Weeks 3 and 4: Hedda Gabler (1891)
Henrick Ibsen, Hedda Gabler
As you read this play, keep in mind the following questions:
~Why do you think this role is considered to be one of the great stage roles for females?
~The original title of this play was simply Hedda. Speculate on the reasons Ibsen may have changed the title to to Hedda Gabler.
~Are Hedda’s actions justified by the nature of her time period and her what she considers to be her stifling personal life?
~Compare and contrast the characters of Hedda and Thea Elvsted.
~Compare and contrast the characters of Hedda and Nora in Ibsen's earlier play, The Doll's House
~Are Ibsen's plays still relevant for the twenty-first-century theatre goer?
Available on YouTube are three excellent filmed versions of this play:
1) The 1963 made-for-television adaptation starring Ingrid Bergman, Ralph Richardson, and Michael Redgrave:
https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=ingrid+bergman+movie+hedda+gabler&view=detail&mid=AD8B8AFC4C3955CD54C7AD8B8AFC4C3955CD54C7&FORM=VIRE
2) Janet Suzman
3) Diana Rigg
"How Ruth Wilson Discovered the Heart of Hedda Gabler."
Excellent article about the history of the play and Wilson's take on the role.
https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2016/dec/03/ruth-wilson-hedda-gabler-national-theatre