POST: Ending of Hedda Gabler

On this thread, please post your response to the ending of the play. Does it work for you? What opinion do you have of Hedda at the end of the work? Is the ending ironic in any other sense? Share your thoughts with the class.

I believe that the ending of Hedda Gabler was perfectly appropriate. Hedda came on stage with such unbridled force why should she not end too in the same manner. I don't think that by shooting herself in the end that Hedda was giving up on her life but rather she was not giving into her life. Hedda realized her fate: married to a husband whom she disliked and under the power fo a man who she could not bear and even more without the only man she might have come close to loving.
Hedda may be strong from start to finish however she brought on her own demise. It was her actions that separated herself from others and her cruel actions that led to the downfall Eilert. If Hedda would have given back the manuscript and not the pistol to Eilert well it is quite possible that Eilert would be living, her husband would not be working with Thea and Judge Brack would have no power over her. It is Hedda's spite that causes her actions. Her actions have consequences, immense consequences that tip off a domino effect of disaster until the last piece falls.

The ending of Hedda Gabler was definitley neccessary. I liked this play a lot and it would be nothing without the evilness of Hedda. She came into the first scene acting ridiculously rude to Aunt Juliana and I think the way she ended the play made it seem really dramatic which was the purpose of Hedda. Throughout the entire play she strived to do anything to get what she wanted and the only time throughout the play when she didn't get what she wanted, she killed herself. This shows that in reality you can't always get what you want, however you shouldn't follow in Hedda's footsteps and kill yourself the first time something goes wrong. No one would want to look up to Hedda and her evil power schemes therefore no one would look up to her and follow her decisions to kill themselves. I see this as a hidden message to the audience to not be so drastic when something doesn't go your way in life or you will end up dead soon because things go wrong all the time.

The ending of Hedda Gabler was lame. To me, she is just running away from her problems. Ibsen should have made Hedda shoot Brack instead of herself. She began as an almost hardcore woman, but turns into such a loser like her husband. She is cruel to prevent herself from being hurt. I am 100% confident that her true self is the opposite of cruel. No wonder Ibsen put them together, they are a perfect match.

Well when I first read the ending on my own, I wasn't too happy about its conclusion. I was hoping more of a dramatic way to end it, like maybe she would freak out and kill Judge Brack and then kill herself.
In retrospect, the ending actually works. Throughout the whole story, Hedda has been all about exerting control and power over other people. Toward the end, Judge Brack had power over Hedda. Hedda doesn't seem to be the type who will let anyone dominate her, so rather than having to fall under Judge Brack's power, she would rather kill herself and let herself take over and no one else.

I really liked the ending. Hedda really had no choice but to kill herself, because eventually all her lies would catch up to her and ruin her. Let's face it, Hedda's not one to let others push her around. Plus, she would have been stuck with Tessman, a man that she's obviously not too fond of. I agree that it would have been much more interesting to see Hedda kill Brack, but that would have just opened a whole new can of worms. What I think should have happened: Hedda should have shot Brack and then herself.
I really enjoyed how she plays piano right before she shoots herself. It kind of shows the temporary insanity that lies within her. I wish I can see how this ending is performed, the way Mr. Kelso described the showing at SDSU sounded crazy!

In my opinion, the ending fit the play pretty well. Hedda finally got a taste of her own medicine when she became the one being controlled, rather than being the controller herself. It kind of contradicts the notion of being a strong woman because she could not overcome an ordeal that simply put her in a submissive situation. If she were truly strong, she would not have given up on her life that easily. The dramatic conclusion to Hedda's life was a great part in the play. The moment before she kills herself adds to the drama, especially the music she is heard playing on the piano.

I personally admire someone that is courageous enough to take their own life. I think by killing herself, Hedda is committing the ultimate act of control over life. People obviously don’t get to choose their births in this world, but the next greatest decision in one’s life might so well be death. Hedda has tasted that power, that quenching thirst to ultimately control a destiny, even if it is her own. She is choosing not to let Judge Brack have power over her. Hedda’s final act completely reflects upon her personality, and it is a clever and refined way to end the book. The end is very appropriate and in fact, it is stunning, not only does the reader get a jolt all of the sudden from reading it, but after reflecting upon it, seems rather fitting and masterful.

