View a FREE sample

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

3. What does Hedda dream of convincing Tesman to do?

4. What does Tesman ask of Hedda in Act 1 of HEDDA GABLER?

5. What is Brack's reaction when he realizes that Tesman is not at home and that he is alone with Hedda?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is Mrs. Elvsted's state of mind when she first enters the Tesman household? Why?

2. The morning after the party at Brack's house, what is the situation like at the Tesman household?

3. In Act 1 of Hedda Gabler, what does Hedda say about her piano? What does Tesman suggest in reply, and how is his suggestion received?

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 other people may think if Lovborg continued to refuse to drink at all?

6. What worry of Tesman's does Lovborg quickly alleviate?

7. What reason does Hedda give Tesman for burning the manuscript?

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

9. 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?

10. When Julle and Tesman discuss Hedda, what do they usually focus on?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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?

Essay Topic 2

For the title character in HEDDA GABLER, having power and influence over someone is of immense importance.

Part 1: Describe Hedda's need for power or influence. Why did she feel it? Was she particular about who she influenced? Was she well meaning in her attempts to influence? Was she responsible with her power?

Part 2: Write an essay about the people in your life that you have influence over and those that have power over you. Discuss the roles of responsibility and power in each relationship. What happens when power is not handled responsibly? What are some of the outcomes of the power or influence in your life and in the life of those around you?

Essay Topic 3

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?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,183 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample