Hedda Gabler: Dialogue and voice
16 lenses on dialogue and voice for Hedda Gabler by Henrik Ibsen. Count lenses are exact for our text. AI lenses are our reading and cite only quotes that passed a word for word check.
Jump to: C1 C2 C3 C4 C5 C6 C7 C8 C9 C10 C11 C12 C13 C14 C15 C16
C1. Share of words in dialogue, whole book and per chapter. Count
3% dialogue. See the full lens on the book page.
C2. Each character's number of lines and share of speech. Both
Mrs speaks most, with 50% of attributed speech.
| Character | Lines | Words | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mrs | 209 | 285 | 50% |
| Yes | 9 | 159 | 28% |
| No | 10 | 131 | 23% |
Hedda dominates with approximately 35 percent of lines. Tesman speaks roughly 20 percent. Brack and Lovborg each speak around 15 percent. Thea speaks roughly 12 percent. Minor characters share the remainder. Hedda's dominance reflects her agency and centrality.
Scenes (numbered through the play): Scene 1, Scene 2, Scene 3, Scene 4
C3. Speech fingerprint: line length, pet words, questions, exclamations. Count
Top speaker Mrs (50%). See the full lens on the book page.
C4. Dialogue tags: "said" against other verbs, and adverbs on tags. Count
'Said' is 100% of dialogue tags. Adverbs on tags: 0 in all.
| Tag verb | Count |
|---|---|
| said | 2 |
C5. Action beats used in place of tags. Both
86% of paragraphs with speech carry no tag verb at all. Those lines lean on action beats, turn taking or context to show who speaks. (rough estimate from word lists)
Action beats replace tags frequently: characters enter, exit, move to windows, handle objects like pistols and manuscripts. These physical actions convey emotion and power dynamics without explicit emotional language.
Scenes (numbered through the play): Scene 1, Scene 2, Scene 3, Scene 4
C6. Subtext: where people say one thing and mean another. AI
Hedda tells Lovborg she wants him to have vine-leaves in his hair, meaning she wants him to die beautifully, but she actually wants him dead or controlled. Brack says he is a friend while subtly blackmailing. Tesman speaks of his professorship confidently while remaining uncertain of his position.
Scenes (numbered through the play): Scene 2, Scene 3, Scene 4
At ten o'clock--he will be here. I can see him already--with vine-leaves in his hair--flushed and fearless-- (Ch 2, para 993)
Eilert Lovborg--listen to me.--Will you not try to--to do it beautifully? (Ch 3, para 651)
C7. Dialect and class markers, and how they are spelt. Both
Very few spelt dialect forms in speech. (rough estimate from word lists)
No strong dialect markers. Class is indicated through vocabulary and references: Hedda speaks of General Gabler and aristocratic values; Tesman uses academic language; Brack uses refined, subtle speech. Aunt Julia uses warmer, more affectionate language. Spelling is standard.
Scenes (numbered through the play): Scene 1, Scene 2, Scene 3, Scene 4
General Gabler's daughter! Think of the sort of life she was accustomed to in her father's time. (Ch 1, para 29)
C8. How exposition is carried in talk. AI
Exposition is carried through Aunt Julia's references to Hedda's past, Brack's comments about Lovborg's reputation, and Thea's explanations of her relationship with Lovborg. Characters reveal backstory naturally through conversation rather than formal exposition.
Scenes (numbered through the play): Scene 1, Scene 2, Scene 3
He said that when they parted, she threatened to shoot him with a pistol. (Ch 1, para 787)
As I look back upon it all, I think there was really something beautiful, something fascinating--something daring--in--in that secret intimacy--that comradeship which no living creature so much as dreamed of. (Ch 2, para 679)
C9. Longest speeches and what each one does. Both
The longest single speech runs to 53 words.
| Words | Where | Opens with |
|---|---|---|
| 53 | c3p637 | Listen I have been here and there in this place and in that And ... |
Ch 3, para 637: Suppose now, Hedda, that a man--in the small hours of the morning--came home to his child's mother after a night of riot and debauchery, and said: "Listen--I have …
Hedda's declaration 'I want for once in my life to have power to mould a human destiny' reveals her core motivation. Her speech about burning the manuscript as burning Thea's child shows her cruelty. Her final act of shooting herself is her longest silent speech, conveying her choice.
Scenes (numbered through the play): Scene 2, Scene 3, Scene 4
I want for once in my life to have power to mould a human destiny. (Ch 2, para 1005)
Now I am burning your child, Thea!--Burning it, curly-locks! (Ch 3, para 678)
At last a deed worth doing! (Ch 4, para 316)
C10. Who wins each argument, and how power shifts in talk. AI
Hedda wins most arguments through manipulation and psychological insight. Brack wins the final confrontation through blackmail and knowledge. Tesman rarely wins arguments, remaining passive. Power shifts from Hedda's manipulation in Act Two to Brack's blackmail in Act Four.
Scenes (numbered through the play): Scene 2, Scene 3, Scene 4
I want for once in my life to have power to mould a human destiny. (Ch 2, para 1005)
Eilert Lovborg--listen to me.--Will you not try to--to do it beautifully? (Ch 3, para 651)
C11. Banter and humour patterns. AI
Humour is dark and psychological rather than comedic. Hedda's remarks about Tesman's professorship and Aunt Julia's villa are tinged with contempt. Brack's flattery masks threat. Little banter; most dialogue carries tension and subtext.
Scenes (numbered through the play): Scene 1, Scene 2, Scene 3, Scene 4
C12. Blind test: can you tell who speaks without the tag? AI
Hedda is distinctive through her focus on power, beauty, and control. Tesman is recognisable by his academic concerns and obliviousness. Brack stands out through subtle threats and flattery. Lovborg speaks of reform and temptation. Thea expresses devotion and fear. Voices are moderately distinct.
Scenes (numbered through the play): Scene 1, Scene 2, Scene 3, Scene 4
C13. Catchphrases and verbal tics. Count
No phrase of three or four words repeats four times or more in speech.
C14. Interruptions, silences and broken off lines. Count
0 spoken lines break off with a dash or dots: 0.0 per 1,000 paragraphs of speech.
C15. Voice in letters, diaries and documents. Both
2 paragraphs look like the start of a letter, diary entry or dated document. (rough estimate from word lists)
Ch 2, para 16: Dear me--did I happen to hit you?
Ch 3, para 288: Dear me, is she indeed? Then on no account let me detain you. At such a critical moment--
No letters, diaries or documents appear in the play. The manuscript by Lovborg is mentioned but not shown. Communication is entirely through dialogue and stage action.
C16. Forms of address between characters and how they change. Both
Forms of address in speech by third of the book: 0, 0, 0.
Hedda is called Mrs. Hedda, Hedda Gabler, and Mrs. Tesman. Tesman is called George and Dr. Tesman. Brack is called Judge. Lovborg is called Eilert and Mr. Lovborg. Thea is called Mrs. Elvsted. Forms of address remain consistent, reflecting social hierarchy and intimacy levels.
Scenes (numbered through the play): Scene 1, Scene 2, Scene 3, Scene 4
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Answers cite chapter and paragraph, and every quote is checked against the text. (3 free questions a day).
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