Four’s A Crowd
In Act 3, Ibsen returns to the idea that Hedda is engaged in a triadic relationship with her husband and Judge Brack. It is clearly shown that Brack feels threatened by the presence of Lovburg and wishes to distinguish himself as a more reputable companion.
BRACK: Yes. I must admit I’d find it extremely awkward if this fellow were to become a constant visitor here. If this superfluous and… unsuitable individual were to insinuate himself into…
HEDDA: Into the triangle?
Discuss the significance of the conversation which ensues between Hedda and Brack. Does Hedda reciprocate his comments or does she ignore Brack? How does her reaction compare to her conversations with him in the previous Act (the train metaphor)? What can we infer about Brack’s character from his private conversations with Hedda?
Different to the train metaphor in Act 2, Hedda doesn’t argue with Brack. As Brack tells her about Lovborg’s adventure the previous night, she is surprised. Brack them mentions, that there is no place for Lovborg to go, and so he would most likely, end up at her house. This is where Brack insinuates that Lovborg wants something for Hedda, but he wants to be the only one that has any sort of relation to Hedda. He tells her, that if Lovborg becomes part of the ‘triangle’, he will not protect the Tesman’s if they were to fall into dispute. Her response shows that she believes in free will, providing reason to her obsession with pistols, serving as a reminder that she decides who lives and dies.
HEDDA.
And so ought mine to be, you mean?
BRACK.
Yes. I confess it would be more than painful to me if this personage were to be
made free of your house. How superfluous, how intrusive, he would be, if he
were to force his way into—
HEDDA.
—into the triangle?
BRACK.
Precisely. It would simply mean that I should find myself homeless.
HEDDA.
[Looks at him with a smile.] So you want to be the one cock in the basket(12)—
that is your aim.
BRACK.
[Nods slowly and lowers his voice.] Yes, that is my aim. And for that I will
fight—with every weapon I can command.
A Testament to Tesman’s Character
In Act 3, Tesman openly admits to his wife that he is jealous of Lovburg’s work. Tesman presents his jealousy as an emotion he is not accustomed to and is deeply ashamed of;
TESMAN: There’s something I’m bound to confess, Hedda. When he’d finished reading… something ugly came over me.
HEDDA: Something ugly?
TESMAN: I sat and envied Eliert that he’d been able to write such a thing. Think of that, Hedda!
Much is revealed about Tesman’s nature in Act 3 in how he reacts to discovering Lovburg’s manuscript.
How does Tesman compare to Hedda in terms of his motivations and thoughts? How would the audience respond to his character? With sympathy? Or is his naivety pitiable?
Tesman describes jealousy as an “ugly” emotion. Where have we seen his beautiful wife feel this “ugly” emotion so far?
Tesman and Hedda are similar in the sense that they both do what they believe is best for them, regardless of the consequences it may have on others. They both have little regard to making sure that the people around them are comfortable, or that they know the truth, if their actions benefit them. In Act 3, although Tesman doesn’t plan on stealing the manuscript to sell it as his, his motivations lie in using it an as example to write his own, essentially getting a free outline to writing as book as ‘great’ as Lovborg’s. This is like when Hedda and Lovborg met in Act 2. He had all these questions and inquiries, and instead of politely moving away, or even answering the questions you could argue he had a right to an answer, she dismissed him and blamed him for potentially throwing her off her game.
The Manuscript as a Child
When Lovborg tells Mrs. Elvsted an inaccurate version of the loss of the manuscript, both regard it as “a sort of child murder.” Why do they both see it in this light? What is the significance of Hedda’s immediate aside, “(almost inaudible) Ah, the child”?
Consider the significance of Hedda’s final declaration at the end of the Act:
HEDDA: [throws one of the folded sheets into the fire and whispers to herself].Now I’m burning your child , Thea! With your curly hair! ...Your child and Ejlert Lovbrg’s… I’m burning, burning your child. The manuscript was a major connection between Mrs. Elvsted and Lovborg, almost keeping them together, therefore, like a child. It was something that Lovborg worked on very hard and was very proud of, and so when he ‘tore’ it to shreds, he was destroying/killing his life’s work and everything he had every worked towards.
Hedda is almost proud that she is destroying something that brought them close, seemingly, this is her version of payback, even if it isn’t something that people may ever know. She shows no regret for her actions, but rather seems proud that she pulled it all off.
Suicidal Thoughts and the Gift of a Gun
Explain why Lovborg feels that suicide is his only option and why Hedda encourages him in this thought.
That manuscript was his only way of showing the world what he had to offer, and now that he has also ‘stolen’ the wife of a friend, he has nowhere to go, and so feels suicide is his only option.
Comment on the irony of Hedda’s reply, “So that pretty little fool has had her fingers in a man’s destiny.”
What does Hedda mean when she says, “I have lost my faith in vine leaves.” You may need to research the significance of this motif.
Why does Hedda give Lovborg a pistol and insist that he kill himself “beautifully”? What does she mean by this?
The vine leaves are an allusion to Dionysus, the Greek god of wine and tragic insight. In Hedda’s vision, the vine leaves symbolise divine self-mastery, that she wants Lovborg to master. When she says she has lost her faith in the vine leaves, she is hinting that she doesn’t believe that Lovborg has any sort of self-mastery and will never get over the problems of his past.
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