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1 Wilson Kelon Wilson Professor Cowser English Literature April 2021 26 Critical Analysis

The definition of suicide is death caused by injuring oneself with the intent to die. In Hedda Gabler by Henrik Ibsen, Hedda hinted at death a multitude of times, casting death upon herself and others, but who would have ever thought someone in her time would commit suicide. In this analysis, I will be analyzing the character Hedda Gabler and how she conveys the meaning of death. Suicide has been classified as the world's 10th leading cause of death in the US for all ages. If one who thinks about committing suicide is depressed roughly 20-25% would go through with their plans. Knowing that Hedda Gabler had a husband and a child who was soon about to graduate high school roughly showed her age ranging between 18-65. Since her age does fall within the category of 18-65 years old, suicide is the 4th leading cause of death for .these ages As a married woman, Hedda’s personality has been perceived as manipulative, intelligent, and unpredictable in which could mean a lot of things. When Hedda was sitting in the dark speaking with her husband she said something with the stage direction stating “with a disdainful gesture”(Ibsen, 803). This stage direction showed that she did not respect what he was saying, but she still decided to listen. By Hedda being the general's daughter she feels as if she is bored with everything around her and no one brings her excitement but the thought of hurting someone else or dying. When Mr. Lovburg brought suicide up in the conversation she stated “ Eilert Lovburg—Listen to me.— Will you not try to — to do it beautifully”(Ibsen, 850). In this

2 Wilson sentence, Ibsen states “A step nearer him” showing that she is in his personal space and meant for just him to hear. She provided Mr. Lovburg with the “memento” which was the pistol to help him with his suicide. Hedda was an enabler to Mr. Lovburg while also having the desire of ending her life. While emphasizing the beautifully every time she referred to the suicide or the gun indicating he needs to do it in a place where he would instantly die. After the conversation with Tesman, she stated “Oh, it is killing me, — it is killing me, all this” referring to the death of Mr. Lovburg but she could not tell that to Tesman or anyone else (Ibsen, 852). When the Judge entered the room to speak about Mr. Lovburg’s death everyone is sad except for Hedda because she knows exactly what happen but has to make sure he has done it beautifully. Showing no remorse Hedda asked Judge Brack “Not in the temple” following with “Well, well— the breast is a good place, too” showing that how she wanted him to end his life and maybe hers’s also (Ibsen, 852). To show that she found beauty in suicide was after she stated “At last a deed worth doing… .( I say there is beauty in this”(Ibsen, 853 Even though she kept telling Lovborg to kill himself when he finally did she stated “his death is a curse that hangs over everything she much as touch and so”(Chen, pg.3). Time after time Hedda keeps hinting that suicide is a beautiful thing which is also a sign they were not picking up on that she had many thoughts of suicide. She then stated, “He has dared to do — the one right thing”(Ibsen, 854). In everyone else, opinion suicide is not the correct answer, but in Hedda’s eyes suicide is the best decision. Hedda continues to tell Judge Brack that suicide is beautiful by saying “It gives me a sense of freedom to know that a deed of deliberate courage is still possible in this world, — a deed of spontaneous beauty” (Ibsen, 854). To get herself out of the situation of being questioned by the police she states and puts emphasis on “I have nothing to do with all the repulsive business” (Ibsen, 855). She knew that now that Mr. Lovburg was dead

3 Wilson and she had to suffer consequences and her life was no longer in her hands. She did not want to be the “slave” to Judge Brack. “I am in your power none the less. Subject to your will and your demands. A slave, a slave then! No, I cannot endure the thought of that! Never!”(Ibsen, 855). As time winds down the stage directions state that “ Hedda goes into the back room and draws the curtains. A short pause. Suddenly she is heard playing a wild dance on the piano” (Ibsen, 855). These stage directions show a melancholy mood while Hedda is in the dark playing wild dance music which is the type of music that shows suspense. Instead of living with his death and being able to overcome the trying times, Hedda Gablers decides to take matters back into her own hands and shoot herself in the temple. Before she kills herself, she is speaking with Mrs.Elvested. Mrs. Elvested is trying to convince her that she could inspire Tesman, just like she did Mr. Lovburg. Instead of her thinking, it was the best option she stated “Oh, that will come in time” (Ibsen, 837). That could potentially mean meeting Mr. Lovburg in death. According to Chen the dash symbol in the text of Hedda shows emphasis on the “in-time” as if she would be meeting up with him soon. Also, Mrs. Elvested was triggering Hedda’s suicide attempt by stating she can inspire the next person with life, but Hedda did not view life in their aspects. “Hedda herself has no purpose, and the only meaning in her life is the affirmation of values (beauty, heroism, courage, and freedom) she expects from Lovborg's suicide”(Brooklyn, pg2). When Ibsen refers to Hedda as having “deep poetry” is “expressed in her yearning for beauty, for heroism; but her society, her class, her upbringing, and her circumstances do not offer an outlet .( for her deep poetry”(Brooklyn, pg 23 The Article An Unsigned notice refers to Hedda Gabler and Mr. Lovburg's death as Antony and Cleopatra or Hamlet. To describe how Hedda played with the gun was “melodramatic pistols and their use” (Egan, pg .2) “As in Hamlet, there is a bloody stage when

