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Characters and their relationships: - Coggle Diagram
Characters and their relationships:
Hedda and Lovborg:
The Photo Album moment:
The photo album moment:
'Hedda....Gabler!'
-first time he addressed her in private he used her main name, draws attention to it through the pause (wants hedda to notice)
-it is inappropriate and suggests they have a past relationship- as an audience we aren't yet fully aware of it.
''that was once my name. When... when we used to know each other'
-Hedda wants to stop lovborg making these comments, but mentions their past history suggesting she acknowledges their time together- difficulty finding words to describe it, suggests the nature went against societal expectations- hedda keeps up this appearance
-'oh hedda... darling hedda, how could you throw yourself away like that'
-lovborg knows she is trapped in an unhappy marriage, just because off the status he can offer her in society- he knows she craves excitement (she likes him (alcoholic) as he goes against upper class rules)
-more of the relationships revealed, lovborg knows what hedda desires from life, she must've confided in him, and that lovborg doesn't approve of the marriage.
'but no unfaithfulness! ill have none of that'
-she has a fear of a scandal sp even though hedda isn't happy in her marriage and lovborg can provide the freedom she desires, she cannot face the idea off social ruin.
as an audience we begin to believe lovborg can provide what she wants, but her fear of scandal leads top a ruined relationship of manipulation as she uses lovborg to entertain herself and destroy lovborgs reputation keeping her own clean.
hedda tries to convince lovborg:
'nothing. just put an end to it all. The sooner the better.'
-lovborg has already experienced social ruin due to his alcoholism, therefore he understands what follows scandal. as audience, we know he's been able to regain reputation due to work in literature.
we understand why he's reluctant to rebuild himself.
-hedda knows this but still she interferes with the manuscript and maintains control over him.
'Eilert lovborg.. listen to me... couldn't you let it happen.. beautifully?'
-we undertand hedda is trapped in a marriage to tesman, t/f she can't fulfil her desires. heddas request is one last attenmpt to maintain power over eilert.
-the relationship is a way for her to love vicariously through him as she has the courage to disregard societies expectations.
hedda wishes she had the courage to escape the mundane realities of her life, encourages lovborg to carry out what she too afraid to complete.
Discussing the past:
-'wasn't it love at the back of it all? wasn't it on your part a desire to absolve me?'
-one of the first real pieces of information the audience receives about their past, solidifying the truth that they were involved in a past relationship
-lovborg has hints of desperation in this question as he's trying to establish heddas feelings for him, suggests to audience their relationship was fleeting and never firmly established.
'there was an imminent danger that game would become a reality'
-made clear to audience hedda was never interested for their relationship to end in marriage, or conform to society, we understand hedda only used l;ovborg to escape the relaities of social control.
'yes hedda, at bottom you're a cowared'
-although hedda is drawn to lovborg we already understand she is afraid or scandal or ruin. consequently hedda marries Tesman which would have been the safe option due to his secure social standing and clean reputation.
-lovborg knows hedda desires for freedom so understands her marriage to Tesman will not satisfy her.
Lovborg and Thea
:
Theme of power and influence:
Lovborg- has a desire to intellectually control the world by seeing into his future, however there is an element of irony within this desire due too his lack of control when under the influence of alcohol.
Thea- represents a theme of influence rather than power. This is representative when she comes to the 'terrible town' where the Tesman live in order to exert a counter-influence over Lovborg. She has a desire to influence Tesman to save him from his self-destructive nature.
Thea and Lovborgs relationship:
-within the play, Ibsen aims to convey pistols and alcohol as destructive temptations launched from the characters past into their presents
Lovborg and these man script symbolises creation and redemption of the past and hope for the future
-Thea and Lovborg's relationship is virtually the only creative relationship within the play, and promises the redemption of lovborg from his past disgrace, as well as establishing him with a bright reputation in the future.
-The manuscript is so important to them that is is described as their very own child - but lovborgs lack of self control and heads destructive nature leads to the fiery death of the child.
-when the curtain falls, the audience is left with one prospect of creative redemption, which is the possibility of Elvstead inspiring Tesman to successfully reconstruct the lovborg manuscript after his suicide.
'I want you to know, lovborg, what you've done to the book...for the rest of my life it'll be for me as though you've killed a little child'
-tearing up the manuscript is much more impressive than the truth, which is that he lost it whilst pissed. her attempts to make the scene tragic, but instead it appears farcical.
-this is a primary example of lovborg inability to control himself- despite tesman finding his manuscript in a gutter, and heads later burning it- lovborg lies to give an impression of self-control and artistic passion.
elvstead staying how badly he hurt her, and referring to his act as murder represents a permanent wound for Thea as she says she will resent him for the 'rest of her life'.
Hedda and Tesman:
Hedda burnt the manuscript in order to be selfish and ruin something that Mrs Elvstead loved – she was jealous that her and Loevborg had something together- 'like a child'
Tesman freaked out about this- "This is illegal disposition of property"- knows right from wrong
Hedda once again manipulated Tesman into thinking she did this out of love- delights him so much he agrees with what she did and keeps it a secret- clear power imbalance here
Clearly shows how much George is wishing for some love from Hedda- accepts this malicious act as one of love
First and only time we see Tesman on shakey moral ground
Manuscript symbolises creation, the redemption of the past, and hope for the future- Hedda and Tesman bond over this
However, Hedda destroys it and Tesman knows it's wrong- they juxtapose Thea and Eilert who treasure this
Burning the manuscript
:
Heddas entrance:
Aunty juju hints at the possibilities of a baby- but Hedda hates the idea of being a mother (to the extent she kills herself along with the baby) and a child is the last thing on Tesman's mind- piano in the baby room)
Tesman does not realize that Hedda does not love him, and he does not seem to perceive many of his marriage's problems. In fact, he seems to be only interested in pleasing Hedda.
Hedda goes out of her way to hurt Tesman and the ones he loves- Aunty jujus hat situation - we see how wide apart Tesman and Hedda's backgrounds are - she later admitted to Brack that she knew it was her hat - did it despite the fact it put her in an awkward position.
Hedda doesn’t look or say good morning to Tesman or Aunty juju, she clearly sees herself as superior as she's often waited on (especially in this scene)- shows a clear power imbalance
Aunty juju and the slippers- he is really excited and happy to have his slippers back, Hedda, on the other hand, is entirely unconcerned with this source of her husband's delight.
Eilert lovborgs death:
Hedda and Tesman differ greatly in this scene, tesman seems shocked and upset by the news that loevborg died (him and loevborg had tension as they were competitors in their work) whereas hedda was almost happy and relieved when she heard the news (she said it was a 'brave thing to do' and also gave him the gun)
This shows the differences between them and their consciences as they deal with the news of Eilerts death very differently (despite hedda knowing and hoping he had in fact killed himself)
Again, shows heddas manipulation of others around her, and how in this darkness, Tesman finds 'light' working on the manuscript with Thea, and Hedda doesn't (kills herself)
Again shows the selfishness of Hedda, as she not only kills herself but also her child- killed Loevborg and theas child (manuscript) and then kills hers and Tesmans – her aim is to hurt all around her
Equally shows her pride as she'd rather kill herself than let herself be in a world where she can be controlled (brack) whereas tesman doesn’t care about how much he's controlled such as him wanting to confess about the manuscript and the onstant manipulation he endures from Hedda