Hedda (Gabler) Tesman
Hedda is a sharp and intelligent woman trapped in a loveless marriage with the academic George Tesman. Bored and stifled by her bourgeois existence, she seeks excitement and control through manipulation and cruelty. Her actions, driven by a desire for power and a yearning for a life of passion, ultimately lead to tragedy for herself and those around her.

George Tesman
George is Hedda’s well-meaning but naïve husband, a scholar whose primary focus is his academic career. He is oblivious to Hedda’s dissatisfaction and struggles to understand her complexity. His earnest and somewhat bumbling nature contrasts sharply with Hedda’s cunning and emotional depth.

Eilert Lovborg
Eilert is a brilliant but self-destructive poet and scholar, and a former lover of Hedda’s. He is grappling with alcoholism and a recent moral downfall, but hopes to rebuild his reputation with the help of his partner, Thea. Despite his flaws, Eilert represents a spark of passion and artistic freedom that Hedda both envies and despises.

Thea Elvsted
Thea is gentle, kind, and deeply in love with Eilert Lovborg, having left her unhappy marriage to support him. She is devoted to him and seeks to help him overcome his struggles. Thea represents a contrasting figure to Hedda, embodying purity and genuine affection. Her presence and influence over Eilert stir Hedda’s jealousy and insecurities.

Juliane Tesman (Aunt Julia)
George’s loving and doting aunt, Aunt Julia is selflessly devoted to his happiness and well-being. She provides a nurturing presence in the Tesman household, though her fussiness occasionally grates on Hedda.

Judge Brack
Brack is a judge of interior rank, and is a close friend of the Tesmans and frequent visitor to their home, where he enjoys gossiping and meddling in their affairs. He thrives on exerting control over others by exploiting secrets and leveraging social power. Brack is particularly interested in Hedda, and their relationship is marked by a complex interplay of power and seduction.

Berta
The Tesman’s loyal maid, Berta, is a minor but steady presence in the household. Her interactions often reveal underlying tensions between the characters.

Plot Summary

(SPOILER ALERT!)

Act 1: Hedda returns from her honeymoon with her husband, George Tesman, a scholar she does not love. Bored and stifled, she awaits the arrival of Eilert Lovborg, a former childhood friend and a brilliant but self-destructive poet. Hedda is both intrigued and repelled by Eilert, who represents a life of passion and freedom she craves.

Act 2: Eilert arrives, having overcome his alcoholism and produced a groundbreaking manuscript. However, he soon relapses, spending the night with Thea Elvsted, who is deeply in love with him. Hedda, observing their interaction, becomes obsessed with controlling Eilert’s fate.

Act 3: Eilert loses his manuscript, believing it to be irretrievable. Distraught and despairing, he considers suicide. Hedda, witnessing his anguish, manipulates him into destroying the manuscript, pushing him towards self-destruction.

Act 4: News arrives that Eilert has died by suicide. Hedda, realizing the extent of her influence over his demise, is both horrified and exhilarated. Judge Brack reveals his knowledge of Hedda’s involvement in Eilert’s death, using this information to exert control over her. Feeling trapped and suffocated by her own existence, she ultimately takes her own life with her father’s pistols, finding a brief moment of control in her final act of defiance.