Henrik Ibsen 
Hedda Gabler 

Hedda Gabler Henrik Ibsen – Performed for the first time in 1891, Hedda Gabler is one of Henrik Ibsens greatest dramas. It is the story of its title character, Hedda, a self-centered and manipulative woman who has grown bored of her new marriage to the kind and reliable George. Hedda was born to a life of luxury and privilege and marries a man she does not love to avoid becoming a spinster. After returning from her honeymoon, Hedda discovers that her marriage will not be the life of wealth and excitement she was accustomed to and that George will never be the ambitious and successful man she wishes him to be. To escape her boredom, she begins to meddle in the lives of Georges academic rival, Eilert, who is Heddas former paramour, and Eilerts unsuspecting wife, Thea. Hedda fears that Eilert and his professional success may stand in the way of Georges future in academia and Hedda takes it upon herself to sabotage her husbands rival, leading to truly tragic consequences for everyone involved. Marked by one of the most dramatic female roles in all of theater, Hedda Gabler stands as an enduring masterpiece by Norways most famous playwright, Henrik Ibsen. This edition includes a biographical afterword, follows the translation of Edmund Gosse and William Archer, with an introduction by William Archer.

About the author

Henrik Johan Ibsen was a major Norwegian playwright largely responsible for the rise of modern realistic drama. He is often referred to as the ‘father of modern drama.’ Ibsen is held to be the greatest of Norwegian authors and one of the most important playwrights of all time, celebrated as a national symbol by Norwegians.His plays were considered scandalous to many of his era, when Victorian values of family life and propriety largely held sway in Europe and any challenge to them was considered immoral and outrageous. Ibsen’s work examined the realities that lay behind many facades, possessing a revelatory nature that was disquieting to many contemporaries.Ibsen largely founded the modern stage by introducing a critical eye and free inquiry into the conditions of life and issues of morality. Victorian-era plays were expected to be moral dramas with noble protagonists pitted against darker forces; every drama was expected to result in a morally appropriate conclusion, meaning that goodness was to bring happiness, and immorality pain. Ibsen challenged this notion and the beliefs of his times and shattered the illusions of his audiences.