History Theatre / TheWildDuck

* RealLifeWritesThePlot: Once again, Ibsen used his father´s bankruptcy as a plot point. On a more touching note, Ibsen had a sister named Hedvig, {{Tearjerker said to be the only sibling he really cared about}}.

* RealLifeWritesThePlot: Once again, Ibsen used his father´s bankruptcy as a plot point. On a more touching note, Ibsen had a sister named Hedvig, [[Tearjerker said to be the only sibling he really cared about]].

** The second obvious ArcSymbol in this play, is the Wild Duck itself. It seems to be a tight connection between this duck and the Ekdal family (both old Ekdal and the Duck are "wounded" by old Werle). This is adapted by Hedvig, who chooses to sacrifice herself on a symbolical (and quite literal) level.

* TheAlcoholic: Relling's roommate Molvik appears briefly in Acts III and V; in the former, he is so badly hung over that he has to leave lunch at the Ekdals' to be sick, while in the latter, he is still drunk from the previous night's carousing with Hjalmar and Relling and performs a mock funeral service for the dead Hedvig until Relling tells him to shut up. Hedvig also reveals to Gregers that Molvik is her private tutor, but is often drunk during their lessons. The likely cause of his alcoholism is the self-loathing that Relling tells Gregers would surely destroy him were it not for his "daemonic" diagnosis.

* AbsentMindedProfessor: Hjalmar Ekdal, though an (aspiring) inventor rather than a professor, is definitely absent minded to the point where he forgets his promises to Hedvig.

* MagnificentBastard: Old Werle gets out of the play with his honour intact, although Hedvig is dead.

''The Wild Duck'' is a stage play written by Creator/HenrikIbsen in 1884. Psychology is an essential part of the plot.

'''The Wild Duck''' is a stage play written by Creator/HenrikIbsen in 1884. Psychology is an essential part of the plot.

The plot revolves around two intertwined families: The Werle family, consisting of the rich merchant Haakon Werle and his oppositional son, Gregers, the new fiancèe of old Werle, mrs Sørby, and the absent/dead mother of Gregers.

The Ekdal family, on the other hand, is fallen on hard times, and the head of the family, Hjalmar Ekdal, makes a living on the cost of old Werle, who allegedly has taken them in pro bono. Hjalmar is married to Gina, a former housemaid of the Werle household, and they have a daughter, Hedvig, who loves her father dearly. The Ekdals have two houseguests paying rent in the lower floor: Relling, a psychiatrist, and Molvig, a theologist. It is apparent that Relling plays in the delusions of Molvig, and also on Hjalmar. In the household resides Old Ekdal as well, the father of Hjalmar, former officer, who in his time worked with Haakon Werle.

Hidden in a lumber room in the Ekdal household is a stock of animals, some rabbits and a wild duck. Old Ekdal enjoys the feeling of hunting there, to remind him of better days. Hedvig is especially fond of the wild duck. The bird was found crippled after a hunting incident (involving old Werle, it seems), and was taken in.

When meeting Hedvig, Gregers finds a fellow soul, and Hedvig seems to understands his modes of speech instantly. This to reveal that they in fact are siblings. Gregers wishes his friend Hjalmar all the good in the world, but believes a marriage must be based on truth, not lies. When Hjalmar finds out he is not Hedvig´s father, he violently disowns her, and Gregers tries to make amends by proposing that Hedvig sacrifices the item most dear to her, the wild duck. Hedvig steals into the attic with a gun, only to hear Hjalmar state that she should prove her love by [[NiceJobBreakingItHero sacrificing herself... And she does]].

* AbsentMindedProfessor: Hjalmar Ekdal, though not exactly professor, definitely absent minded to the point where he forgets his promises to Hedvig.
* ArcSymbol: Blindness. Hedvig`s eyesight is fading, and so is the eyesight of old Werle, her true father. This point is made to make the audience take the clue of their relationship. Taking it further, Gina works on "editing" the photos Hjalmar has taken, "photoshopping" the harsher details out of the picture. Disturbed sight is a leitmotif in the play, and Gregers finds that his task is to restore it. Relling, on the other hand, works on obstructing this.
** This is also a subtle ShoutOut to Theatre/PeerGynt, where the Mountain King prepares tools to obstruct the eyesight of the titular character, to make him think that [[Theatre/{{Macbeth}} Fair is Foul and Foul is Fair]].

