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LIBRAR Y
Michigan State
University

 
      

This is to certify that the

thesis entitled

THE FUNCTION OF THE DEATH MOTIF
IN THE WORKS OF HEINRICH VON KLEIST

presented by i
Eltjen John Flikkema

has been accepted towards fulfillment
of the requirements for

_Rh..l)_._ degree in _'_ienman_

Lanxuaqe and Literature

/ 1:7 z , ‘
:71 m4 4/ Q4?” ¢,(Z%

Major professor

Date JUlY 22, 1222

0-7 639

 

ABSTRACT

THE FUNCTION OF THE DEATH MOTIF IN THE
WORKS OF HEINRICH VON KLEIST

BY

Eltjen John Flikkema

Evidence of the prominent position occupied by the
idea or thought of death in Kleist's thinking can be found
in his biography, in his letters, and also in his works.
The topic of death has been and continues to be a subject
of discussion in the continually expanding volumes of
Kleist literature. The intent of this study is to investi—
gate the integration of the death motif into his works.

The first chapter examines the central elements in
Kleist's conception of death from the perspective of his
personal development during the Kant crisis. After his
confrontation with Kantian philOSOphy, he became acutely
aware of the need for meaningful accomplishments for this
life and also sought to establish a purposeful basis for
death. He felt that willingness to sacrifice one's life
for a higher, nobler purpose is an essential ingredient
for a meaningful existence. In his final letters, a

related dimension of his conception of death is manifested.

 

 

Eltjen John Flikkema

Having experienced frustration and defeat throughout his
mature years, he came to regard a self-chosen death as

a legitimate conclusion for the life of an individual who
had committed himself totally toward the fulfillment of
his destiny in this life.

The second chapter deals specifically with the
occurrences of death in his works. On the most basic
level, death occurs as a result of unsatisfactory circum-
stances in the infirm world. The death of an individual
who becomes an innocent victim of these circumstances
functions primarily as a catalyst. It not only provides
the impetus for the ensuing action, but it also evokes
responses from the individuals responsible for or affected
by this death which are indicative of the nature of their
respective modes of thinking.

The majority of the instances of death in Kleist's
works occur in conjunction with either the expression and
acceptance or the denial of basic human rights and values.
In certain works, the leading protagonists are made aware
of either their own inadequacies or of the inadequacies
and inequities of a social institution in the face of
death. They experience either their own death or the
death of another individual; it is a period of extreme
anguish and inner turmoil, and the individual can no longer
perceive clearly the meaning of life or his role in life.

As a result of this experience, however, their rational,

 

Eltjen John Flikkema'

cognitive facilities having been purged of all egocentric
and external influences, they begin to gain an awareness
of their actual role and obligations in life. There are

also individuals who willfully sacrifice their lives for

 

others as a selfless expression of their awareness of the
need to preserve and uphold those rights and values which
are essential for human existence. Others are compelled

to offer their lives as an atonement after they have come

 

to the recognition that they in their willful actions have
violated the inalienable human rights and values of their
fellow man. Those individuals who are unwilling or unable
to perceive the need to atone for the offenses which they

have committed against mankind must suffer death by judgment.

 

The final section treats those individuals who are forced
to succumb because they have asserted themselves against

a predominant force or against the prevailing mode of
thinking in their immediate environment. The author lends
meaning and stature to the death of these individuals,
however, in that they, in accordance with the conditions
which he established for his own death, have either

experienced fulfillment in life or have committed themselves

 

totally toward the attainment of a meaningful goal in this

life.

 

 

 

THE FUNCTION OF THE DEATH MOTIF IN THE

WORKS OF HEINRICH VON KLEIST

BY

Eltjen John Flikkema

A THESIS

Submitted to
Michigan State University
in partial fulfillment of the requirements
for the degree of

DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY

Department of German and Russian

1972

 

 

 

 

 

To Jerri, Lisa and Tamara

ii

 

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

 

My interest in this topic dates back to the Kleist

 

Seminar offered in Spring, 1971, by Professor Raimund
Belgardt, the director of this thesis. In the seminar,

Professor Belgardt interpreted Kleist's works from the

 

perspective of the interaction and Opposition of two
divergent modes of thinking and also the need for man to
effect a change in his value system. I am deeply indebted
to him for having most graciously permitted me to employ
those concepts in this investigation.

I should also like to express my sincere appreciation
to the other members of my committee, Professor William N.
Hughes, the chairman of the department, and Professors
Stuart Gallacher and Mark O. Kistler for the time and

effort spent in the reading of this manuscript.

iii

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Page
DEDICATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ii
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . iii
I. INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
II. CENTRAL ELEMENTS IN KELIST'S CONCEPTION OF
DEATH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
A. Pre-Kant Crisis . . . . . . . . . . 15
B. Kant Crisis . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
C. Post—Kant Crisis . . . . . . . . . . 29
III. FUNCTIONAL DIMENSIONS OF DEATH IN KLEIST'S
WORKS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
A. Innocent Victims of Circumstances . . . . 38
1. Die Familie Schroffenstein: Peter,
Aldobern . . . . . . . . . . . 38
2. Michael Kohlhaas: Elisabeth . . . . . 45
3. Die Hermannsschlacht: Hally . . . -. . 51
4. Das Bettelweib von Locarno: das
Bettelweib . . . . . . . . . . . 55
5. Der Findling: Elvire . . . . . 56
B. The Anticipatory Experience of Death . . . 59
l. Prinz Friedrich von Homburg: Prinz
FriedrICh . . . . . . . . . . . 6O
2. Der Zweikampf: Littegarde . . . . . . 67
3. Die Verlobung in St. Domingo: Toni . . . 73
4. Das Kathchen von Heilbronn: Graf Wetter
vom Strahl . . . . . . . . . . . 79
C. The Sacrificial Death . . . . . . . 84
l. The Potential Death of Sacrifice . . . . 85
a. Das Kathchen von Heilbronn: Kathchen . 85
b. Der Zweikampf: Friedrich von Trota . . 93
2. Actual Sacrificial Deaths . . . . . . 97
a. Die Familie Schroffenstein: Jeronimus,
Ottokar . . . . . . . . 97
b. Die Verlobung in St. Domingo: Toni . . llO

 

iv

 

 

D. The Death of Atonement . .
1. Prinz Friedrich von Homburg:
Friedrich . . . . . .
2. Das Bettelweib von Locarno:
Marchese . .

