Variously denounced as the epitome of moral corruption and heralded as a great tragic heroine or figurehead of the women's movement, the character of Hedda Gabler has haunted generations of readers, critics, playgoers and producers. This Routledge Literary Sourcebook explores Henrik Ibsen's revolutionary play, first performed in 1890.
Christopher Innes provides everything required for a well-rounded understanding of "Hedda Gabler," exploring the play in carefully linked sections on Contexts, Interpretations, Key Passages and Further Reading. In each section reprinted source documents are balanced with introductory commentaries, and cross-references from section to section enable readers to follow up the issues that interest them most. The Contexts section will prove especially useful for its wealth of information on Norwegian nationalism, the women's movement and naturalist theatre, while the Interpretations section traces the interwoven histories of the performance and criticism of the play. In the Key Passages section, clear and comprehensive commentaries introduce important scenes, reprinted with extensive new footnotes to form the essential guide to the play. Finally, Further Reading suggests directions for additional study.
Drawing on many years of teaching experience and crucial research work on naturalist theatre, Christopher Innes offers the best available introduction to iHedda Gabler and its cultural, literary and critical contexts.

Since Hedda Gabler exploded on to European and American stages in the 1890s, the play and its title character have troubled and transfixed audiences, performers and critics the world over. In this sourcebook, Christopher Innes balances essential reprinted texts with clear, incisive commentary to:
*set the play within the contexts of Norwegian nationalism, the women's movement and the cultural movement of Naturalism
*examine and emphasize the links between the performance and criticism of the play, from 1890 to the present
*offer the ideal guide to key passages in the play, showing how a knowledge of the play's contexts, performance history and critical fortunes can give rise to exciting new readings of the text
*prepare readers for further study of the play, with suggestions for reading on specific issues of interest.
No student should be without this guide as they enter the fascinating world of Hedda Gabler, Henrik Ibsen and Naturalist theater.