Direct Result Of Hedda's Manipulations example essay topic

Frustration is a deep state of insecurity and dissatisfaction arising from unresolved problems or unfulfilled needs. The play Hedda Gabler deals directly with frustration. Hedda is tormented equally by her own repression and guilt as mush as by her new external restrictions. The clash between what Hedda wants and the path she is now taking in life result in hysteria. Hedda's behavior is dictated by control and a relentless effort of will. In the tragedy Hedda Gabler, the senseless deaths of characters are the result of Hedda's character flaws.

Hedda causes her won self-destruction as well as the destruction of the lives of others through character flaws such as manipulation, the inability to show sympathy, and the need to have constant control. Hedda lives in the past, denies the present, and rejects the future. Hedda Gabler is an intelligent, unpredictable, and dishonest woman who is bored with her life, so she often finds amusement through the lives of others. To entertain herself, she does not hesitate to manipulate her husband and his friends. Hedda often tells two characters two very different things.

For example, she tells Tesman that he ought to go and write Ei lert Lovborg a long letter, but then immediately reveals to Thea Elvsted that she only did this to get rid of him. Hedda is completely aware that Thea is intimidated by her and uses it to her advantage by manipulating her into divulging her secrets. She suspects an affair between Thea and Lovborg. Hedda often manipulates men through sex, yet she never acts on her insinuations. At one moment she seeks to comfort Lovborg by seeming to understand his desire to kill himself. Yet she does not seek to prevent his death by returning the manuscript; instead, she burns it, thinking only of venting her won frustrations at the relationship between Lovborg and Thea.

Further, while her willingness to give him one of her father's pistols shows that she takes him seriously. Lovborg dies as a direct result of Hedda's manipulations. Hedda constantly manipulates those around her with complete disregard of their thoughts and feelings. For example Hedda feels very unsympathetic towards Tesman.

She does not allow him to use the word "we" to describe the two of them. She also feels little guilt when cheating on him, if only on an emotional level, with Lovborg and Judge Brack. Her values are beyond Tesman's control and understanding, as a result he cannot predict her actions. Hedda hopes for life to be beautiful and measure up to certain standards she holds, regardless of practicalities. She is consistently rude to Aunt Julia and Berta, who find it impossible to please her. When talking to judge Brack, Hedda says she really does not care for the house Tesman has bought for her, yet she lets Tesman go on believing the house is precious to her, even while it is a great financial burden for him.

She likes Tesman to think he is pleasing her, and she likes the fact that he goes to great lengths to do so. Hedda's disregard for Tesman's feelings is illustrated by her refusal to look at his slippers, which mean a great deal to him. She is also repulsed by his happiness on how much he thinks she must love him to burn the manuscript. In dealing with the death of Lovborg, Hedda shows no sympathy to the situation or Thea.

Her interest in how he died proves she cares more for the beauty of his death than for his well being, seeing Lovborg as more of an object than human. Hedda has control over basically everyone in the play. Hedda resents her recent marriage because she didn't really want to be married. She was left after her father died with little to live on, and was passing through the marriageable age. George had potential to give her a high status, but she soon realizes she sold herself cheap. Hedda's refusal to admit she has filled out shows a problematic relationship with pregnancy.

She wants nothing to do with things that make a claim on her freedom, such as the burdens of being a wife and a mother. Hedda continually denies the inevitable. In controlling Judge Brack and Lovborg, Hedda enjoys a semi-adulterous relationship, not out of admiration, but because she wants to control them. Hedda manipulates both of the men into thinking she's keeping them in confidence from Tesman. In many ways, Judge Brack is one of Hedda's best friends, but, at the same time, she seems to resent the extent to which he tries to control her. Lovborg's manuscript is something he created for himself; his death is a result of Hedda wanting to take this away from him.

By the end of the play Lovborg is gone, the baby is coming, and Tesman is gravitating towards Thea. Tesman is gaining his own power by rewriting the manuscript as well as Mrs. Elvsted. Hedda cannot overcome this. Judge Brack, who now has sexual blackmail, is willing to exploit it, and is in position of power, is the only one who is still drawn towards Hedda. The only two roles left to Hedda are mother and mistress, neither of which holds the power and control she desires. Hedda controls the destiny of herself, Lovborg and the baby.

None of them had to die. Hedda lost power, she could not handle the thought of Judge Brack having control over her, she could not do anything about the baby, and Lovborg created things for himself (the manuscript) that she wanted to take away. She commits suicide in the belief that there is no escape from a disappointing life. Once Hedda's honeymoon is over she becomes irritated, bored and sad when she looks at her life as it is, and her life to come. She dreads motherhood and fears scandal more than anything else. She rouses from her boredom by becoming unsympathetic and manipulating others to maintain constant control.

Largely because of Hedda's flaws, (the burning of the manuscript, cold treatment of others, and the encouragement of suicide) her own self-destruction is reached when scandal and the loss of control finally catch up with her in the end, leading to the destruction of other characters.