 

 

3. Die Verlobung in St. Domingo:

 

4. Penthesilea: Penthesilea .
E. Death by Judgment . . . . .

 

Prinz
der

Gustav

1. Michael Kohlhaas: der Kurfurst von

 

Sachsen . . . . . .
. Der Findling: Nicolo . .

 

 

2
3. Der Zweikampf: Jakob der Rotbart.
4

. Die Hermannsschlacht: the annihilation

 

of the Romans . . . .

5. Das Erdbeben in Chili: Civic and Church

 

Leaders . . . .
F. The Death of Fulfillment . .
1. Die Familie Schroffenstein:

 

2. Das Erdbeben in Chili: Jeronimo and

 

Josephe . . . .
. Penthesilea: Achilles . .

 

Agnes

0

3
4. Michael Kohlhaas: Michael Kohlhaas
5

. Der Findling: Piachi . .

IV. CONCLUSION . . . . . . .

FOOTNOTES .

BIBLIOGRAPHY . . .

Page
115
117

121
124
128
135

136
145
148
151
156
160
162
165
169
187
182

185

189

197

 

 

 

I. INTRODUCTION

The meaning and significance of the role of death
in the life and works of Heinrich von Kleist is a topic
which has long attracted the attention of German literary
historians and, more specifically, Kleist scholars. Reasons
for this interest are readily apparent even to those only
casually acquainted with the details of Kleist's biography
and with his letters and works.

Not only did Kleist suffer an untimely and tragic
death by his own hand at Wannsee on November 21, 1811,
but his biographers and critics have also recorded the
reports of his attempts at various times to commit suicide
and also the numerous instances at which he actually or
reportedly attempted to persuade those (both male and
female) with whom he had established an intimate relation—
ship to commit themselves to a joint suicide venture with
him.1 He reportedly placed such great store in the
willingness to enter into such an agreement that he
considered refusal or reluctance to do so to be a just
basis for the dissolution of the relationship.2

In his letters also one can find numerous references
to death. The exact nature and content of such passages

is, however, often dependent upon the psychological state

 

 

of his mind at any particular time. Consequently these
utterances may assume various forms. They may express
the fear of an imminent death,3 a longing for death,4 or
the anticipation of death.5 There are, moreover, instances
when he reflects on the metaphysical implications of death.6
The true significance of this personal fascination
with death becomes somewhat more apparent when it is
considered that in the majority of his works, both
dramatic and prose, the leading figure or figures either
experience an actual, physical death, or they quite
literally "suffer through" a death—like experience. At
the very least they overtly exhibit their willingness or
preparedness to submit, if necessary, to death. Further—
more, there are strong and, indeed, very valid parallels
which can be drawn between the death experience of the
author Kleist and that of several of his characters. Not
only are there striking similarities in some external
factors which motivate the anticipation of death,7 but
also in the manner of death8 as well as in the thoughts
expressed in the face of death.9
The idea of death obviously represents an essential
component of Kleist's total world view and of his experience
in this world. Commentators who deal with his life, with

his works, or with both can scarcely avoid discussing, in

some form or another, the phenomenon of death.

 

 

 

In 1922 Rudolf Unger published what is often con-
sidered to be the most thorough, the most authoritative

analysis of the topic.10

Although his primary intent is,
as the full title of the book indicates, to investigate
the development and changes in man's conception of death

from the Sturm und Drang period to the Age of Romanticism,

 

he does deal at great length with the meaning of death in
Kleist's dramatic productions. After having discussed

the "Todesproblem" in Kleist from the standpoint of his
life, his theoretical views, and his works, Unger concludes
that death represents an all-pervading basic theme in
Kleist's personal experience, in his religious and
phiIOSOphical speculations, and especially in his dramatic
works. The detection of a consistent parallel development
of this basic theme in Kleist's life and works attests to,
Unger believes, a hitherto largely unrecognized deep inner
unity existing between his life and works. For Kleist's
personal life Unger presents this development as having been
a progressive ethical sublimation of this basic theme which
occurred in three distinct stages. He designates these

stages as: . . todgeweiht (fur das eigene Bewusstsein)-—
todesreif (in ethischer Bedeutung)--todfiberwindend (durch
freien Liebes—und Opfertod, wie er ihn verstanden hat)"

(p. 142). The dramas which correspond to these stages are,

respectively, Robert Guiskard as well as certain scenes from

 

 

 

 

Die Familie Schroffenstein and Die Hermannsschlacht,

 

 

Penthesilea, and Prinz Friedrich von Homburg (p. 142).

 

Josef Collinll maintains that the thought of
annihilation, the thought of death and destruction, weighed
so heavily upon Kleist that it became the ". . . Trager
seiner ganzen Dichtung . . ." (p. 71). He regards this
as having been the consequence primarily of the Kant
crisis, during which, in his opinion, Kleist lost his
trust in the certainty of being able to acquire knowledge
not only of the nature of the life after death, but also
of the meaning of life in this world. The harmonious
cosmos, which seemingly had been under the guidance of a
wise, all-knowing creator, revealed itself to him as
". . . ein garendes Chaos, das menschliche Dasein wird
ihm zu einem bald lacherlichen, bald traurigen Schauspiel
der Irrungen" (p. 73). In addition, however, it was the
Kant crisis which unleashed the creative impulses in
Kleist (p. 73f.). Collin regards Kleist's presentation
of death, violence, and deception in his works to be both
a logical outgrowth of the developments initiated by the
Kant crisis and also a means by which he was enabled to
soothe his inner wounds, to compensate for or to take
revenge on an unsatisfactory, threatening reality (p. 75).

Anneliese Bodensohn12 considers death in Kleist's
works first of all as a release from or an alternative to

an existence in which all human values and relations have

 

 

 

become distorted. The individual finds himself entangled

in the intricate mesh of the snares inherent in a harsh,
distorted reality, and the forces operative in his environ—
ment force him to act, often contrary to his will. Under
the circumstances, his only recourse is death (p. 10).
Man is, however, not only threatened by forces within
himself, within his environment, but he may also be acted
upon, manipulated by an incomprehensible force outside of
himself. This force may appear as an elemental force of
nature, it may appear in the guise of a person who is
already dead, or it may be God himself (p. 33f.). As
a result of his confrontation with this inscrutable outside
force, however, the individual becomes aware of the possi-
bility of a higher level of existence after death (p. 62).
He thus actively seeks death both as a release from the
turmoil and confusion of life and also as a means to attain
that higher existence. On the basis of the above, Bodensohn
concludes that Kleist's relationship to the phenomenon of
death becomes the determining form of his life and, more
significantly, of his works (p. 63). It is in death that
man is able to break through, to transcend the confusion
of life and to experience the blissful freedom of the
"marionette" in the new existence (p. 93).