4 Wilson the curtain falls. But in Hedda Gabler, there is no Fortinbras, no principle to bring in a new order. Nor is there here an Horatio who, for love, would sacrifice his life for the dead hero. Not here an Horatio who shall tell a tale of woe” (Brooklyn, pg 24). The death of Hedda Gabler One of the first signs of suicide is when one continues to seek access to guns, knives, or any other objects that could be used in a suicide attempt. In which this describes Hedda from the beginning with her playing with the gunshot that killed Mr. Lovburg. As Hedda played with the gun because she was “bored” it was a symbolism of her reacting how she wanted to kill herself. While going back and forth with Judge Brack and Tesman, Hedda says “Yes, don't flatter yourself we will, Judge Brack? Now that you are the one cock in the basket—“ until she is cut off by the sound of a gunshot (Ibsen, 857). Hedda had been hinting about suicide but since no one paid attention Tesman stated “Oh, now she is playing with those pistols again” not realizing that Hedda committed suicide. Judge Brack's final words about Hedda Gabler was “Good God! — people don’t do such things” indicating that Hedda Gabler was not an actual person (Ibsen,858). Hedda Gabler did not show any feelings towards anyone's deaths, troubles, or lives. Throughout the entire story the scene’s got darker and more intense and the reasoning for it all was because “towards the end Aunt Rina dies, Eilert Lovborg dies, and Hedda herself inevitably .( dies as well” (Chen, pg 6 In conclusion, more women between the ages of 18-65 years old commit suicide because of things they are going through in their lives. Hedda Gabler showed signs the entire play that she had thoughts of commit suicide. The signs were shown throughout the entire play from Hedda playing with the gun, showing signs of different moods, saying suicide is beautiful, and lastly having a happy spirit regarding death. Hedda Gabler talked Mr. Lovburg into committing suicide while trying to constantly find a purpose in life. Once Mr. Lovburg killed himself Hedda

5 Wilson felt like he did a good deed in life. In society when someone does not show signs of wanting to commit suicide usually will surprise the entire community. In which that would be Mr. Lovburg's case no one knew that he was going through but Hedda and she enabled him. Being an enabler could make or break one and at the end of the novel, its was two deaths caused by Hedda Gabler. Hedda always wanted to be in control of her life and others' lives but once the Judge was able to pinpoint that Hedda was the reason Mr. Lovburg was dead he wanted to make her his “slave”. Hedda could not resist the inevitable and would not allow Judge Brack to have her not only for his sexual desires but also in his control. To make sure that he or no one else had control over her she killed herself after playing suspenseful music, under a portrait that her father gifter her. The same method and gun that she wanted Mr. Lovburg to use was the way she passed and that is the way she thought was “beautiful”. In the novel, the last words of Judge Brack had multiple connotations as if Hedda Gabler was not a human “people don't do this” referring to suicide. Not only did Judge Brack say those words but he also fainted as if he had seen enough for the day due to previous information and deaths. In the Novel Hedda Gabler, the scenes from the beginning of the story were pure and had a lot of lighting, but in Act three - four the character and stage lighting showed the mood of the scenes till the end of the novel. Describing suicide would be sad, dark, weary, suspenseful and Hedda Gabler possessed all of those traits in the last scene before killing herself. I believe that one who takes their own life is not weak they are strong because they were able to take their own life. In Hedda Gabler’s case, I would say that she possessed a weak trait because she was not able to stand up and say that she enabled one to do . such a “beautiful” thing in life

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Works Cited Egan, Michael, and B. C. Southam. “Part 5: HEDDA GABLER: Chapter 81: An Unsigned Notice, Observer.” Henrik Ibsen (0-415-15950-4), Mar. 1997, pp. 230–231. EBSCOhost, . search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=lfh&AN=17034511&site=lrc-live c.chen16, et al. “Great Works of Literature II: ENG 2850 KTRC.” Great Works of Literature II . ENG 2850 KTRC, 2 Nov. 2015, blogs.baruch.cuny.edu/eng2850ktrc/?p=605 . Hedda Gabler, Act IV, academic.brooklyn.cuny.edu/english/melani/cs6/hedda4.html...