Hedda Gabler

Hedda Gabler (Norwegian pronunciation: [ˈhɛ̂dːɑ ˈɡɑ̀ːblər]) is a play written by Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen. The world premiere was staged on 31 January 1891 at the Residenztheater in Munich. Ibsen himself was in attendance, although he remained back-stage. Though initial reviews were negative, it has since been canonized as a masterpiece of literary realism, 19th-century theatre, and world drama in general. Hedda Gabler dramatizes the experiences of the title character, Hedda, the daughter of a general, who is trapped in a marriage and a house that she does not want. Hedda is considered one of the great dramatic roles in theatre, and has been described as a female variation of Hamlet. Hedda's married name is Hedda Tesman; Gabler is her maiden name. On the subject of the title, Ibsen wrote: "My intention in giving it this name was to indicate that Hedda as a personality is to be regarded rather as her father's daughter than her husband's wife."