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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What two events does Tesman accidentally schedule for the same time?

2. What state of mind is Mrs Elvsted in when she arrives?

3. When Julle leaves at the end of Act 1, what are her plans for returning?

4. What is the only thing that Mrs Elvsted knows about the woman whose shadow stands between her and Lovborg?

5. How long has Mrs Elvsted been in town?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe Hedda Gabler's character.

2. What do Tesman and Mrs. Elvsted decide they must do for Lovborg, and what does Mrs. Elvsted have that makes this possible?

3. What does Tesman ask of Hedda shortly after Julle leaves in Act 1? What does Hedda reply?

4. What do Tesman and Hedda discuss at the end of Act 1 of HEDDA GABLER that causes severe disappointment to Hedda?

5. What does Hedda tell Lovborg that finally does have an impact and he starts to drink? Why does it affect him so?

6. Where was Lovborg and what was he doing when the gun went off and killed him?

7. What does Lovborg tell Mrs. Elvsted he did with the manuscript? Why does he tell her this?

8. What does Brack press Hedda to do regarding Lovborg in the first part of Act 3 of HEDDA GABLER? Why?

9. Why does Lovborg not accompany Mrs. Elvsted home as promised the day before?

10. What is the financial situation of the newly married couple?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In the play HEDDA GABLER, the character of Julle is seen only briefly, but she is mentioned often and has several important roles to play. Write an essay about the need for her character in the play.

Part 1: What many purposes does her character have? Ibsen needs to use her to achieve several things. What are they? Who does her character help to contrast? Who does her character add depth to? Who does she help define?

Part 2: Discuss the importance in general of minor characters that don't play a major role in the plot, and what they often are there to do. Does realism need them more than other genres? What complications for the writer might they help solve?

Essay Topic 2

In the play HEDDA GABLER, Lovborg is inspired by Mrs. Elvsted and reforms his life for her. Despite this, he says she is "stupid" in interpersonal matters that he discusses freely with Hedda. Indeed, Mrs. Elvsted, like Tesman, seems blind to much of the social happenings going on around her. Write an essay about these four characters and discuss how they inspire and motivate each other.

Part 1: Why is Hedda inspired by Lovborg? Why does Hedda long for influence over Lovborg but doesn't care for the influence she has over Tesman? How are Hedda and Lovborg alike? How are they different?

Part 2: How are Mrs. Elvsted and Tesman alike? In what way is this a strength and in what way are their similarities a weakness?

Part 3: Why is Lovborg inspired by Mrs. Elvsted, but Hedda is not inspired by Tesman? Is the difference in Lovborg and Hedda or in Mrs. Elvsted and Tesman?

Essay Topic 3

In the play HEDDA GABLER, Hedda is distraught about the loss of power she has over her own life. She confesses to marrying because Tesman could take care of her and wasn't ridiculous. The society she lives in gives her few choices about her life, and the only option she has is to marry despite the fact that she quite clearly does not want a family. Write an essay about the roles and responsibilities of society and the individual.

Part 1: Hedda ends up by destroying both a brilliant man and herself. Was she a pawn to an unjust society or careless and self centered?

Part 2: Given the society that Hedda lived in, and her fear of scandal, what options did she have to avoid the loveless marriage she found herself in? What opportunities might there have been for a lady of wealth and intelligence to maintain a semblance of her lifestyle if she chose not to marry?

Part 3: Does this understanding make her character more understandable and tragic? Is Hedda's behavior at all justified by the times and society that she lived in? Why or why not?

(see the answer keys)

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