Beginning of Essay
The exposition of any play must be able to establish the essence of the play, and to captivate the audience. Hedda Gabler is no exception to the rule, and to such an end Ibsen is highly successful in Act I. Through the use of both direct and subtle narrative hint ....

Middle of Essay
.... and subtly through Hedda’s clothes which are indicated in the stage directions to be “loosely-fitting”, which does not suit her “elegant figure”. The ridiculous reasoning of Jorgen and Hedda’s noticeably strong reaction to any mention of the matter further draws the audience’s attention to the matter. When Miss Tesman declares that she will visit her “every single day” even in the face of Hedda’s disgust and obvious disapproval, the possibility of future conflict is set up. Conflict between Lovborg and Jorgen is also established by Brack’s revelation that the both of them might be competing for the same professorship. Jorgen’s ....