Martin Lintzell3 approaches death in Kleist's
works from the perspective of its relationship to love.

He attempts to show that love and death are closely

 

 

 

 

associated in Kleist's works as well as in his personal

experience. Although not every instance of death in the
works can be regarded as the result of a love relationship,
Lintzel maintains that it can be said ". . . dass zur
Liebe bei Kleist immer der Tod gehort: in vielen Fallen
ist die Liebe geradezu mit dem Tode identisch, und immer
steht sie zu ihm in irgendeiner Beziehung" (p. 533). If
the individual does not actually die for or because of his
love, then he is either confronted directly with the perils
of death or he is willing to or is forced to suffer greatly
in order to attain the fulfillment of love. Lintzel
considers the source of this unusual relationship between
love and death to have been, first of all, Kleist's con-
ception of love as being a mysterious, divine, yet fateful
force (pp. 568-570). A second and more decisive source of
this association is to be found in Kleist's personal
encounters with love. He too experienced love as "
Wehetun und Toten, Leiden und Sterben" (p. 579).
Benno von Wiese discusses death in Kleist's works
in developing the author's concept of the tragic.14 As
an initial reaction to the Kant crisis, which destroyed
completely his aspiration of being able to acquire in
this life truth and knowledge which would accompany him
into the next life, death became for Kleist ". . . zur
negativen Folie des Lebens, mit ihm werden Willkfir und

Zufall zum endgfiltigen Schicksal des Menschenloses; das

 

 

Dasein bricht ab, ehe das Ich seine heilige Aufgabe

gefunden hat, ehe es seiner eignen Wahrheit inne geworden
ist" (p. 328). The artistic expression of this notion

is to be found in the fragment Robert Guiskard. A modifi-
cation of this can be seen in Penthesilea. Here death is
no longer perceived as an outside, threatening force, but
the individual has rather come to an inner recognition

of the fact that it is only in death that he will be

able to comprehend fully the meaning of life (p. 329f.).

A third and final interpretation is presented in Prinz

Friedrich von Homburg. Homburg's acceptance of the

 

Kurfurst's challenge to decide for himself whether he had
been justly condemned, his acceptance of the death sentence,
and the Kurffirst's subsequent pardon are seen by von Wiese
as being a reflection of Kleist's personal resolution of

an inner conflict: the question of how ". . . sich die

vom Dichter erlebte Freiheit des Ich und das dem Gewissen
aufgebene Gesetz des Staates zueinander verhalten, sich
tragisch widerstreiten und dann doch fibertragisch versohnen

lassen (p. 334).

It is apparent from the above that the question of
death in the works of Kleist has been discussed extensively
from several different perspectives. Generally speaking,
scholars have based their conclusions upon one of two

separate but distinctly interrelated premises. On the

one hand there has been the tendency to regard the facts

 

 

 

of the author's biography as a basis for the interpretation

of his works, thereby emphasizing the correspondences
existing between the author's confrontation with death
and the circumstances surrounding the death of the characters
he has created in his works. On the other hand there is the
tendency to attribute the preponderance of death scenes in
Kleist's works to a tragic conception of existence, to a
life filled with tragic experiences. The point of departure
for the latter approach is generally the Kant crisis. As
a result of his confrontation with Kantian philosophy,
Kleist despaired completely of man's cognitive capabilities
and felt himself and mankind to be under the dominance of
the blind, irrational, often destructive forces in the
universe. This recognition, coupled with the several other
frustrations and crises which he experienced in the course
of his life, contributed toward the development of a
totally negative, pessimistic view of life and toward the
conviction that the destiny of mankind is in the hands of
the irrational forces in the universe. Death thus represents
not only a form of release from these pressures, but, more
significantly, it also represents the medium through which
the individual is relieved of the necessity of succumbing
to these forces.

This present study is not intended as a refutation
of prior criticism, nor is it intended to be the definitive

study on the topic. In the opening section we have

 

 

acknowledged that there are very definite parallels which

can be established between the fate and experiences of
the author Kleist and that of several of his characters.
Likewise, there can be no question that throughout his
lifetime Kleist continually wrestled with the problem of
death and that the idea of suicide held a very definite
fascination for him.

One must question, however, the validity of using
the personal experience of the author as the basis for
the attempt to come to an objective understanding of his
works, and, conversely, the validity of attempting to
interpret the author's personal experiences on the basis
of similar experiences on the part of his characters.
While examining a work of art in the light of the author's
personal experiences, one must be aware, as Wellek and Warren
point out, that there are several alternatives which must
be considered. "A work of art may rather embody the 'dream'
of an author than his actual life, or it may be the 'mask,'
the 'anti-self‘ behind which the real person is hiding, or
it may be the picture of the life from which the author

wants to escape."15

This is not to deny, of course, that
an author's personal experiences are often incorporated
into the work of art. Before any final conclusions can
be made, however, one must be aware that ". . . the author

may 'experience' life differently in terms of his art:

actual experiences are seen with a View to their use in

 

 

 

10

literature and come to him already partially shaped by

artistic tradition and preconceptions."l6

In this present
study we shall attempt to determine the manner in which
Kleist has incorporated his personal experiences into his
literary productions.

The same objections can be made to those interpre-
tations which focus on Kleist's "tragic experiences" in
life and the resultant tragic, pessimistic view of life
which is allegedly expressed in his works. There are
here, too, other factors which must be taken into con-
sideration. The View that the Kant crisis had a decidedly
negative, depressing effect upon Kleist's Weltanschauung
is, I believe, subject to debate. The intensity, the
significance of this crisis cannot, to be sure, be
questioned but must be acknowledged. Later, however, in
the course of our discussion we shall attempt to identify
the more positive aspects and results of the Kant crisis,
emphasizing especially, of course, those elements which
are related to our theme. Another related, but often
overlooked, factor which must obviously be kept in mind
is the observation made by Muller—Seidel who, while

reminding us that there are only two tragedies among

Kleist's seven completed dramas, also cautions ". . . dass
man sich . . . den Dichter einer Tragodie nicht in einem
"l7

Zustand der permanenten Verzweiflung vorstellen darf.

