Oedipus and Hedda Gabler A Contrast And Comparison
Like Shakespeare, both Sophocles and Ibsen have been distinguished as great playwrights because their works demonstrate several key characteristics of a great play. They provide their audiences with an intriguing story that is both general and specific, general enough to apply to audiences across the ages, but specific enough to provide a story that is unique and interesting. In addition to their plots and concepts, which must be complex enough to intrigue the audience, but simple enough to fit onto the stage without the conveniences of modern theatrics, the characters in both Ibsen and Sophocles s plays are remarkable. Not only are they deep enough to be interesting from the beginning of the plays, but they also go through a development process that changes them at the end of the story. In this way, both Ibsen s and Sophocles s audiences are captivated from the opening to the dropping of the curtain. While both Ibsen s and Sophocles s characters are unique, however, they share similarities and differences that make at least two of their plays comparable Ibsen s Hedda Gabler and Sophocles s Oedipus Rex. The main characters in each of these plays Hedda Gabler and Oedipus respectively share many similar characteristics at he b
As the play progresses, however, both Hedda and Oedipus begin to learn more and more about themselves as self-discovery occurs. Elvsted claims that she got some kind over power, almost, over him (Ibsen 240). Tesman goes so far as to claim that she had purchased her hat, the hat that would later cause a rift between Hedda and the older woman, because she did not want Hedda to be ashamed of her if they were to be seen together (Ibsen 221-224). Audience members can conclude that by holding power over a situation, and manipulating it so that it hurts those who have proved her unhappiness, she can achieve satisfaction. Gouging out his eyes and despairing, Oedipus exclaims: Dark, dark! The horror of darkness, like a shroud,/wraps me and bears me on through mist and cloud. She is the daughter of General Gabler, whose air of superiority requires the purchase of new hats. Earlier in their conversation, Hedda admits that she was board on the honeymoon, and describes to Brack how she settled for her husband, George Tesman. Thus, at the end of both Ibsen and Sophocles s plays, the main characters have entered a process of self-discovery, which ends with tragic results. They both are cool, calm, and confident, in control of the situations around them. While Oedipus s situation leads the audience to feel sorry for him and his fate, Hedda s makes the audience wonder why she is so selfish, so extreme. After her husband and new aunt-in-law have just finished detailing her beauty and breeding, she enters looking calm and sophisticated. Ibsen establishes this by allowing Hedda s pride and influence to be implied before the audience even meets her. Hedda sighs in desperation to Judge Brack, to be everlastingly together with with one and the same person (Ibsen 250). After burning Lovborg s manuscript, she entices him to commit suicide in a beautiful way.
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