Notes

hedda gabler summary
the play takes place in the tesman's living room, and to a smaller room to the side
jurgen tesman and hedda are newlyweds
hedda is aristocratic and hard to pelase
throughout the first act it is apparent that hedda is pregnant
tesman wakes to find his aunt julle has arrived for a visit
aunt julle supports tesman financially and has raised him
hedda is rude to julle
when tesman asks for her to be kinder, she seems to clearly have little interest in him as well
later, news comes that tesman's old rival is in town, Lovborg
lovborg was a reformed alcoholic and failure
judge brack brings gossip to town, saying that Ejlert is a success and will take the position at the university that Tesman wanted
Tesman tells Hedda that they would have to cut back on their expenses

in act 2, brack sees hedda playing with her pistols (guns)
they agree that they should form a bond
hedda confesses that she was bored on her honeymoon, and has no special feeling for the house Tesman has gone to great lengths to buy for her, under the fals impression that she desperately wanted to live there
tesman talks about the stag party that Brack would be having the next night


in act 3 it is just before dawn
hedda is asleep on the couch
tesman arrives and tells Hedda that he has posession of Ejlert's fabulous manuscript, whicch Ejlert dropped while walking home drunk
Tesman plans to return it to him, but cannot after hearing that his Aunt rina is dying
Ejert arrives, and tells Mrs. Elvsted that he has destroyed his manuscript
he then confesses to Hedda that he has lost his manuscript and wanted to kill himself
hedda gives him one of her pistols (guns) and tells him to have a "beuatiful death"
he leaves, and she burns the manuscript

act 4 begins in a room of darkness, and everyone is wearing black
Aunt Rina has died
Ejlert is in the hospital, and later brack confirms that Ejlert is dead
he wounded himself in the chest, probably from Hedda's pistol
Brack tells Hedda that scandel might happen for Hedda
Hedda leaves the room, and after playing the piano for a few moments, shoots herself.