 

 

11

A statement of the procedures to be followed in
this investigation still remains to be given. While
acknowledging that Kleist may in fact have had a "lifelong

affinity with death,"18

that indeed at times he may have
been obsessed with the thought of his own death, we can,
I believe, come to a better understanding of the role of
death in his works if we concentrate less on his personal
experiences and focus rather on the manner in which he
has incorporated death into his works as a motif, not as
a predominant theme. The treatment of death as a motif
is justified, I feel, within the context of Wolfgang
Kayser's definition of the motif as ". . . eine sich
wiederholende, typische und das heisst also menschlich

19 In his works we find the

bedeutungsvolle Situation."
individual confronted time and again with either an actual
physical death, the very real prospect of death, or he is
subjected to an experience which is in some way similar
to death. The resolution of this confrontation, or indeed
the confrontation itself, is not in and of itself thematic,
but it rather serves often as one medium for the expression
of his major themes, a medium for the concrete expression
of abstract principles.20
Mfiller—Seidel has recognized the functional relation—
ship between death and the process of recognition in
Kleist's tragedies: "Tod und Erkennen bilden einen

unlosbaren Strukturzusammenhang im Trauerspiel Kleists."21

 

12

Kleist himself has also given us an indication of the
manner in which our tOpic is to be approached. In the
short essay, "Brief eines Dichters an einen anderen,"
(II, 347-9) the author explains that he does not strive
for clarity of expression, meaningful verse structure,
euphony, etc., merely for their own sake, but rather in
order that ". . . der Gedanke, den sie einschliessen,
erscheine" (II, 348). The poetic devices employed and
the techniques applied are subordinate to the thought

which he, in the work of art, is attempting to project.

 

Their significance lies in the extent to which they
contribute toward the amplification of that thought.
Thus also the various motifs which Kleist incorporates
into his works are to be considered in terms of their
relation to and their contribution toward the projection
of his artistic intent.

If we are to approach our topic from this perspective,
it will be necessary, first, to examine Kleist's personal
statements concerning death as they are to be found in his
letters. This will not be done with the intent of
discerning or establishing a rationale for Kleist's
suicide. Neither will the attempt be made to restate, to
redefine or reevaluate the parallels and similarities
existing between Kleist's personal experience and that
of his characters. If, however, the transformation of

this intense personal experience into a literary motif

 

 

 

 

13

is to be studied, if we wish to determine the function of
this motif in its relation to the major themes in his works,
we must establish and identify those elements which are
central to his conception of death. For, although his
works do not necessarily reproduce or anticipate his
personal experience, his personal conception of death

will serve as the conceptual basis for his employment

of the death motif as one of those elements which affects
the thematic structure of his works.

It will be shown that his presentation of death
is consistent both with his personal conception of death
and with the artistic intent of his works. In the final
analysis, the death motif is inextricably linked with
either the expression of basic, inalienable human values,
the denial of these values, or the need on the part of
an individual or a community to come to an acceptance

of these values.

 

 

II. CENTRAL ELEMENTS IN KLEIST'S

CONCEPTION OF DEATH

While dealing with a topic as complex as Kleist's
conception of death, one must recognize that it is but
one, nevertheless essential component of his total world
View. His understanding of the meaning of death to a
certain extent determines and is in turn determined by
his understanding of himself and of his role in life,
his awareness of both his relationship and responsibilities
to his fellow man, his understanding of the meaning or
purpose of life, and also his concept of God.

This chapter treats matters of a conceptual
nature. The individual's grasp of any of the various
phenomena present within the realm of his conscious
experience is, however, dependent upon premises which
he has accepted to account for those phenomena, such as
immortality or the nature or existence of God, which lie
outside of the realm of his conscious experience and would
otherwise be beyond the reach of his cognitive capabilities.
The acceptance or rejection of such premises, be they
religious or purely philosophical in origin, determines
the manner in which the individual perceives the various

phenomena of life; it establishes the frame of reference

g—mJ————_‘

 

15

which serves as the basis for his interpretation or
evaluation of things, and it determines the course and
direction which he will follow in his actions.

It is for this reason that the Kant crisis of the
spring and summer 1801 was of such profound significance
for Kleist. During this time the poet became convinced
that the manner in which he perceived the meaning and
purpose of his existence in this life was based upon
invalid premises. This recognition did not culminate
in, as has been maintained, a rejection of the validity

22 it was not an absolute denial

of reason in and of itself;
of man's cognitive capabilities, but it rather awakened in
Kleist the realization of the need for a shift of emphasis,
a change of direction in his mode of thinking, his manner

of perception, and, consequently, a re—orientation in his

system of values.

A. Pre—Kant Crisis

 

It is not, of course, within the scope of this
investigation to treat in great detail all the intricacies
of the Kant crisis. We shall rather concentrate upon
identifying those insights gained during this crucial
period of time which have a specific bearing upon his
conception of death. An analysis of the results of the
Kant crisis is essential for an understanding of Kleist's

conception of death, for it was as a result of the insights

 

 

 

16

gained during this time that the foundations upon which he
had built his aspirations both for this life and the next
were destroyed. With the invalidation of the basic premises
which determined the manner in which he perceived all things,
Kleist was compelled to consider the meaning and purpose of
both life and death from a new perspective.

An analysis of Kleist's earlier letters will reveal
that in the period prior to the Kant crisis the idea of
death played a minor role in his thinking. In his earlier
years he subscribed to the rationalistic mode of thinking
typical of the late Enlighfigent period. The manner in which
he perceived all things was teleological: his awareness or
consciousness of all things was predetermined by his
acceptance of the premise that there is an ultimate design
or purpose in the universe. Characteristic of this mode
of thinking is also the conviction that it is possible for
man to acquire knowledge of this ultimate design or purpose.
An inevitable consequence of such a mode of thinking is the
emergence of a perspective on life in which the individual
perceives of the meaning of life in terms of a hope for
fulfillment in a future level of existence. As a result,
one must establish both immediate and ultimate goals for
his life. Although his immediate goals are always
subordinate to his ultimate goals, the attainment of
his ultimate goals is contingent upon the degree of

success he has in attaining his immediate goals.

 

 

 

17

In the letter of March, 1799, to his former teacher,
Christian Ernst Martini, Kleist identifies his desire to
find happiness in this life as being a primary cause of
his decision to abandon his military career: "Ohne die
entfernteren Grfinde meines Entschlusses aufzusuchen,
konnen wir sogleich bei dem verweilen, aus welchem er
zunéchst fliesst: bei dem Wunsche, glficklich zu sein.
Dieser Grund ist natfirlich und einfach und zugleich in
gewisser Rficksicht der einzige, weil er im richtigen Sinn
alle meine andere Grunde in sich fasst" (II, 474). Although
the concept "Glfick" is not defined in concrete terms, it
is apparent that, on the one hand, Kleist conceives of it

24 "Ich nenne

in terms of an inner, subjective experience:
namlich Gluck nur die vollen und fiberschwenglichen Genfisse,
die--um es Ihnen mit einem Zuge darzustellen--in dem
erfreulichen Anschauen der moralischen Schonheit unseres
eigenen Wesens liegen" (II, 476). His conception of "Gluck"
is thus drawn into close relation to his conception of
virtue: "So ube ich mich unaufhorlich darin, das wahre
Glfick von allen ausseren Umstanden zu trennen und es nur
als Belohnung und Ermunterung an die Tugend zu knupfen"
(II, 474).