Contrary to what most people would think- that Hedda was courageous to take her own life at the end- I think it weakened her character. She couldn't stand not being the one in control and being in debt to Judge Brack so she killed herself. In my opinion, this is an act of weakness - she wasn't strong enough to face being the weak one ( ironic isn't it?) and so she ran away from her problems instead of facing them. I think the play could have ended much better for her character instead of making her look like a coward running away.

This was definately a dramatic way to end the story. Considering that Hedda is just plain crazy, but also quite smart and manipulative, this had to be one of the most unexpected things to happen. It was interesting to see Hedda go submissive as Brack revealed the truth to her, and it got pretty eerie as he took control. Plus, it was forecoming, considering that she seemed so interested with the death of Lovberg and every meticulous detail that supposedly made it so glorious. Plus, Ibsen added irony by integrating Lovberg's notes, which in a way, changed the fate of George. Recalling that Hedda said that George was undeserving of her capability to change, it is funny that she triggered inspiration for him, simply because she burned the manuscript. Regardless, if Hedda was going to get out of the situation, I couldn't imagine it any other way. I think she was too prideful in her own character, and when she had to give herself up, it was too much to handle.

I think that Hedda ended this act in an attempt to bring all loose strings together. (If that makes any sense). She wished for a "passionate" sort of death from Eilert, something beautiful. When it was uncovered that this was not the way of things at all, she finished her perfect ending herself. Also, I saw an attraction bewteen Tesman and Mrs. Elvsted, and I believe that Hedda saw herself being replaced just as Mrs Elvsted replaced her spot in Eilert's life. Hedda lost control of her life, especially when Judge Brack informed her that she was entirely in his debut because he knews that she gave Eilert the gun. Hedda was no longer the manipulator but the manipulated, and therefore took the 'beautiful' way out. Hedda, as a character, could have done it no other way.

I finished the story right after reading the third part in class, and it truly surprised me. I didn't expect Thea and George to work together on Eilert's work. I didn't even think for one second that Eilert would go back to Diana, nor did I think that Hedda would kill herself but the ending was the best way to finish off the story. We really can't imagine Hedda turning soft. She couldn't even ruin more lives because she knew her own life was in a wreck and there wouldn't be any way to reverse it. Actually, Brack would enjoy Hedda's suffering for once and she couldn't stand for that. Her act basically shows that she wants to control her own self and actions. She doesn't want anybody, not a single soul to take charge of her life so she ends it. She'd rather be dead than be a slave to someone.

The ending of the story is not as dramatic as I thought it would be, but it definitely works based on Hedda's personality. She has been trying to manipulate and control every character, but in the end, her power fell into the hands of Judge Brack. She would never let anybody control her. But also, she has been dreaming of see glorious, heroic, and beautiful acts in this world. Since Eilert Lovborg did not give her "a deed of spontaneious beauty", she is going to show the world a sense of deliberate courage. So the best solution is to kill herself.

The ending of the novel was interesting and unexpected. Despite Hedda being so manipulative and conniving, I truly believed that she would have tried to manipulate Judge Brack. By taking her own life she basically threw in the towel and said that she is done with trying to manipulate and over power people. It was very courageous that she would take her own life then have someone play the same game that she was playing on other people. She would have rather taken her own life then get manipulated by Judge Brack.

I think the ending works very well. It shows Hedda's powerlessness and inability to control everything. She unknowingly backs herself into a corner in which she could only escape through death. Ironically Hedda looses her influence through her excessive manipulation.
With the ending scene, I don't view Hedda in such a forboding and powerful light. To me she portrays cowardly qualities by choosing death, the easier way out. She doesn't bravely face the consequences of her manipulation. However, I believe Hedda saw her suicidal action as heroic for she did it in what she believed to be a beautiful and couragous mannner: by shooting herself in the temple. Committing suicide was the only way Hedda Gabler could control the situation.

