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

Short Answer Questions

1. What influence does Hedda want over Lovborg?

2. What does Lovborg ask Hedda while they are alone?

3. What reason does Hedda give for refusing to go with Tesman to Rina?

4. What does Tesman bring to Hedda while she talks to Lovborg?

5. At the end of Act 2, what does Hedda confess to Mrs Elvsted that she wants out of the whole situation?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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?

Essay Topic 2

The play HEDDA GABLER is rife with symbolism and foreshadowing.

Part 1: Define symbolism and foreshadowing in pieces of literature such as HEDDA GABLER. What is the difference between the two literary techniques? How might an author use them? Why would an author use them?

Part 2: Discuss Ibsen's use of both these techniques in the play, citing as many examples of each as you can. Explain each one, and what you think Ibsen was trying to convey. Why did he choose that particular object as a symbol? Make your essay as thorough and complete as you can.

Essay Topic 3

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?

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