Entry by Jasmeet Kaur: Hedda Gabler, by Ibsen

The following image is a snippet of a theater collection from the play “Hedda Gabler” by Henrik Ibsen. Not much information was given around this image, but many theories can be formed. A picture can be worth a thousand words, which this image does justice too. The main concept drawn is what scene of the play is being represented in the image. From my own thoughts, I theorize the image represents the meeting between Lovborg and Hedda, where she encourages his idea of suicide. When we look at the image, we see two people (a man and women) alone in a room within close proximity who we can deem as Lovborg and Hedda. The woman, we will now deem as Hedda, seems to be holding some type of casing as she looks intensely to the man, we will deem as Lovborg. Lovborg displays a state of shock, as his face wears no expression. Instead, he is intensely staring, his eyes fixated on the object he is holding. The object we can conclude as Hedda’s gun which she gives to Lovborg to help with his suicide endeavor. The scene is showcasing the end of Act 3, where the last interaction of Lovborg and Hedda is seen. The reason why I chose this image was due to the way it captures the exchange of the gun from Hedda to Lovborg. A vital moment, if not the most important moment, of the play where Hedda’s traits are defined and true intentions are shown. Hedda's destructive nature is portrayed, where we see the theme of individual vs. society taking place; as she is projecting her own unfulfillment in life. Projection we see takes place in the image, where she romanticizes Lovborg's suicide as if she was talking about her own. Overall, the placement of characters and emotions displayed helps convey the seriousness and importance of Act 3 on the play's message.

Author: Jasmeet Kaur