The larger context of these passages, however,
reveals that Kleist's wish to find happiness in this life

is ultimately linked with his desire to establish or

determine his "Bestimmung," his destiny or calling in

 

 

 

 

18

life. The term "Bestimmung" must be understood, as
Kreutzer cautions, within the context of Kleist's tele-

ological mode of thinking.25

When Kleist speaks of his
destiny, he is not speaking primarily in terms of a vocation
or profession, but he is rather concerned with determining

the meaning, the purpose of his existence in this life.

At one point he defines it as follows: "Bestimmung unseres

 

irdischen Lebens heisst Zweck desselben, oder die Absicht
zu welcher uns Gott auf diese Erde gesetzt hat" (II, 318).
Because, however, he perceives of the meaning of existence
from the perspective of the prospect of its fulfillment in
the future, in the life after death, the determination of
his "Bestimmung" in this life is ultimately dependent upon
his perception of his eternal destiny. The vocation one
selects for this life, then, becomes the concrete means
by which the individual attempts to find his place within
the established order. It is in his vocation that the
individual is provided with the opportunity of attaining
the goal of fulfillment in his earthly calling and,
consequently, with the prospect of progressing toward the
attainment of his ultimate goals. In the early stages of
his development, Kleist attempted to find his place in
the established order within the confines of such
"socially acceptable" professions as the military service,
the civil service, the teaching profession.

Essential for the determination of one's destiny

or calling in this life is, according to Kleist, a

19

thoughtful, rationally composed "Lebensplan." The term
"Lebensplan" is not to be construed as having reference
to one specific plan which is valid for all men.26 It

is rather to be considered as a prerequisite, a condition
for a meaningful existence and ultimately, of course, for
the determination of his "Bestimmung": "Ja, es ist mir
unbegreiflich, wie ein Mensch ohne Lebensplan leben kenne,
und ich ffihle, an der Sicherheit, mit welcher ich die
Gegenwart benutze, an der Ruhe, mit welcher ich in die
Zukunft blicke, so innig, welch ein unschatzbares Gluck
mir mein Lebensplan gewahrt, und der Zustand, ohne
Lebensplan, ohne feste Bestimmung, immer schwankend
zwischen unsicheren Wunschen, immer im Widerspruch mit
meinen Pflichten, ein Spiel des Zufalls, eine Puppe am
Drahte des Schicksals-—dieser unwurdige Zustand scheint
mir so verachtlich, und wfirde mich so unglficklich machen,
dass mir der Tod bei weitem wunschenswerter ware" (II, 490).
This passage has often been cited as evidence of the fact
that Kleist, from his early years, was haunted by a fear
of death and that he believed that his life was in the
hands of an unknown, capricious fate which was driving
him to his annihilation.27 While this may have been true,
to a certain extent, for times when Kleist was in a state
of extreme depression (for example, at the time of the
failure of his plans for the "Guiskard” tragedy), what

is expressed here is neither a vaguely concealed longing

 

 

 

 

20

for or fear of an imminent death, nor is it an affirmation
of his belief in the existence of an unknown, capricious
fate. Kleist is rather establishing the conditions which
he considers to be essential for a meaningful, purposeful
existence. It is the absence of these conditions which
creates the illusion that one is "ein Spiel des Zufalls,
eine Puppe am Drahte des Schicksals," and it is to this
state of existence that Kleist would prefer death.28

Throughout the period preceding the Kant crisis,
the idea of death does not occupy a prominent position in
Kleist's thinking. The emphasis in his thinking seems to
be placed almost exclusively upon the need to meet one's
responsibilities in this life, in the present, for even
speculations concerning the nature of one's destiny after
death, concerning the future, are made at the expense of
his immediate responsibilities. To Wilhelmine von Zenge
he writes: "Kummere Dich nicht um Deine Bestimmung nach
dem Tode, weil Du darfiber leicht Deine Bestimmung auf
dieser Erde vernachlassigen konntest" (II, 565).

There is a threefold reason for the apparently
distinct "this-worldliness" of his thinking. We have
already mentioned that a teleological mode of thinking
fosters an understanding of life in which the individual
perceives of the meaning of life from the perspective of
interrelated, interdependent immediate and ultimate goals.

Although one's immediate goals must be subordinate to his

 

 

 

 

 

 

21

ultimate goals, the attainment of his ultimate goals is
contingent upon the level of achievement which he has
attained in his pursuit of his immediate goals. Also to
be taken into consideration at this point is another
notion which was also an integral component of the popular
philosophy of the late Enlighément period: the belief
that man, because of the inherent limitations of his
reasoning faculties, is restricted to knowledge of his
role in this life. Kleist clearly expresses his adherence
to this principle in the following passage: "Also wage
Dich mit Deinem Verstand nie fiber die Grenzen Deines
Lebens hinaus. Sei ruhig fiber die Zukunft. Was Du fur
dieses Erdenleben tun sollst, das kannst Du begreifen,

was Du ffir die Ewigkeit tun sollst, nicht; und so kann
auch keine Gottheit mehr von Dir verlangen, als die
Erfullung Deiner Bestimmung auf dieser Erde" (II, 565).

