Names
As evidenced by the title, names are a big deal in Hedda Gabler (see "What's Up With the Title?"). They reflect the tension between formality and intimacy or between single and married life. Here a...
Fire
Hedda is repeatedly associated with fire, the stove, and burning stuff up. All the hints of fire in the first three acts lead up to the climax at the end of Act III, when Hedda burns Eilert’s...
A Tad Bit of Greek Mythology (This is where we talk about the vine leaves, FYI)
There are two allusions to Greek and Roman mythology that crop up in Hedda Gabler. The first is that of Dionysus (also called Bacchus), the god of wine, a.k.a. the craziest party animal ever. Back...
The Babies = Death Motif
Typically, we would expect babies to be associated with spring, flowers, light, life, and some very cuddly Easter bunnies. But in this play, babies are associated with destruction. What is life to...
Those Guns
This symbol is a little less complicated. The pistols once belonged to Hedda’s father, so they serve as a constant reminder that she is Hedda Gabler still and not Hedda Tesman (see "What̵...
The Inner Room
The stage set-up of Hedda Gabler is important stuff. It’s important to remember that there is both an outer and inner room, with the latter at the back of the stage and sometimes shielded by...