Reviews

Hedda Gabler by Henrik Ibsen

Only show reviews with written explanations

zhoriii's review against another edition

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dark emotional funny reflective fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character

3.5

sidharthvardhan's review against another edition

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4.0

Ibsen's plays are full of characters unhappy with the life they are socially expected to live and feel a wish to break away from it. A Doll's House is about a woman that chose to break away from such a life upon being disillusioned about it while Ghosts is about a woman who regrets missing the opportunity when she had a chance. Here, we have a woman who is tempted to break away from socially expected life but is afraid of scandel. There is thus this frustration which doesn't leave her much to find happiness in happiness of others, like George's aunt.

This frustration at being unable to do so shows in wrong ways. Like someone who, being angry at a person he/she can't harm, takes it out on inanimate objects or his subordinates; she takes to manipulating life of others.

Hedda thus becomes a dislikeable character from her very first words. She is manipulative, bullish and narcissistic (I have a strong crush on her). There are references even from days before she married, to her need to control life of others and not let herself be vulnerable even for love. What follows the marriage is history ... or well at least the plot of play. George's being easily controllable might be why she married him.

Not as good as A Doll's House or Ghosts, still it has a lot of what makes Ibsen one of my three favorite playwrights along with Shakespeare and Beckett.

alexandra52's review against another edition

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mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

xandersan's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

intrepidthespian's review against another edition

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medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I was so much more impressed with this play than I thought it would be. Language still holds up all these years later, and of course the story is still so compelling.