How does Ibsen exploit dramatic techniques to explore the themes of repression and secrecy?

Authors Avatar

How does Ibsen exploit dramatic techniques to explore the themes of repression and secrecy?

Manifesting the societal issues of repression and secrecy, the play ‘Hedda Gabler’ incorporates a diversity of phenomenal theatrical aspects. Playwright Henrik Ibsen has skilfully taken advantage of these dramatic techniques to bring his themes to the very fore. With the application of his stage directions, Ibsen explores the allegory behind the play’s setting, and lighting, costumes, and props. On top of that, he has also exploited the use of dialogue and thus structured a body of text - fully condensed with ellipses and double entendres – which, fully underlines the sense of confidentiality between the personae in the play.

Ibsen’s stage direction of the drawing room underlines his theme of repression and social pressure. His stage direction specifically details the components of the room. It is “tastefully” decorated with extravagant furniture such as the “porcelain stove”, “high-backed armchair”, and “upholstered footrest.” Already from the first glance, the drawing room appears to be the ideal specimen of a stylish and elegant Victorian home. Consequently, it gives the impression that the homeowner has spent a lot of effort and time into keeping it up to standard. This perhaps implies that the owner cares a great deal about complying with a social criterion where one needs to “keep up with the Joneses” and ensure a higher status through means of material goods. In this case, Hedda represents the “ever so particular” aristocrat who potentially heaps up with luxurious adornments simply because she fears economic inferiority. By establishing this, Ibsen has – in some respects - depicted Hedda to be conforming a social benchmark.

 

How Ibsen divides his stage and positions the rooms also contributes largely to accentuate social pressure upon the female protagonist – Hedda. Ibsen purposefully situates most of the play’s incidents, movements and actions in the drawing room, meanwhile suggesting that Hedda is being cooped up in such a confined space. Furthermore, he also reveals Hedda’s self-duality, using the inner room. His stage direction positions the pistols, the piano and General Gabler’s portrait in this room, connecting it to Hedda’s identity. As it is closely associated to Hedda, the inner room, in contrast to the drawing room, represents her private self. Unlike her cold and composed public self, her private self is agitated and anxious. She acts differently when she is alone than when with others, potentially because she shrives to conform and follow social conventions. She thinks she must act proper in front of others in order to gain society’s approval.

Join now!

The lighting also reflects the two different themes of the play: secrecy and repression. Light represents life, or rather, Hedda’s possible pregnancy; and mothering is a role that Hedda, as a woman, is expected to fulfil. Consequently, when Ibsen directs the stage to be covered with “morning light” and the sun to be “shining in at the glass door”, he is using this dramatic component to suggest that such a duty is restricting Hedda. What’s more, Hedda objects to “[opening] the verandah door” and the “flooded” sunlight. This not only indicates that she is disinterested in fertility and thus ...

This is a preview of the whole essay