Surname 1
Student’s Name
Professor’s Name
Course
Date
Literary Analysis of Hedda Gabler by Henrique Ibsen
A tragedy is a noble and relentless act that usually portrays the continuity of a struggle
between the hero and the opposing force, such as a group, situation, or fate, which ends in
disaster or sadness. The main character in Henrique Ibsen’s drama, Hedda, depicts the
characteristics required to be recognized as a tragic hero. Throughout the play, Hedda is a strong,
independent woman willing to sacrifice her lavish lifestyle for a better future. Hedda is a lady
who is dissatisfied with her marriage because she is not genuinely attracted to her husband.
Ibsen’s brief narrative portrays the societal constraints placed on the female gender during the
19th century and their struggle to overcome these hardships, making them feel like outcasts in
their communities. The act is a tragedy for three major reasons outlined in the paper and critical
in a tragic play: Hedda originates from a noble family; the entire drama utilizes Peripetia; and
eventually, Hedda is overwhelmed by grief that she commits suicide. By utilizing literary
techniques such as irony and symbolism and through the three elements mentioned earlier, the
writer manages to develop a classic tragedy.
A focus on the stylistic approaches involving tragedy used by Aristotle in his Poetics will
provide insight into the standards needed for a tragic play. Aristotle defines the feature as an
emulation of a play that is meaningful, comprehensive, and possesses a compulsion, which
impacts through fear and pities the cleansing of those sentiments (Aristotle). The philosopher
further portrays the tragic hero as an individual with the potential to induce the audiences’ terror
, Surname 2
and sympathy, particularly because they are not essentially evil or good, but still the character is
a blend of good and evil. He suggests that a tragedy should constitute: a depiction of the hero's
intricate superiority and goodness; a mistake that leads to decline; and a manifestation in which
the main character has recognized his own tragedy in the long run (Aristotle). Similarly, through
the drama, Hedda experiences pain through an alteration in happiness to sadness due to a
mistaken act or error. The mistake is prompted by hamartia and is considered by some
researchers as a tragic flaw. Eventually, the hamartia prompts recognition, referred to as
anagnorisis, and a dissolution, referred to as Peripeteia.
At first, Ibsen develops a particular spectacle for the viewers though symbolism and
irony, and he achieves this by implying a mirror obsession between the male and female genders.
Men in this drama depend on females, and women depend on social norms. For instance, Hedda
is persistently restrained by her dependence on the emotions of how others view her, while her
husband, Jorgen Tesman, depends on his aunt Juliane (Ibsen). Women in this drama tend to
depend on the idea that others rely on them. For instance, Rina symbolizes this aspect explicitly.
The lady symbolizes the vulnerability of every male incapacitated, and she supports the author's
notion that everyone is dependent in their own way. Indeed, this perspective accurately depicts
female gender roles in past European ways of life. During the 80s, women were treated more
inferior to men, although the notion is quite different in modern times.
The act presented by Ibsen is a drama because Hedda originates from a noble family. A
common attribute of a tragedy is that it charges the protagonist's charter of the drama to originate
from a noble family, influencing the others within the community. Hedda’s aristocracy is
apparent in the conversation between the servant Bertha and Aunt Julie (Ibsen). Julie rewinds the
memories of Hedda and his father riding by, who is a powerful popular general (Ibsen Act 1).
Student’s Name
Professor’s Name
Course
Date
Literary Analysis of Hedda Gabler by Henrique Ibsen
A tragedy is a noble and relentless act that usually portrays the continuity of a struggle
between the hero and the opposing force, such as a group, situation, or fate, which ends in
disaster or sadness. The main character in Henrique Ibsen’s drama, Hedda, depicts the
characteristics required to be recognized as a tragic hero. Throughout the play, Hedda is a strong,
independent woman willing to sacrifice her lavish lifestyle for a better future. Hedda is a lady
who is dissatisfied with her marriage because she is not genuinely attracted to her husband.
Ibsen’s brief narrative portrays the societal constraints placed on the female gender during the
19th century and their struggle to overcome these hardships, making them feel like outcasts in
their communities. The act is a tragedy for three major reasons outlined in the paper and critical
in a tragic play: Hedda originates from a noble family; the entire drama utilizes Peripetia; and
eventually, Hedda is overwhelmed by grief that she commits suicide. By utilizing literary
techniques such as irony and symbolism and through the three elements mentioned earlier, the
writer manages to develop a classic tragedy.
A focus on the stylistic approaches involving tragedy used by Aristotle in his Poetics will
provide insight into the standards needed for a tragic play. Aristotle defines the feature as an
emulation of a play that is meaningful, comprehensive, and possesses a compulsion, which
impacts through fear and pities the cleansing of those sentiments (Aristotle). The philosopher
further portrays the tragic hero as an individual with the potential to induce the audiences’ terror
, Surname 2
and sympathy, particularly because they are not essentially evil or good, but still the character is
a blend of good and evil. He suggests that a tragedy should constitute: a depiction of the hero's
intricate superiority and goodness; a mistake that leads to decline; and a manifestation in which
the main character has recognized his own tragedy in the long run (Aristotle). Similarly, through
the drama, Hedda experiences pain through an alteration in happiness to sadness due to a
mistaken act or error. The mistake is prompted by hamartia and is considered by some
researchers as a tragic flaw. Eventually, the hamartia prompts recognition, referred to as
anagnorisis, and a dissolution, referred to as Peripeteia.
At first, Ibsen develops a particular spectacle for the viewers though symbolism and
irony, and he achieves this by implying a mirror obsession between the male and female genders.
Men in this drama depend on females, and women depend on social norms. For instance, Hedda
is persistently restrained by her dependence on the emotions of how others view her, while her
husband, Jorgen Tesman, depends on his aunt Juliane (Ibsen). Women in this drama tend to
depend on the idea that others rely on them. For instance, Rina symbolizes this aspect explicitly.
The lady symbolizes the vulnerability of every male incapacitated, and she supports the author's
notion that everyone is dependent in their own way. Indeed, this perspective accurately depicts
female gender roles in past European ways of life. During the 80s, women were treated more
inferior to men, although the notion is quite different in modern times.
The act presented by Ibsen is a drama because Hedda originates from a noble family. A
common attribute of a tragedy is that it charges the protagonist's charter of the drama to originate
from a noble family, influencing the others within the community. Hedda’s aristocracy is
apparent in the conversation between the servant Bertha and Aunt Julie (Ibsen). Julie rewinds the
memories of Hedda and his father riding by, who is a powerful popular general (Ibsen Act 1).
