Hedda Gabler

Coming back from our Norway visit last summer, I brought back Henrik Ibsen: Samlede Verker 1 - 2. I read Hedda Gabler, and saw her in a completely new light compared when I was younger. Last time I read Ibsen was at school...years ago.

When Oscar Wilde first saw Hedda Gabler in 1890, he said, "I felt pity and terror, as though the play had been Greek." Compared to Ibsen's earlier plays--A Doll's House, Ghosts, and An Enemy of the People--Hedda Gabler was different. In this play, we find some of Ibsen's most memorable prose in a tragic interplay of psycho scape and linguistic drama.

Ibsen was the founder of modern prose drama, known for his political and social commentaries. His plays were filled with realistic portrayals of women and their troubles in modern society. His tragedies were about ordinary people, and Hedda Gabler is one of his most memorable heroines!


Now, it is on here in Adelaide! And I'm heading to see it. Can't wait! After reading heaps of literature on female heroines over the last  few years, I am looking forward to seeing Hedda Gabler, who represents one of the most controversial and elusive heroines in theatrical history; and the further one delves into the enigmas of her character, the more questions arise. Hedda aptly points out: "I think I have a natural talent for boring myself to death." Luckily, Ibsen's classic is far from boring!