Theatrical Architectonics and the Poetics of Dialogue in Ibsen’s Hedda Gabler

Abstract

Beyond Ibsen’s ability to understand the psychology of his characters and their interactions, he was, after all, a playwright’s playwright, and playwrights are very conscious of how the play is structured and, perhaps, more important how and why the characters say what they say. The playwrights, who know their characters well and know the “voice” of their characters, also know when and how to present dialogue that will not only advance the play, but also advance knowledge of the characters. Of course, Ibsen was a master at that and this chapter discusses the architectonics of the play while paying special attention to how Ibsen constructed his dialogue.