Drawing on many years of teaching experience and crucial research work on naturalist theatre, Christopher Innes offers the best available introduction to Hedda Gabler and its cultural, literary and critical contexts.

Introduction I: Contexts: Contextual Overview: Norwegian Nationalism, The Women's Movement, Naturalism, Chronology, Contemporary Documents: Introduction, Statehood and Individual Freedom: From Ibsen, To My Friend the Revolutionary Orator (1869) From Ibsen, Letter to Georg Brandes (December 20, 1870) From Ibsen, Letter to Georg Brandes (February 17, 1871) Ibsen and Women's Rights: From Camilla Collett, Diary Entry; From Ibsen, Speech at the Festival of the Norwegian Women's Rights League (May 26, 1888) The Principles of Naturalism: From Emile Zola, Naturalism in the Theatre (1881) From August Strindberg, Preface to Miss julie (1888) Ibsen, On Objectivity (1882) Ibsen, On the Primacy of Character (n.d.) From Ibsen, Letter to Edmund Gosse (January 15, 1874) Ibsen and the Naturalist Theater: From Ibsen, Letter to August Lindberg (November 22, 1884) From Ibsen, Letter to Duke Georg II of Saxe-Meiningen (November 13, 1886) From Ibsen, Letter to Sofie Reimers (March 25, 1887) From Ibsen, Letter to Kristina Stern (January 14, 1891) Hedda Gabler: From Ibsen, Letter to Count Moritz Prozor (December 4, 1890) Ibsen, Preliminary Outline for Hedda Gabler (c.1889) Ibsen, Working Note for Hedda Gabler (c.1888-9) Ibsen, Scenario for Acts 2 and 3 (c.1890) From William Archer, Preface to Hedda Gabler (1906-12) 2 : Interpretations: Critical History: Ibsen and His Public: Gosse and Archer: Setting the Critical Agenda, Interpreting Hedda Gabler: Hedda Gabler: Production History: Early Performance and Criticism, Ethical Approaches: From E. F. S. Piggott, Testimony to the Select Committee on Censorship (1892) From Edmund Gosse, Ibsen's New Drama (1891) From George Bernard Shaw, The Lesson of Ibsen's Plays (1891) The First English Production 57 From Elizabeth Robins, On Playing Hedda (1928) 57 From William Archer, The Mausoleum of Ibsen (1893) 61 From Henry James, On the Occasion of Hedda Gabler (1891) 63 Hedda as Modern Woman From William Archer, Preface to Hedda Gabler (1906-12) From Alia Nazimova, Ibsen's Women (1907) Modern Criticism and Performance: Updating Hedda for the 1920s From Blanche Yurka, Acting Hedda Gabler (1970) From Eva le Gallienne, Ibsen's Hedda Gabler (1964) Ibsen as Craftsman: From H. L. Mencken, Introduction to Eleven Plays of Henrik Ibsen (1935) From Arthur Miller, Introduction to Collected Plays (1957) Hedda as Heroine: From Muriel Bradbrook, The Humanist (1966)From G. Wilson Knight, Imprisoned Souls (1962)Hedda Gabler and Theories of Tragedy From Eric Bentley, The Modern Theatre (1948)From Nigel Dennis, Dramatic Essays (1962)From George Steiner, The Death of Tragedy (1961)From Geoffrey Brereton, Principles of Tragedy (1968)Hedda Gabler and Poetic Drama: From John Northam, Ibsen's Dramatic Method: A Study of the Prose Dramas (1953) From Eric Bentley, The Life of the Drama (1964), Postmodern Interpretations: From Frederick and Lise Lone Marker, The Airless World of Hedda Gabler (1992) Feminist Readings: From Elenore Lester, Hedda- Frigid Woman or Life Bearer? (1971) From Irving Wardle, Glenda Jackson Meets Hedda Gabler (1975) Recent Approaches to Hedda Gabler: From Janet Suzman, Hedda Gabler: The Play in Performance (1980) From Richard J. Beckley, Interview with Janet Suzman (1982) From James McFarlane, Drama and the Mind: Hedda Gabler (1989) 3: Key Passages 4. Further Reading.