Discussion Questions for Acts One and Two

1. What is the significance of Hedda's reference to Mrs. Elvsted as "Thora"? What does it mean to call someone by her "Christian name"?

2. What do we learn about Hedda at the end of Act One when she says "Pistols!"?

3. What does the train compartment represent for Hedda in Act Two?

4. How, in Act Two, does Hedda revise her faux pas regarding Miss Tesman's hat in Act One?

5. What is the difference between Lövborg's first book, and the second one that he is currently working on?

6. Why, according to "the adversary" Lövborg, is he foregoing his claim to an academic appointment until Tesman gets his?

7. Why does Lövborg initially avoid drinking "cold punch," and why does he then suddenly choose to drink it in Act Two?

8. What does Hedda mean when she says Lövborg will "be a free man" (226)?