always getting her own way and does not care for the feelings of others around her. She is hungry for power over people and feels powerless in her current situation. Her marriage to Tesman makes her feel trapped and she lashes out in any way she can. The fact that she is pregnant augments these feelings and makes her desperate for amusement, power, and escape.

Q.44. What reason does Hedda give Tesman for burning the manuscript?

‘ Hedda tells Tesman that she burned the manuscript for him. because she knew he was jealous of “Lovborg’s’ work and she didn’t want Lovborg to overshadow Tesman professionally.

Q.45. In Act 4, what does Brack tell everyone at the Tesman household happened to Lovborg? What did he tell Hedda was the truth when he was alone with her?

Brack tells everyone that Lovborg, shot himself through chest and was not likely to live. When he was alone with Head told her that Lovborg was already dead, and that Lovborg’s gus gone off accidentally in his breast pocket and shot Lovborg! ‘stomach.

Q.46. What do Tesman and Mrs. Elvsted decide they must do for Lovborg and what does Mrs. Elvsted have that makes this possible?

Mrs. Elvsted has the notes that Lovborg wrote while he was drafting his manuscript. She and Tesman decide that they will try to reconstruct Lovborg’s manuscript from those notes.

Q.47. Where was Lovborg and what was he doing when the gun went off and killed him?

Lovborg had returned to Diana’s and was still trying to get the manuscript from them that he believed they had stolen.

Q.48. What leverage does Brack acquire over Hedda?

Brack recognized the gun that Lovborg had as one of Hedda’s. If he were to speak up about it Hedda would be involved in a scandal and be questioned about why she gave the gun to Lovborg. Hedda is terrified of scandal and so Brack ‘has her in his power so that he will quiet.

Q.49. Tesman foresees many months of work to reconstruct the manuscript. How does he recommend they all arrange themselves while the work is going on?

Tesman recommends that Mrs. Elvsted move in with Julie, and he spend evenings with them working on the manuscript. In order, for Hedda not to be lonely, he suggests Brack keep her company.

Q.50. Other than her dialogue, what are Hedda’s two final actions in the play HEDDA GABLER?

First, Hedda plays a wild dance tune on the piano; which prompts Tesman to ask her not to out of respect for Rina and Lovborg. After promising to be quiet, Hedda retreats into the back room and shoots herself in the temple.