It seems like the ending happened one of two possible ways that it could have ended. Hedda either needed to kill herself, which she did, or kill everyone else and then herself. Luckily, the second didnt happen, although it would have made it that much crazier.
Hedda really is a nutcase though. All her rambling about suicide being a beautiful act of courage just seems out of sorts. Shes just crazy. I dont have any other way to explain it.
Its interesting that Hedda has always wanted to have power over a mans destiny. Once Judge Brack seems to get that very power over her, she gives up and kills herself. I guess thats one way to get out of it

Although I didn't really like the ending, I do feel that it was somewhat powerful. I think that a strong ending should go with a strong character, and this story did just that. But I also think that at the same time by shooting herself she is simply running away from her problems. I personally just dont like stories where people end up committing suicide. I find them more interesting when someone dies, and the reader is either left wondering how they died or who killed them. But that's just a personal opinion and I'm sure many other people will think the ending was good.

I am a little disappointed with the ending of the play. I expected Hedda to make some brilliant move and turn the odd against Judge Brack. Instead, she shoots herself. But I think we should give her some credit for doing what she considers "a deed of deliberate courage". Committing suicide, in a sense, seperates her from other people. Take Thea for example, she is made into a puppet by Hedda in a way that is similar to Hedde being blackmailed by Judge Brack. However, Thea does not fight back. In fact, I dont think Thea even realizes that she is a puppet. Hedda, on the other hand, would not stand to be manipulated. She attempts to free herself from Judge Brack at the momment she learns his intention. Shooting herself might not be a best solution, but at least she tries to do something.

I think that the ending of the play was great. I would have loved to see Mr. Tesman figure out that Hedda burned the script herself though. Otherwise, it's ironic how throughout the play Hedda plays the character who is manipulative and gets whatever she wants. Yet, the one time that things doesn't go her way, she doesn't do anything. Instead she runs away from the situation by killing herself. Not to mention the irony of her encouraging Lovborg to kill himself, yet she kills himself because he is dead.

I think the ending of Hedda Gabler was appropriate for this play. Hedda's character was very strong and forceful. If she did not end up commiting suicide then she would have had to live her life under Judge Brack's commands and blackmail, which is something that I don't think Hedda's chracter would have stood for throughout her life. She would have been miserable living with her annoying husband and Judge Brack bossing and blackmailing her her whole life which would have been ironic in contrast to Hedda's character.

i really enjoyed the ending to this story because of how unexpected it was. Although i do feel very sorry for Hedda, in a sense that she was never able to be fully or even partially satisfied with her life. She pushed people away from her and manipulated them to fulfill her own needs. In the end her obsession with power got the worst of her, when she commits suicide and " does it beautifully"

I have to say that I expected an ending like this. I knew there was going to be a predictable death and then some sort of shocker. I was leaning more towards Judge Brack being the one to provide the shock at the end and Hedda as the victor just because she was such a strong character throughout the play, but just the opposite happened. I felt extremely bad for poor Mrs. Elvsted because not only did you leave her family, the man she loved didn't love her back and the person she confided in shoots herself. So she's basically alone when she's not working on Eilerts notes with Tesman. Good play overall, though.

Though I believe the ending was appropriate for this play, I expected it and was hoping that something a bit more dramatic would happen. I think the way Hedda took her own life was a bit cowardly, and it showed that she could not live up to her life of lies and evil use of power. However, knowing her character and her need for control, I thought that she may indeed kill herself if she was to be controlled and blackmailed by Brack. The ending fit the story and Hedda's personality, but it would have been more interesting to see her at least attempt to live under her lies and Brack's control.

i would have never thought of the ending of hedda gabler, because it is so wild. The way the last act changed the position of hedda's power and control over people is hard to look for. She goes from being the most powerful in the play to the one with the least control of anything. When Hedda knows she is in charge she is a happy woman, but when everything changes and judge Brack is in control, she freaks and shoots herself. This goes to show how much power meant to her and her life.

I'm going to be completely honest. The second Kelso said, "Don't read the back of the book." I read the back of the book. And then the last page of the play. So, I wasn't all that suprised. I think it was sort of iminent that she killed herself, what with the whole freedom and beauty in such an act shtick. I too was a little put off that that would be the way the play ended. It's just an abrupt ending and Judge Brack's last line about how people just don't do that just seemed really... stupid, for lack of better word? I think it would have been a much more powerful ending if we heard the shot and then she was found dead. No words. No anything.

Actually. I lied. I don't think that anything could have made the ending more powerful.