Whats up with Hedda's power later on?

During the beginning of act 1, Hedda is this all dominating character with easily controlling her husband and using the pistols to symbolize power. Later on towards the beginning and act 4, she starts to lose her power with her husband ( the guy that says uh) who starts saying what she should do. What Ibsen trying to prove in this play, women were losing power in society, or men are too contolling.