'Hedda Gabler'- Context

Question 1

‘Separate Spheres’

Answer 1

• Husband and wife only came together at breakfast and dinner
• women were considered physically weak but morally superior- was ok for men to misbehave
• have a great influence at home- one of the reasons why they got the vote

Question 2

Educating women

Answer 2

• Women’s role in the house was known as ‘Angel of the House’
• important for a girl to soften her erudition with a graceful and feminine manner

Question 3

Marriage and sexuality

Answer 3

• women were assumed to desire marriage because it allowed them to become mothers
• women had to stay chaste until marriage
• not allowed to speak to men unless there was a married woman in the room

Question 4

Social society during the 1890s

Answer 4

The traditional class structure that had characterised Norway in the 19th century had been shaken up and the division between the social classes were becoming increasingly blurred

Question 5

Describe Ibsen’s relationship with Emilie and how it like to Hedda

Answer 5

• met 1889
• She was the inspiration for the starting point of Hedda
• She represented spontaneous experience and the joy of life
• it was her lack of purpose in life that made her potentially dangerous

Question 6

How is Ibsen like Loevobrg

Answer 6

• Both wanted to find a way “towards a companionship between a man and woman, whereby the true spirit of the individual may emerge” - Loevborg found this with Thea through their relationship based on non-martial companionship
• Loevborg was a warning sign to Ibsen about the consequences of giving into spontaneous emotions

Question 7

How does Ibsen relate to Tesman

Answer 7

the amount of scorn he poured into Tesman was in effect a subconscious acknowledgement of his own pusillanimity in his dealings with Emilie

Question 8

What was a working title for the play

Answer 8

‘Hedda’ but Ibsen wanted her “to be regarded as her father’s daughter than as her husband’s wife”

Question 9

Context of Brack and jury system

Answer 9

Norway had no jury system in 1890s => Brack’s standing in society was very substantial