Hedda

Archers discussion of Hedda is quiet interesting as he reduces the play to a simple character study. Archers statement about the time period of the play I thought was interesting because of Archers claim that Ibsen was scared of the public reaction if he were to place it in current times. Because Ibsen seemed to feel fine showing his audience that many people including themselves are somewhat I find it hard to believe that he feared commenting on the lack of change in women's role. It would have been not only a commentary on people being the product of their environments but also a commentary on the lack of change in societies. I wonder how different the reaction to the play would have been if it had been placed in a time period closer to his own?

The comparison of Shakespeare's women and Ibsen's was entertaining. I tried to put some of Shakespeare's women into Hedda position and vice verse. It was strange to say the least. I think that in "As You like It" there may have been a war; and one of the couples may have gone "Romeo and Juliet" style while the other married her. But other than that I think that both types of characters are simple to understand at a basic level. Hedda is the product of her life while Shakespeare's are romanticized versions of people.