Henrik Ibsen, Hedda Gabler

Elsa Kienberger (Goldsmiths College, University of London)

The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 1.3.5: Norwegian Writing and Culture.
Vol. editors: Sven Hakon Rossel (Universitat Wien), Herbert Rowland (Purdue University), Jakob Stougaard-Nielsen (University College London), Anja Tröger (University of Edinburgh)

Dates

First circulation or publication 1890

Places

Norway (Country of Origin)

Genres and Modes

Play

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When

Hedda Gabler

(1890) first appeared in print ahead of its stage premiere, newspapers around Europe reported the advent of the latest Henrik Ibsen play. The Norwegian newspaper

Aftenposten

remarked 27 December 1890 on Ibsen’s acclaim outside of his home country, but nonetheless published an excerpt from a French review calling the new play too “Scandinavian” (1890: 2). Nineteenth-century theatre critics attributed Ibsen’s pessimistic evaluation of idealism to the bleakness of the Nordic region. They lambasted

Hedda Gabler

for its titular protagonist in particular: a newly married woman who ruins the futures of those around her because her own is seemingly out of her control. Nevertheless, the play’s intricate portrayal of gender inequality spoke to social reformers and…

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3709 words

Citation: Kienberger, Elsa. "Hedda Gabler". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 08 October 2024 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=4783, accessed 24 November 2024.]

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Henrik Ibsen, Hedda Gabler

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