History Theatre / TheWildDuck

* 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 is not prepared for Hjalmar's reactions later on.

* 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".

* DawsonCasting: Often the case with Hedvig, stated to be 14 years old, and played by actresses ten years older. The role of Hedvig is considered heavy for a teenager, though.
** A 1963 adaptation made by Tankred Ibsen (grandson of the author) had [[SubvertedTrope a young girl at approximately the right age]] cast as Hedvig.

* FamilyUnfriendlyAesop: "Deprive the average human being of his life-lie, and you rob him of his happiness."

** Old Werle when he notices Old Ekdahl. His initial reaction can surely be ''translated'' with this trope. His verbal response is "uff da" (english: "ouch!"). Soon after, he visually gnashes his teeth.

* RetiredBadass: Old Ekdahl, said to have shot no less than nine bears in his prime (unless he also is a MilesGloriosus).

* ShoutOut: The Herring Salad Gina prepares for Relling and the others. Vaguely PlayedForLaughs when Hedvig announces that her mother is "standing with her feet in it". In Ibsen's time, "herring salad" was the common nickname for the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Union_mark_of_Norway_and_Sweden Union mark of Norway and Sweden.]]
** The title of the play shouts out to ''The Sea Bird'' (Søfuglen), a poem written by poet Johan Sebastian Welhaven, telling the story of a wild duck which is shot, wounded, and the n sinks to the bottom of a lake, and holds fast to the seaweed with its beak. Old Werle almost quotes this passage verbatim. In Ibsen´s time, this poem had become a popular song.
* ScrewTheRulesIHaveMoney: Old Werle.

* MilesGloriosus: Hjalmar. He may have felt rather uncomfortable at the Werle party, but safe at home, he is quick to embellish his feats, making it seem like he owned the place and put the others to shame. On that note, he often talks in a broad and hammy manner. For instance, when reminded that he has gained som weight, he states that he has become "more manly" in appearance.

* TheBeautifulElite: The party held at the Werle mansion, with a lot of nobles (stated to be "chamberlains") present. In this environment, Hjalmar is clearly a FishOutOfWater, but he tries to get along.
** Note that ''chamberlains'' usually were appointed to wait on the king. Hence, Werle, being a grocer and factory owner, [[FridgeLogic has powerful friends for sure]].

* BrickJoke: A dark one. One of the first lines in the play is old Werle´s statement that the party had 13 guests at dinner. The penultimate line of the play is Gregers, lamenting that his fate is to always be the thirteenth guest.

* 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]].

* ShoutOut: The Herring Salad Gina prepares for Relling and the others. Vaguely PlayedForLaughs when Hedvig announces that her mother is "standing with her feet in it". In Ibsen`s time, "herring salad" was the common nickname for the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Union_mark_of_Norway_and_Sweden Union mark of Norway and Sweden]]

---> I know you did it with the best intentions, but God forgive you anyway.

* ShoutOut: The Herring Salad Gina prepares for Relling and the others. Vaguely PlayedForLaughs when Hedvig announces that her mother is "standing with her feet in it". In Ibsen`s time, "herring salad" was the common nickname for the [[Union mark of Norway and Sweden https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Union_mark_of_Norway_and_Sweden]]

* 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]].