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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. What item in Hedda and Tesman's house has been moved out of view in the beginning of Act 2 of HEDDA GABLER?

2. What role did Ejlert Lovborg play in the Elvsted household prior to the happenings in the play Hedda Gabler?

3. When did Lovborg write his book?

4. What does Ejlert Lovborg do shortly after publishing his book?

5. What does Julle give to Tesman before she leaves?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. What does Brack press Hedda to do regarding Lovborg in the first part of Act 3 of HEDDA GABLER? Why?

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

4. When Tesman and Julle are discussing future prospects, they are talking about different things. What does Tesman talk about, and what does Julle talk about?

5. When Brack adds his own account of the night of the party to Hedda, where does he reveal that Lovborg has gone that Tesman was unaware of?

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

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

8. What is the financial situation of the newly married couple?

9. What does Lovborg tell Mrs. Elvsted when he sees her the morning after the party at Brack's?

10. What is the main question of importance that Lovborg has for Hedda when they are talking in private?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Write a full analysis comparing and contrasting the two characters of Mrs. Elvsted and Hedda.

Part 1: Compare and contrast the motives, personalities, the effects of their actions, the fears, and other attributes of the two characters. How are they alike and how are they different? Does one embody what the other needs? How?

Part 2: What point do you think Ibsen was trying to get through to the audience by putting these two women in contrast with each other? Is there a greater message about femininity or the female role he is trying to bring up by putting these two women in contrast with each other? What would that be?

Essay Topic 2

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?

Essay Topic 3

Write an essay about suicide.

Part 1: Discuss different views of someone taking their own life. Has it ever been acceptable or condoned? Do different cultures see it differently? In what circumstances has it been seen as acceptable or even advisable?

Part 2: What are your own views on someone taking their own life? Is there any circumstance that it is understandable or ok?

Part 3: In the play HEDDA GABLER, is Hedda's final act a liberating act of courage or a cowardly avoidance? How does Hedda see it?

(see the answer keys)

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