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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. How does Hedda feel about the house she lives in?

2. What is the one thing that Hedda says she has an aptitude for?

3. Which of the following best describes Mrs Elvsted's marriage?

4. What kept Hedda and Tesman up late the night of their return?

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

Short Essay Questions

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

2. What does Hedda mean at the end of Act 2 when she tells Mrs. Elvsted that at ten o'clock Lovborg will return "with vine leaves in his hair"?

3. How do Hedda and Aunt Julle get along?

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

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

6. What does Hedda give Lovborg as a keepsake as he leaves her house in Act 3?

7. Why didn't Tesman tell anyone he had Lovborg's manuscript? What were his plans with it?

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

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

10. What does Hedda do to Brack when he approaches at the very beginning of Act 2 of HEDDA GABLER?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Write an essay about Henrik Ibsen.

Part 1: Write a brief biography of Henrik Ibsen. When and where did he live? What was his life like?

Part 2: What was the society that Ibsen lived in like? What parts of it influenced his writing? Did he have any message about societal norms that he tried to express in his plays?

Part 3: Discuss Henrik Ibsen's works. Was his work well received? What reaction did the society of his time have to his works? Was his work influential in theater as we know it? How?

Essay Topic 2

The character of Hedda Tesman is complex, and has been interpreted in many different ways. Is she a victim of circumstance? Is she a manipulative and selfish evil doer? Perhaps an idealistic dreamer? Is her lashing out early signs of feminism? The final definition of Hedda's character is left to the actress that portrays her, and there have been many variations. How do you see Hedda? Write a full and thorough description of Hedda the way you see her, and the way you would portray her on stage if it were up to you. Develop her character thoroughly, so the reader feels they know her. Support your arguments with examples and details from the play.

Essay Topic 3

The importance of perspective is important in the telling of any story. Clearly, Hedda Gabler is told from Hedda's perspective. Write an essay about how the actions and happenings of the play might have looked very different from the perspective of the other characters.

Part 1: Tell how the story, and specifically Hedda's actions, would have looked from the perspective of Lovborg, Tesman, Mrs. Elvsted, and Brack. How different do her actions seem to the different characters?

Part 2: Would any of them have understood her motives? Who, amongst the other characters would be most likely to understand her reasons for the various things she does. Would anyone have not only understood, but appreciated them? Would anyone have simply not understood at all and been entirely confused had they known all her actions?

Part 3: What would the other characters have thought about her final act of taking her own life? Give a brief summary of how Lovborg, Tesman, Mrs. Elvsted, and Brack would react to and view Hedda's suicide.

(see the answer keys)

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