* ArmorPiercingQuestion: Gregers has a knack with it.
* BatmanGambit: The play seems to be structured around a big one, concerning the life of Hjalmar Ekdal, and played out by old Werle. The only flaw in his plan seems to be Gregers, whom he held out of the loop by misinforming him, although he tried to set Hjalmar and Gregers up against eachother. When Gregers eventually finds out, he tries to break the gambit, resulting in the death of Hedvig. It seems that Hjalmar was manipulated all the way, and that Relling is placed in the apartment below him on purpose, to keep Hjalmar in a kind of happy delusion.

* BreakTheCutie: Played straight on Hedvig.

* CallingTheOldManOut: Gregers calls his father out on his schemes.
* ChekhovsGun: Played Horribly straight, as the gun on the shelf used for fake hunting early on is used on Hedvig by herself at the end of the play. A trope example that may precede chekhov himself.
* TheChessmaster: Old Werle, first setting up old Ekdal on economical crime and having him jailed, then fathering Hedvig on Gina and having her married to Hjalmar to conceal the fact, and thereupon convincing Hjalmar for years that he is the real father. {{Manipulative Bastard}} should also fit him well, as he allegedly drove his wife to suicide.
* ChildhoodFriends: Gregers and Hjalmar. It is becomes clear in a throwaway line that old Werle tried to obstruct the friendship by telling Hjalmar that Gregers was cross with him, and then "advising" Hjalmar not to write any letters.
* CloudCuckoolander: Old Ekdal.

* TheCynic: Doctor Relling, who is opposite Gregers in all respects, believing that keeping delusions alive in fact keep people sane. The two have a long quarrel on the subject, also prior to the play. The final exchange between the two concerning the fate of Hjalmar is the last set of lines in the play.
* DawsonCasting: Often the case with Hedvig, stated to be 14 years old, and played by actresses ten years the number.
** The role of Hedvig is considered heavy for a teenager, though.

* FishOutOfWater: Hjalmar at the Werle party. He is there solely at the request of Gregers, who wished to see his childhood friend. The other guests clearly mock him, and Hjalmar tries to act above his position. It does not end well.
* GenreSavvy; Gregers. He takes the point of Hjalmar`s tale better than Hjalmar himself, also because he knows the ways of his father. But he was not prepared for Hjalmar`s reactions later on.

* ManufacturingVictims: The profession of Relling, to the disgust of Gregers. He makes up a mental desease for Molvig to make him going, as he puts it ("he is demonic"). Hjalmar believes in an "invention" he shall make up, but he never actually works on it.
* MissingMom: The mother of Gregers, of course.
* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: Gregers when he realizes that the outcome of his wish was worse than he had imagined. Hjalmar when the gunshot stops his rantings and Hedvig lies dead in his arms
* OhCrap: Hjalmar when his father suddenly shows up at the elite party. He is embarrassed out of his wits, and has another OhCrap moment minutes later when he returns home, realizing that he forgot what he had promised to Hedvig. It is implied his father put him out of balance.

* ThePawn: Inverted by Gregers, when he states quite clearly that he is through being a pawn in his father`s games. [[UnwittingPawn Hjalmar, on the other hand]]...
* PetTheDog: Old Werle assigned a work to Hjalmar, saw to it that an amount of money was enough for the upbringing of Hedvig. The play starts out with Hjalmar naively expressing his gratitudes towards Gregers on behalf of Old Werle´s good deeds towards his family.
* ReallyGetsAround: Old Werle, and possibly mrs Sørby. A nice match. It is implied that Hedvig was conceived before mrs Werle died.
* RuleOfSymbolism: In-universe. Gregers speaks in certain metaphors and symbols, and the only person to take this instinctively, is Hedvig, his half sister.
* ScrewTheRulesIHaveMoney: Old Werle.
* UnwittingPawn: Hjalmar Ekdal, and by default Hedvig. Gina, who actually knew the truth and held it from Hjalmar, seems to have been in on some of the gambit.
* VillainWithGoodPublicity: Old Werle again.

