The Wild Duck

Synopsis

The play opens with Mr. Werle giving a party in honor of his son's
homecoming. He has invited Hjalmer Ekdal, the son of his former partner and
also an old school fellow of Gregers. In the first scene, Ibsen describes the
richly furnished house of Hakon Werle. The later transition to the setting of the
scene depicting the poorly furnished studio and living place of the Ekdals
provides a clear contrast with Werle’s wealthy circle.

Hjalmer Ekdal is married to Gina, Old Werle’s serving girl who was also his
mistress. Arranging her marriage with Hjalmer Ekdal, Werle also helps the
couple make a start in the profession of photography. Hjalmer is pleased with
his marriage and believes that Hedvig, Gina's child, is his own daughter.
There is no information in the play to make the reader certain whether Hjalmer
or Werle is Hedvig’s father. The child is in danger of losing her eyesight and
Werle, too, has failing eyesight .This suggests that Werle might be Hedvig’s
father. Also, because Werle grants some money which is to be given to
Hedvig on his death, Hjalmer is in doubt about Hedvig’s.

Lieutenant Ekdal, Werle's former partner who was sentenced to prison

because of Old Werle, is now a broken old man living with Hjalmer and Gina.
The appearance of Lieutenant Ekdal at the party shows the audience his
simplicity and he seems a creature from another world.

Gregers accuses his father, Werle ,of deceit in marrying off Gina to Hjalmar,
of causing his mother's death, and of ruining old Ekdal's life by causing him to
get imprisoned. Werle denies this last accusation and tells his son that he
should bury his past and he is trying to mend it by helping the Ekdal’s to make
a living.

Gregers Werle tries to make Hjalmer see that his marriage is based on a lie.
Hedvig, Hjalmar's adolescent daughter, is the sensitive innocent who suffers
the most in this drama of misapplied idealism. Instead of making Hjalmer
happy by understanding the true nature of his marriage, Gregers turns
Hjalmer against his daughter, Hedvig. Gregers suggests that Hedvig sacrifice
the wild duck to show her love for her father. The daughter, to prove her love
for her father who is rejecting her, takes a pistol and kills herself together with
her wild duck. The reader never knows whether the girl is shot by mistake or it
is an act of suicide, she most probably, killed herself on purpose together with
her duck.

The wild duck was an indirect present from Werle, for Werle brought it back
wounded from a hunting trip. The duck had been shot and wounded but
Werle's "amazingly clever dog" dived to the depths of the lake and saved its
life. Werle asked a servant to get rid of it then Old Ekdal took it. The duck lived
wonderfully well in the garret and has forgotten her natural wild life until it died
with the same bullet that killed Hedvig.

Ibsen introduces the bird as a symbol which represents the world of fantasy
and self-delusion through which Hjalmer and his father dream of a better life.
Unable to go out shooting because of going to prison, Old Ekdal goes
shooting some domestic animals or poultry in the attic and Hjalmer
encourages him to do so. Gregers feels it is his mission to rescue the Ekdals
from these dangerous depths, just as his father's dog saved the duck from
drowning.