What happens to Hedda Gabler at the end of Hedda Gabler?

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Portrait of Henrik Ibsen, Norwegian dramatist and poet, with glasses, prominent sideburns, and formal attire, photographed in 1901. — Henrik Ibsen Norwegian dramatist and poet Henrik Ibsen.

At the end of the play Hedda Gabler, the protagonist finds herself trapped by Judge Brack, who discovers her role in Ejlert Løvborg’s death and attempts to blackmail her into becoming his mistress. Rather than submit to his control or face the scandal, Hedda chooses to end her own life using the remaining pistol from her father’s collection.1

This final act serves as a definitive escape from the suffocating ennui and manipulation that defined her existence throughout the drama.1