Foreshadowing and Plot Clues in Act I of HeddaGabler by Henrik IbsenHenrik Ibsen's controversial and influential play HeddaGabler is divided into four acts and, as should be t be any good work of literature, much of what will later become crucial to the plot is introduced, hinted at, and foreshadowed in the first act. In this case, the interactions between the characters are most significant, particularly that of the titular protagonist, Hedda, whose ultimate fate in the play is to be trapped in her own machinations and cunning manipulations. A close examination of the actions and motivations of the characters in Act I reveals much about their innermost wishes, and given the complications those desires face, the eventful and explosive conclusion could almost be seen from the opening scenes of the room. The first significant character who will appear on the pages of Ibsen's screenplay (and therefore the first to appear on stage in the theater) is Miss Juliana Tesman, who (accompanied by her old servant Berta) visits her nephew George early one morning in the new house he had bought for his new wife, the beautiful and wealthy HeddaGabler. Although she does not appear until the very end of the play, her interactions with the others here in the first act help to define in the eyes of the reader (or audience) the characterizations of the others as well as the setting of the play and its implications for everyone. His visit takes place so early in the morning that the newlyweds are still asleep. She wears a newly purchased fancy hat, in an attempt to impress Hedda. This, and the fact that she sincerely congratulates George on successfully marrying the prettiest (and richest) woman in the world, shows how much she recognizes marriage as something social and...... middle of paper..... .s hat. Her denial of being pregnant demonstrates her refusal and her awareness of her unfitness for motherhood. She throws a silent but angry tantrum when alone, but composes herself confidently in company and refuses to use people's first names - these show that beneath her aristocratic aloofness lies her fury at circumstances that she can't control. She orders George to immediately write a letter to Eilert so that she will be left alone with Thea and grills her while feigning warm familiarity, indicating a keen interest in Eilert Løvborg - the reader/audience picks up on the fact that she and Eilert had shared a “company” game. This, coupled with his obvious enthusiasm for playing with guns, provides an ominous foreshadowing for Eilert and his own suicide. Ultimately, Hedda only wants freedom, but she is hindered by society's restrictions on women...