Hedda Gabler

advantage. Hedda I am in your power none the less. Subject to your will and your demands. A slave, a slave then! Rises impetuously. No, I cannot endure the thought of that! Never! Brack Looks half-mockingly at her. People generally get used to the inevitable. Hedda Returns his look. Yes, perhaps. She crosses to the writing table. Suppressing an involuntary smile, she imitates Tesman’s intonations. Well? Are you getting on, George? Eh? Tesman Heaven knows, dear. In any case it will be the work of months. Hedda As before. Fancy that! Passes her hands softly through Mrs. Elvsted’s hair. Doesn’t it seem strange to you, Thea? Here are you sitting with Tesman⁠—just as you used to sit with Eilert Lövborg? Mrs. Elvsted Ah, if I could only inspire your husband in the same way! Hedda Oh, that will come too⁠—in time. Tesman Yes, do you know, Hedda⁠—I really think I begin to feel something of the sort. But won’t you go and sit with Brack again? Hedda Is there nothing I can do to help you two? Tesman No, nothing in the world. Turning his head. I trust to you to keep Hedda company, my dear Brack. Brack With a glance at Hedda. With the very greatest of pleasure. Hedda Thanks. But I am tired this evening. I will go in and lie down a little on the sofa. Tesman Yes, do dear⁠—eh? Hedda goes into the back room and draws the curtains. A short pause. Suddenly she is heard playing a wild dance on the piano. Mrs. Elvsted Starts from her chair. Oh⁠—what is that? Tesman Runs to the doorway. Why, my dearest Hedda⁠—don’t play dance music tonight! Just think of Aunt Rina! And of Eilert too! Hedda Puts her head out between the curtains. And of Aunt Julia. And of all the rest of them.⁠—After this, I will be quiet. Closes the curtains again. Tesman At the writing table. It’s not good for her to see us at this distressing work. I’ll tell you what, Mrs. Elvsted⁠—you shall take the empty room at Aunt Julia’s, and then I will come over in the evenings, and we can sit and work there⁠—eh? Hedda In the inner room. I hear what you are saying, Tesman. But how am I to get through the evenings out here? Tesman Turning over the papers. Oh, I daresay Judge Brack will be so kind as to look in now and then, even though I am out. Brack In the armchair, calls out gaily. Every blessed evening, with all the pleasure in life, Mrs. Tesman! We shall get on capitally together, we two! Hedda Speaking loud and clear. Yes, don’t you flatter yourself we will, Judge Brack? Now that you are the one cock in the basket⁠— A shot is heard within. Tesman, Mrs. Elvsted, and Brack leap to their feet. Tesman Oh, now she is playing with those pistols again. He throws back the curtains and runs in, followed by Mrs. Elvsted. Hedda lies stretched on the sofa, lifeless. Confusion and cries. Berta enters in alarm from the right. Tesman Shrieks to Brack. Shot herself! Shot herself in the temple! Fancy that! Brack Half-fainting in the armchair. Good God!⁠—people don’t do such things.

Endnotes

1. Letters 214, 216, 217, 219. ↩

2. In the Ibsen volume of Die Literatur (Berlin). ↩

3. Dr. Julius Elias (Neue deutsche Rundschau, December 1906, p. 1462) makes the curious assertion that the character of Thea Elvsted was in part borrowed from this “Gossensasser Hildetypus.” It is hard to see how even Gibes’ ingenuity could distil from the same flower two such different essences as Thea and Hilda. ↩

4. See article by Herman Bang in Neue deutsche Rundschau, December 1906, p. 1495. ↩

5. Dr. Brahm (Neue deutsche Rundschau, December 1906, P. 1422) says that after the first performance of Hedda Gabler in Berlin Ibsen confided to him that the character had been suggested by a German lady whom he met in Munich, and who did not shoot, but poisoned herself. Nothing more seems to be known of this lady. See, too, an article by Julius Elias in the same magazine, p. 1460. ↩

6. Tesman, whose Christian name in the original is “Jorgen,” is described as “stipendiat i kulturhistorie”⁠—that is to say, the holder of a scholarship for purposes of research into the History of Civilisation. ↩

7. In the original “Assessor.” ↩

8. Pronounce Reena. ↩

9. In the original “Statsradinde Falks villa”⁠—showing that it had belonged to the widow of a cabinet minister. ↩

10. Du equals thou: Tesman means, “If you could persuade yourself to tutoyer her.” ↩

11. Du equals thou. ↩

12. Pronounce Tora and Taya. ↩

13. Mrs. Elvsted here uses the formal pronoun De, whereupon Hedda rebukes her. In her next speech Mrs. Elvsted says du. ↩

14. “Bagveje” means both “back ways” and “underhand courses.” ↩

15. As this form of address is contrary to English usage, and as the note of familiarity would be lacking in “Mrs. Tesman,” Brack may, in stage representation, say “Miss Hedda,” thus ignoring her marriage and reverting to the form of address no doubt customary between them of old. ↩

16. He uses the familiar du. ↩

17. From this point onward Lövborg use the formal De. ↩

18. In this speech he once more says du. Hedda addresses him throughout as De. ↩

19. “Enest hane i kurven”⁠—a proverbial saying. ↩

20. Literally, “That you burn for me.” ↩

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