Hedda Gabler

The inaugural performance of esteemed Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen’s play "Hedda Gabler," which Ibsen attended in person, took place in Munich on January 31, 1891.

“Hedda Gabler” shows the unity of time and space, a common mechanism used in playwriting in which the fable happens in a limited place and in a short time.

A classic example of dramatic realism and nineteenth-century theatre, the titular character is viewed as one of the greatest dramatic stage characters of all time.

The story, set in the late nineteenth century in Norway, follows Hedda Gabler, a bored newlywed and the daughter of the late General Gabler. Returning from her honeymoon, Hedda, who may be pregnant, begins seeking ways to manipulate a human fate. Because of her own dissatisfaction with losing aristocratic privileges after marring into a bourgeoisie family, Hedda creates plots and manipulates people’s lives.

Although Hedda’s married name is Tesman, Ibsen chose to use her maiden name (Gabler) in the title of the play to reinforce the bond between father and daughter rather than that between husband and wife.