Ibsen's use of symbolism in Hedda Gabler is able to dramatically represent psychological states of individuals and give power to the delivery of key themes. Discuss with close reference to the play.
Henrik Ibsen's play, Hedda Gabler is primarily concerned with representing and critiquing bourgeois Norwegian society in the nineteenth century. In order to achieve this, the play employs symbolism to represent the psychological states of the central characters, a symbol being an object which stands for something else, and often has cultural meanings attached to it. Hedda Gabler being a play these objects are visible to the audience and the symbols give power to the delivery of the themes. Ibsen's play explores issues associated with the prescribed roles society constructs for women and men and how these prescribed roles limit the agency of the individual. The audience comes to the play with certain cultural expectations, the use of symbolism works to subvert these cultural values. Symbolism allows the audience to understand Hedda's inner turmoil which in effect serves to destabilise the naturalised ideologies of the period, and represent this society as being heavily circumscribed by notions relating to gender and class construction. .
The Tesman's house is used symbolically to show how Hedda is trapped within a bourgeois existence. All of the action as viewed by the audience takes place inside the drawing room, an indoor and private place. The protagonist of the play Hedda Gabler is represented as confined to this indoor space. Hedda occupies liminal spaces on the stage and is often positioned near the glass door looking out and is also represented, as pacing liked a caged animal. The profusion of bouquets of flowers in the opening scenes symbolically represents the invasion of the public into the private spaces producing a sense of suffocation representing Hedda's emotional and physical entrapment.