!! The wild duck contains examples of these tropes:

* CrypticConversation: Gregers becomes more and more cryptic as he starts to figure things out. Hedvig lampshades it, by saying that he "says one thing and means another". When Hedvig and Gregers have a chat all by themselves, the conversation gets interesting. This scene alone has been the subject of de-crypting for a hundred years.

** This is also a subtle ShoutOut to Theatre/PeerGynt, where the Mountain King prepares tools to obstruct the eyesight of the titular character, to make him think that [[Theatre/{{Macbeth}} Fair is Foul and Foul is Fair]]

** This is also a subtle ShoutOut to Theatre/PeerGynt, where the Mountain King prepares tools to obstruct the eyesight of the titular character, to make him think that [[Theatre/{Macbeth}} Fair is Foul and Foul is Fair]]

** This is also a subtle ShoutOut to Theatre/PeerGynt, where the Mountain King prepares tools to obstruct the eyesight of the titular character, to make him think that [[Theatre/{Macbeth}} (Fair is Foul and Foul is Fair]]

* ArcSymbol: Blindness. Hedvig`s eyesight is fading, and so is the eyesight of old Werle, her true father. This point is made to make the audience take the clue of their relationship. Taking it further, Gina works on "editing" the photos Hjalmar has taken, "photoshopping" the harsher details out of the picture. Disturbed sight is a leitmotif in the play, and Gregers finds that his task is to restore it. Relling, on the other hand, works on obstructing this.

* UnwittingPawn: The entire Ekdal family, with a possible exception for Gina, who actually knew the truth and held it from Hjalmar.

* ReallyGetsAround: Old Werle, and possibly mrs Sørby. A nice match.

* ArcSymbol: Blindness. Hedvig`s eyesight is fading, and so is the eyesight of old Werle, her true father. This point is made to make the audience take the clue of their relationship. Taking it further, Gina works on "editing" the photos Hjalmar has taken, "photoshopping" the harsher details out of the picture. Diusturbed sight is a leitmotif in the play, and Gregers finds that his task is to restore it.

* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: Gregers when he realizes that the outcome of his wish was worse than he had imagined. Hjalmar when the gunshot stops his rantings and Hedvig lies dead in his arms.

* TheIdealist: Gregers Werle, who strongly believes in the power of truth over concealment. He has made a point in going around to families working at the Werle plant, speaking to them of "the ideal pursuit".
* TheCynic: Doctor Relling, who is opposite Gregers in all respects, believing that keeping delusions alive in fact keep people sane. The two have a long quarrel on the subject, also prior to the play. The final exchange between the two concerning the fate of Hjalmar is the last set of lines in the play.

* ChekhovsGun: Played Horribly straight, as the gun on the shelf used for fake hunting early on is used on Hedvig by herself at the end of the play. A trope example that may precede chekhov himself.

* HorribleJudgeOfCharacter: Hjalmar on Old Werle until Gregers sets him straight. Then again when he takes it out on Hedvig.
* PetTheDog: Old Werle assigned a work to Hjalmar, saw to it that an amount of money was enough for the upbringing of Hedvig. The play starts out with Hjalmar naively expressing his gratitudes towards Gregers on behalf of Old Werle´s good deeds towards his family.

* ManufacturingVictims: The profession of Relling, to the disgust of Gregers. He makes up a mental desease for Molvig to make him going, as he puts it ("he is demonic"). Hjalmar believes in an "invention" he shall make up, but he never actually works on it.
* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: Gregers when he realizes that the outcome of his wish was worse than he had imagined. Hjalmar when the gunshot stops his rantings and Hedvig lies dead in his arms.
* ReallyGetsAround: Old Werle, and possibly mrs Sørby. A nice match.
* ScrewTheRulesIHaveMoney: Old Werle.
* VillainWithGoodPublicity: Old Werle again.
* TheWoobie: Hjalmar Ekdal. Hedvig {{up to eleven}}.
* CloudCuckoolander: Old Ekdal.