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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. To whom does Hedda not speak in Act 1 of HEDDA GABLER?

2. Which of the following best characterizes Hedda's feelings towards Mrs Elvsted?

3. When did Lovborg write his book?

4. Why is Mrs Elvsted uneasy talking about her home life?

5. What would best characterize the way Hedda greets Julle?

Short Essay Questions

1. What reason does Hedda give Brack for her marrying Tesman?

2. Tesman foresees many months of work to reconstruct the manuscript. How does he recommend they all arrange themselves while the work is going on?

3. How much interest does Hedda show in getting along with all the Tesman family? Give an example.

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

5. In Act 4, what does Brack tell everyone at the Tesman household happened to Lovborg? What did he tell Hedda was the truth when he was alone with her?

6. Hedda does two things in Act 1 that make Julle uneasy. What are they, and why did they make Julle uneasy?

7. What is the one trait of Mrs. Elvsted's that Hedda remembers and characterizes her by?

8. What does Lovborg say the only option open to him now is? How does Hedda respond?

9. Who was Hedda Gabler before she married Tesman? What was her life like?

10. How does Lovborg feel about Hedda being married to Tesman?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Write a full analysis comparing and contrasting the two characters of Mrs. Elvsted and Hedda.

Part 1: Compare and contrast the motives, personalities, the effects of their actions, the fears, and other attributes of the two characters. How are they alike and how are they different? Does one embody what the other needs? How?

Part 2: What point do you think Ibsen was trying to get through to the audience by putting these two women in contrast with each other? Is there a greater message about femininity or the female role he is trying to bring up by putting these two women in contrast with each other? What would that be?

Essay Topic 2

Write an essay on addiction, and the influence in can have in someone's life. Make sure to use the character Lovborg from the play HEDDA GABLER as an example. You may use other examples from your own life as well.

Part 1: Addiction can be a powerful force. Discuss both the power it has over people as well as the power that people can have over it. Make sure to use the character Lovborg from the play HEDDA GABLER as an example and to relate your arguments to the play.

Part 2: Can people control addiction? Discuss the best ways to approach an addiction or a weakness in order to control it. What resources are available to people in order to help them overcome an addiction? What choices do they need to make to ensure their best success? What should they avoid?

Essay Topic 3

In the play HEDDA GABLER there are two sets of characters that contrast each other. We see Hedda contrasted to Mrs. Elvsted and Tesman to Lovborg. In each case the outside character embodies something that our main character is jealous of.

Part 1: Hedda longs for influence over Lovborg and is intensely jealous of Mrs. Elvsted's success in reforming him. In what very crucial ways is Hedda unlike Mrs Elvsted, and how does this limit her?

Why does Hedda long for influence over Lovborg but not over Tesman? Is Hedda more akin to Tesman or to Lovborg? Do you think Mrs. Elvsted will feel the same way?

Part 2: Tesman is jealous of Lovborg's intellect and ability to write. How are Tesman's and Lovborg's academic works different? Are Tesman and Lovborg competing for the same things with their books, or do they value different consequences of their work?

Part 3: Do Tesman and Hedda handle their jealousy differently? How? What affect does their jealousy have on those around them?

(see the answer keys)

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