A third factor to be considered in this connection is,

as Muth asserts, the fact that speculations concerning
one's eternal destiny, that attempts to define or determine

29 The

the design or purpose in the universe are futile.
teleological world View, while recognizing the limitations
of man's reasoning abilities, is nevertheless, as has been
stated previously, based upon the premise that there is

an ultimate design or purpose in the universe. Within the

teleological framework, this premise is regarded as being

an absolute truth. It must therefore be accepted as a

 

 

 

22

matter of faith. It cannot be, nor does it need to be
subjected to a process of rational, empirical verification.
The full extent of Kleist's adherence to the
rationalistic philosophy of the late Enlightenment period
and also the exact nature and direction of his teleological
mode of thinking is revealed in the well-known letter of
March, 1801, to Wilhelmine von Zenge. It must be borne
in mind, of course, that this letter was written while he

was already in the midst of the throes of the Kant crisis

 

and hence he is speaking here retrospectively: "Ich hatte
schon als Knabe . . . mir den Gedanken angeeignet, dass

die Vervollkommnung der Zweck der Schopfung ware. Ich
glaubte, dass wir einst nach dem Tode von der Stufe der
Vervollkommnung, die wir auf diesem Stern erreichten, auf
einem andern fortschreiten wfirden, und dass wir den Schatz
von Wahrheiten, den wir hier sammelten, auch dort einst
brauchen kennten" (II, 633).30 Of interest, first of all,
is that life is viewed as being in a state of continual
upward progression and, second, that its meaning is derived
from its being preparatory for continually higher levels

of existence in the life after death. In the second portion
of the passage, he states more concisely the manner in which
these goals were to be attained: "Aus diesem Gedanken
bildete sich so nach und nach eine eigne Religion, und das
Bestreben, nie auf einen Augenblick hienieden still zu

stehen, und immer unaufhorlich einem hohern Grade von

 

 

23

Bildung entgegenzuschreiten, ward bald das einzige Prinzip

meiner Tatigkeit. B ildung schien mir das einzige Ziel,

das des Bestrebens, Wahrheit der einzige Reichtum, der

des Besitzes wfirdig ist" (II, 633).31
Besides giving expression to Kleist's early

conviction that it is possible for man, by continually

striving to improve himself through education and the quest

for truth, to attain an ever closer approximation of

perfection in this life, the above statements also clarify

considerably the role of the idea of death within the

context of the teleological mode of thinking. Because

of the emphasis placed, first of all, upon the necessity

of achieving as high a level of perfection as possible

in this life and, second, upon the belief that this

progression toward perfectibility will continue into

the life after death, the idea of death occupies, as

we have stated previously, a relatively minor position

in his thinking. Its significance, however, lies therein,

that it is only possible for man to attain complete ful-

fillment, to gain a full knowledge of truth in the life

after death.32 On the other hand, death is but one event

within the context of a much grander sequence of events:

it represents a stage or condition through which one must

pass as he is on the eternal path of progression from the

realization of his immediate goals in this life to the

expectation of continually higher levels of existence in

 

 

 

 

24

the life after death. The ultimate goal of all his
endeavors, both in this life and the next, had been, as
he states at another juncture: ". . . mich selbst auf

eine Stufe naher der Gottheit zu stellen" (II, 586).

B. The Kant Crisis

 

During the Kant crisis, the security which Kleist
had found in his "eigne Religion" was disrupted. As a
result of his confrontation with certain tenets of
Kantian philosophy, he came to the realization that the
system of thought in which he had placed his trust was
based upon an abstract conception of truth. It was based
upon the false premise that, by continually striving to
reach an ever higher level of perfectibility, one can gain
an increasingly deeper insight into the nature and intent
of the creator, the epitome of perfection. The recognition
of the invalidity of this premise caused Kleist to lose
sight temporarily of his role and goals in life: "Der
Gedanke, dass wir hienieden von der Wahrheit nichts, gar
nichts wissen, dass das, was wir hier Wahrheit nennen, nach
dem Tode ganz anders heisst, und dass folglich das Bestreben,
sich ein Eigentum zu erwerben, das uns auch in das Grab
folgt, ganz vergeblich und fruchtlos ist, dieser Gedanke
hat mich in den Heiligtum meiner Seele erschuttert--Mein
einziges und hochstes Ziel ist gesunken, ich habe keines

mehr" (II, 636).

 

 

25

Upon close examination it becomes evident, however,
that Kleist does not completely reject the idea of truth
itself, neither does he reject the idea of an ordered,
purposeful universe.33 He is rather rejecting the notion
that man is able to rationally determine, to comprehend
truth. This is of crucial significance for Kleist, for
the solution to the problem is already indicated in the
nature of the problem itself. It is centered, first and
foremost, about the question of man's cognitive capabilities,
and it thereby identifies the source of his inner turmoil
as being his faculty of reason: "Aber der Irrtum liegt
nicht im Herzen, er liegt im Verstande, und nur der
Verstand kann ihn heben" (II, 638). Second, he is aware
that it is a personal problem which he himself has caused
and which only he himself can solve: ". . . ich bin durch
mich selbst in einen Irrtum gefallen, ich kann mich auch

nur durch mich selbst wieder heben" (II, 638). Third, and

 

perhaps most important of all, he is aware that the solution
to his distress lies in a re—direction, a shift of emphasis

in his mode of thinking. Thus he writes as he is making

preparations to travel to Paris: "Aber ich werde das Wort,
welches das Ratsel loset, schon finden. . . . Im Freien
werde ich freier denken konnen" (II, 638). The above

statements again clearly indicate that Kleist is fully
aware that the cause of his current dilemma was his

perception of things from teleological perspective. He

 

26

now realizes that, in order for him to be able to re-
establish his role and goals in life, he must not place
his trust in the premises of any religious or philosophical
systems of thought. He must rather approach the question
of the meaning of life with an open mind, unencumbered by
any preconceived notions.

While considering the various ramifications of the
Kant crisis, one must bear in mind that there were also
pressing external circumstances which contributed
considerably to the emotional intensity of his reactions
to the teachings of Kant.34 On the one hand he was
intensely dissatisfied with his position in the civil
service. In the letter of April 9, 1801, to Wilhelmine
von Zenge he identifies this dissatisfaction as the
primary cause of his decision to travel to Paris: "Du
kennst die erste Veranlassung zu meiner bevorstehenden
Reise. Es war im Grunde nichts, als ein innerlicher Ekel
vor aller wissenschaftlichen Arbeit" (II, 641). In relation
to this there is the realization that he himself had
knowingly aroused his acquaintances' expectations for
him by having first accepted a position to which he was
already ill-disposed before he accepted it and, second,
by having undertaken the trip to Paris under the false
pretense of intending to continue his education there:
"Habe ich nicht selbst die Erwartung der Menschen

gereizt? Werde ich nun nicht in Paris im Ernste etwas

 

 

27

lernen mfissen? Ach, Wilhelmine, in meiner Seele ziehen
die Gedanken durcheinander, wie Wolken im Ungewitter. Ich
weiss nicht, was ich tun und lassen soll--alles, was die
Menschen von meinem Verstande erwarten, ich kann es nicht
leisten. Die Mathematiker glauben, ich werde dort
Mathematik studieren, die Chemiker, ich werde von Paris
grosse chemische Kenntnisse zuruckbringen-—und doch wollte
193 eigentlich nichts, als allem Wissen entfliehen" (II,
642-643).

