Brack strikes as a very immoral man from the very beginning, due to the aplenty
advances he made towards Hedda. He had always subtlety hinted that he thought
that Hedda might like “a new responsibility” and most importantly, that he
will “fight for the end, for the “triangle” to be “fortified and
defended by mutual consent.” To flirt with an unwed lady is one thing. But to
be thoroughly suggestive of certain immoral acts to a legally wed lady would
seem to be a moral crime. A crime, which would deem Brack as an immoral judge,
which is juxtaposition in the phrase itself. The depraved misdeed was too much
to expect from a judge, much less to say the way that he had insinuated himself
into the household of a married couple. Brack’s manipulative nature can
perhaps be considered the most powerful tool that he has, to be able to control
people at his beck and call. The way he withholds his information, only to
disseminate it at an ‘appropriate’ time, when it will hit the victim the
hardest, shows how well he can play the psychological game. He was apparently so
good at calculating his steps that he was able to have Hedda exclaim with pain
that she is “in your powers, Mr Brack. From now on, I’m at your mercy.” He
played his last hand of the pack very well, henceforth gaining control over
Hedda almost at once, after we have seen her authoritative throughout the plot.
The unexpected twist of events, definitely illustrates an element of surprise
for the reader. Nothing much can be mentioned or commented about Brack, except
that he seems to be a guru at the game at which both he and Hedda seemed to be
indulged in. His callous ways together with his tricky language have caused the
one all mighty Hedda to fall prey to him, exposing the extent of his scheming
nature to the reader. It certainly allows the reader to realize his true nature
and to confirm the suspicions of Brack’s ulterior motives. The presence of
Brack alone is enough to allow Tesman appear trivial and ridiculous. His
language as compared to Tesman seemed to have many underlying meanings, while
Tesman’s, for an academic, seems rather superficial. Tesman, being a
worrywart, starts to fret like a young lady when informed that his appointment
might not come. He “clasps his hands together” and “flings his arms
about” asking his “dearest Hedda, how can you (she) take it all so
calmly.” Brack on the other hand, being the surely and confident self tries to
comfort him by telling him that he will “most probably get it” but “only
after a bit of competition”. Brack’s calm composure and surely words
certainly outweigh Tesman’s unnecessary gestures and fretful language. The
vulnerability of Tesman and Hedda’s marriage has also clearly been brought out
by the intrusion of Brack. The fact that Hedda would “clasp her hand at the
back of her neck, lean back in the chair and look at him” indicates how
comfortable she feels with Brack. The stichomythia in their speeches also brings
out the level of intimacy the both of them share as seen by the quote “ Brack:
A trusted and sympathetic friend… Hedda: …who can converse on all manners of
lively topics… Brack:… and who’s not in the least academic” It shows how
well they complement each other, finishing each other’s thoughts as though
they were in a relationship themselves. As Hedda could easily pour out her woes
to a man other than her husband gives an indication of how sterile her marriage
with Tesman was. So unfruitful that they had absolutely no proper communications
between husband and wife that Hedda was glad to have a friend who could converse
with her.