Lyons sets Henrik Ibsen's avant-garde play, Hedda Gabler, written in 1890, in its historical context to demonstrate how it made a major contribution to dramatic realism, addressed the emerging issue of women's oppression under Judaeo-Christian moral codes, and confronted 19th-century assumptions about how personal identity and destiny are shaped. Lyons explains why Hedda's suicide was effectively portrayed by only the most progressive actresses and why it remains a compelling call for the redefinition of gender roles. Other topics include Ibsen's frank treatment of male and female sexuality and the plays relationship to other literature of the age.