If we accept that the intensity of the Kant crisis
was due, at least in part, to these extenuating circum-
stances, then it becomes clear that, in its deepest
significance, the Kant crisis represented for Kleist a
crisis of consciousness. Earlier, as we have seen, his
consciousness of all things, of his role and goals in life,
was determined by his conception of their relation to the
ultimate design or purpose in the universe. Having come
to a recognition of the invalidity of the premises which
served as a basis for this manner of perception, this
mode of thinking, and having consequently lost sight of
his role and goals in life, Kleist initially finds himself
in a predicament which he describes as a labyrinth: "O
Gott, wenn mir ein einziger Wunsch erfullt wfirde, mich aus
diesem Labyrinthe zu retten—-" (II, 648). At the moment
his most pressing need, as he himself recognizes, is to

regain clarity of thought, to regain an awareness of

 

 

 

 

 

 

28

purpose, of meaning in life: "Ach, liebe Wilhelmine,
leicht ist das, wenn alles in der Seele klar und hell ist,
wenn man nur in sich selbst zu blicken braucht, um deutlich
darin zu lesen. Aber wo Gedanken mit Gedanken, Geffihle

mit Geffihlen kampfen, da ist es schwer zu nennen, was in
der Seele herrscht, weil noch der Sieg unentschieden ist"
(II, 654).

As the letters reveal, Kleist fluctuated between
hope and despair. On the one hand we can observe a longing
for the release from the turmoils of life: "Denn nichts
als Schmerzen gewahrt mir dieses ewig bewegte Herz, das
wie ein Planet unaufhorlich in seiner Bahn zur Rechten
und zur Linken wankt, und von ganzer Seele sehne ich mich,
wonach die ganze Schopfung und alle immer langsamer und
langsamer rollenden Weltkorper streben, nach Ruhe!" (II,
643). On the other hand there is the confidence that the
redetermination of his role in life will lead him out of
his dilemma: "Alles was mich beunruhigt ist die Unmog—
lichkeit, mir ein Ziel des Bestrebens zu setzen. . . . Aber
sei ruhig, ich werde das rechte schon finden. Falsch ist
jedes Ziel, das nicht die reine Natur dem Menschen steckt"
(II, 654). The contrast between the above statement and
the statement in which he expressed the ultimate end of
his earlier goals, ". . . mich selbst auf eine Stufe naher
der Gottheit zu stellen" (II, 586), is indicative of the

change of direction, the shift of emphasis which Kleist has

 

 

29

undertaken in his mode of thinking as a result of the

insights gained during the time of the Kant crisis.

C. Post-Kant Crisis

 

Before the Kant crisis, Kleist had directed his
entire being toward the attainment of an essentially self—
serving, egocentric goal: his life was directed toward
the attainment of an ever closer approximation of perfection,
of divinity. All his other goals in life were subordinated
to this desire. Now, realizing the futility of such efforts,
he has shifted the emphasis away from his personal ambitions
and has focused upon the attainment of a goal which will
be of benefit to mankind in general.

This development, this change of direction in his
mode of thinking, must be seen as a direct consequence of
Kleist's awareness of the futility of all attempts by man
to come to an understanding of the nature as well as the
intent of the creator. Earlier he had presumed to be able
to know God, to be able to determine rationally the will
of God.35 The Kant crisis did not, as some would suggest,
result in the denial of the existence of a benevolent

36 It did not result in the conviction that

divine being.
the destiny of mankind is in the hands of the irrational,
destructive forces in the universe.37 The statement

. . . o wie unbegreiflich ist der Wille, der fiber uns

waltet!" (II, 670) must be regarded as a positive

 

 

 

 

 

3O

declaration on Kleist's part. It is, in the first place,
an acknowledgment of, a statement of belief in the existence
of a divine will in the universe. Second, this statement
expresses clearly the new, uncommitted stance which Kleist
has assumed with respect to the divine being. He has not
denied its existence, but he has stated his conviction
that man is incapable of comprehending it. This same
conviction is restated, again with positive connotations,
in the letter of August 4, 1806: "Es kann kein boser
Geist sein, der an der Spitze der Welt steht: es ist ein
bloss unbegriffener" (II, 766).

Because of this new, uncommitted stance, Kleist
has come to a deeper understanding of and respect for
one's responsibilities in this life. Accompanying this
recognition is an added significance in the meaning of
death. Prior to the Kant crisis, as we have seen, he
had perceived of death as somewhat of an intermediate
stage between life in this world and the life after death.
Now death becomes the point at which all human activity
ceases; at one point he refers to death as "das ewige Refrain
des Lebens" (II, 783).

As a result, the thought of death may pose a threat
to the individual. Because of the emphasis placed upon
the notion of the necessity of meaningful accomplishments
for this life, the individual may fear that he will die

before he has accomplished anything worthwhile in this

 

 

31

life. To be sure, we can find this fear expressed in
certain of Kleist's letters, for example: "So habe ich
zum Beispiel\}etzt eine seltsame Furcht, ich mochte
sterben, ehe ich meine Arbeit vollendet habe" (II, 724).
To be borne in mind is, however, the fact that the above
statement is a reflection of the anxiety which Kleist
experienced as a result of his desperate attempts to

write the tragedy of all tragedies, Robert Guiskard. An

 

investigation of the circumstances surrounding other
instances at which Kleist expresses either the fear of

an imminent death or an explicit longing for death will

 

reveal that such sentiments can be attributed to specific

conditions or events which weighed heavily on him.38
In this respect it is interesting to note that

there are times when a seemingly direct expression of

fear of an imminent death is countered with a positive,

cautiously optimistic expression of hope for the future.

A prime example of the latter is the well—known "Eselsgeschrei"

episode. After relating the details of the incident, he,

recalling the thoughts which passed through his mind at

the time, states: "Und an einem Eselsgeschrei hing ein

Menschenleben? Und wenn es nun in dieser Minute geschlossen

gewesen ware, darum also hatte ich gelebt? Darum? Dag

hatte der Himmel mit diesem dunkeln, ratselhaften irdischen

Leben gewollt, und weiter nichts--? Doch ffir diesmal war

es noch nicht geschlossen,—-wofur er uns das Leben gefristet

 

 

32

hat, wer kann es wissen?" (II, 666-667). At the time of

 

the incident, he, reacting instinctively, indeed eXperienced
an acute fear of death. This instinctive reaction caused
him to question the motive, the intent of the creator.

