Ibsen Study Questions
1. Hedda Gabler tells Judge Brack in Act II that her talent is for boring herself to death. Choose two other works listed on our syllabus in which boredom or ennui is called the modern vice. Using those two works as examples, describe this state of mind as you understand it.
2. Ibsen uses several foil characters in the play. Choose one pair (Hedda-Thea or George-Eilert) and show how many contrasts you can find.
3. How does Judge Brack blackmail Hedda and motivate her to commit suicide?
4. Motherhood is a theme in the play, but it is kept underground and represented in imagery. Discuss two ways the theme is introduced.