Part one
Isolation and alienation are dominant themes in Hedda Gabler. As a child she was used to luxury and high class living. Later on she has to be separated from his family and gets married. Tedman her husband is not wealthy as Hedda’s father. Throughout the play, she experiences a feeling of loneliness and emptiness. Mephistopheles is taken as a devil and not so many people wanted to interact with him. He holds onto views and visions of his own that in most cases are against the common belief of other members of the society. Additionally, due to his influential nature he is perceived as a dog in the midst of people.
Human emotions: Hedda Gabler is quite emotional. She does not allow her life to be controlled by anyone. She gets too emotional when she learns that her pistol was used to kill Ejlert. She became too emotional about it to the extent that she shoots herself dead. Her highly emotional nature is further heightened by her love for alcohol, being trapped in a loveless marriage and the fact that the mistreating was common during the Victorian era women. She was not allowed to hang around with any man unless under a strict surveillance. She is to detriment contentment or even existence to make a point that needs to be made. However, human emotions can be destructive if not well taken care of. Mephistopheles believes that human beings are weak in emotions such as love, redemption and beauty and these emotions can be used to tempt them. Mephistopheles becomes jealous when he watches Faust watching at Gretchen with her blouse off.
Physical mortality: In Hedda Gabler, death is portrayed as an undesirable occurrence that causes lots of mourning. The characters wear black as a sign of mourning Aunt Rina. Additionally, Hedda Gabler is used portray how individuals can unconsciously bring their lives to an end. She takes her life with an aim of making future generation stop oppressing women. Mephistopheles is a tempting character that is out to tempt people. He contributes to the death of Faustus and gives the audience a false sense of condolence. All in all he was passing the message that the any act seeking to contravene the spirits is rewarded with death. Mortality is perceived as a source of impending suffering. However, both characters who represent the society seem to have a clear understanding of mortality and its consequences to the human race.
Part two
Hedda Gabler and Faust are two different pieces of literature, yet the main characters share some similarities in their desire to control the lives of others. However their motives to control others differ. Mephistopheles actions at the end seem good and helpful to Faust whereas those of Hedda are for personal satisfaction. The two character are however very different in their roles as portrayed in the literature works.
The two characters want to have control of others lives. Mephistopheles is depicted as an evil and tempting person who successful lured Faust into doing his will. He uses trickery and disguise to lure him. First he appears like a dog that disrupts Faust whenever he tries to read the bible and secondly as a noble man who tempts him in a life of extensive wealth and pleasure. Faust love of material things gets him in the control of Mephistopheles and this include the scheme of getting together with Gretchen. Hedda Gabler is a woman who wants to control her life and that of others. She wants to control Ejlert in her desire to have control over someone’s life. When she loses Eljert’s control to Mrs. Elvsted, she burns her manuscript as a sign of anger. Her life finally is torn when Judge Brack blackmails her as he is the only person aware of the ownership of the gun that killed Ejlert. This means having to surrender some control of her own self something that she cannot afford to let go. Due to her nature to control her life and that of others, she is unable to live with the reality of life without control something that prompts her death.
Hedda Gabler is depicted to weak and to easily succumb to little changes of life however, Mephistopheles is a strong person who even challenges deity. With little loss of control and unhappiness in her life, she becomes restless and a feeling of entrapment builds up inside her. She continues to break down inwardly and eventually kills herself. This is a sign of weakness and inability to stand strong in time of difficulties. On the other hand, Mephistopheles depicts a strong willed character that is ready to challenge even God. His strong character prompts him to challenge God in turning Faust against him and make him do evil. However, it is ironic as very few people would challenge God or speak to him in the same way. This shows the courage Mephistopheles have and the self-confidence and wit in him as compared to Hedda Gabler.
It is therefore clear that though the two characters are similar in their desire to control other’s lives or their own, they are very different in the way the portray courage and confidence in situations that require them to be strong.