Now, while reflecting upon it, his life having been spared,

 

he realizes that he must have been given a new lease on
life for a definite, albeit undetermined reason.

More important for an understanding of Kleist's

 

conception of death is, however, the recognition that, as
a result of his new understanding of the "Geist der an

der Spitze der Welt steht," the idea of death must be
considered in relation to his perception of his role,

his responsibilities, in life. This becomes evident in
the following passage: "Ach, es ist nichts ekelhafter als
diese Furcht vor dem Tode. Das Leben ist das einzige
Eigentum, das nur dann etwas wert ist, wenn wir es nicht
achten. Verachtlich ist es, wenn wir es nicht leicht
fallen lassen kennen, und nur der kann es zu grossen
Zwecken nutzen, der es leicht und freudig wegwerfen konnte.
Wer es mit Sorgfalt liebt, moralisch tot ist er schon, denn
seine hochste Lebenskraft, namlich es opfern zu konnen,
modert indessen er es pflegt" (II, 670). Perhaps the most
striking feature of this passage is the notion that one
must be prepared to give up his life easily and without
regret. To be noted in this connection, however, is that

Kleist is by no means degrading the value of life. Already

 

33

at an early point in his life he had a deep respect for
the sanctity of life: "Aber das Leben, welches wir von
unsern Eltern empfingen, ist ein heiliges Unterpfand, das
wir unsern Kindern wieder mitteilen sollen. Das ist ein
ewiges Gesetz der Natur, auf welches sich ihre Erhaltung
grfindet" (II, 492). The fact that he now views life from
a different perspective has done nothing to alter this
conviction.39 The former passage does contain two other
notions which are essential for an understanding of his
conception of death and are completely consistent with
his newly established goals in life. First, it must be

a purposeful death. Second, he expresses the conviction
that being ever prepared to sacrifice one's life is an
ingredient which is necessary for a meaningful, purposeful
existence.

After the resolution of the conflicts which arose
during the Kant crisis, Kleist's perception of the meaning
of death is inextricably linked both with his acceptance
of his responsibilities for this life and with his growing
awareness of his calling in this life. When he resumes
his studies in Paris, he does so, no longer in pursuit
of an abstract truth, but rather for what he calls his
"menschenfreundlicheren Zweck" (II, 684). This shift of
emphasis in his thinking and change of direction in his
course of action away from the expectation of the

attainment of purely selfserving, egocentric goals toward

 

 

 

 

 

34

the attainment of a more broadly conceived humanitarian
goal is indicative of a reorientation in his system of
values; it represents a new awareness on his part of his

responsibility toward his fellow human beings.40 He

becomes increasingly more aware of an urgent inner need,

. . . etwas Gutes zu tun" (II, 692). He perceives of

 

this need as a personal obligation to his fellow man which
he must satisfy: "Besonders seitdem mich die Wissenschaften
gar nicht mehr befriedigen, ist dieses Bedfirfnis in mir
rege geworden. Kurz, es steht fest beschlossen in meiner
Seele: ich will diese Schuld abtragen" (II, 692). The
attainment of his newly established goal in life and the
realization of his urgent inner need become possible for
Kleist in his writings. If we consider the essay "Gebet
des Zoroaster" (II, 325-326) as a statement of his artistic
intent, then it becomes apparent that he, speaking through
the person of Zoroaster, considers it his function, his
responsibility, to make man aware of his current pitiable
state and to show him how he can overcome it and attain
his true potential by changing his mode of thinking and
effecting a reorientation in his mode of thinking.41
Although it cannot be said that Kleist's subsequent
activities were all executed in a manner consistent with
this goal, the will to satisfy this need does nevertheless
serve as a frame of reference which will largely determine

the direction of his future course of action. Since he had

 

 

 

35

already attempted to find his place within the established
order in the military service, as a civil servant, and as
a scholar, Kleist realizes that, in order for him to be
able to satisfy his obligation to do good, he must step
outside of the established order: "Eine Reihe von Jahren,
in welchen ich fiber die Welt im grossen frei denken konnte,
hat mich dem, was die Menschen Welt nennen, sehr unahnlich
gemacht. . . . Daher ffihle ich mich ganz unfahig, mich in
irgend ein konventionelles Verhaltnis der Welt zu passen"
(II, 692). This recognition was an instrumental factor in
his decision to Openly pursue a literary career.

The drive to satisfy this need to accomplish some-
thing good in this life also has implications which are
of considerable significance in the determination of
Kleist's conception of death. If we consider that the
determination to satisfy this obligation has become, so to
speak, the guiding star of his life, then the full import
of the statements concerning death which are to be found
in his final letters comes to light. Again in this
instance there are external circumstances which must
be taken into consideration. The emotional impact caused
by the current political situation, the sudden, unexpected
death of his patroness, the disapproval of his manner of
life by his family, the collapse of the "Abendblatter"
venture, as well as the timely appearance of his partner

in suicide, Henriette Vogel, cannot be discounted. The

 

 

 

 

 

36

greatest net effect of all these factors was, however,
first, to give Kleist the occasion to actively seek death
as a release from the pressures, disappointments, and
frustrations inherent in existence. Second, by affording
him this occasion, the awareness of the imminent release
from these pressing matters served to contribute to the
festive, almost Dionysian atmosphere surrounding his

42

death. Thus, though standing in the presence of death,

Kleist can say: ". . . ich kann ihm (Gott) mein Leben,

das allerqualvollste, das je ein Mensch geffihrt hat, jetzo
danken, weil er es mir durch den herrlichsten und wollustigsten
aller Tode vergfitigt" (II, 887).

In his last letters we can also detect the deeper,
internal reasons for his death. In his final letter to
Marie von Kleist, he states concerning his sister Ulrike:
"Sie hat, dfinkt mich, die Kunst nicht verstanden sich
aufzuopfern, ganz ffir das, was man liebt, in Grund und
Boden zu gehen: das seligste, was sich auf Erden denken
lasst, ja worin der Himmel bestehen muss, wenn es wahr
ist, dass man darin vergnfigt und glficklich ist" (II, 885).
These statements reflect the essence of Kleist's conception
of death. Underlying the more obvious feature of the self-
chosen, sacrificial death is the notion of willfully
submitting to death in the knowledge of having totally
committed oneself to the attainment of his goals and the

fulfillment of his destiny in this life. If we consider

37

the above quotation in relation to Kleist's awareness of
the necessity of directing his activities toward the
attainment of his "menschenfreundlicheren Zweck," and also
to the urgency with which he perceived of his obligation,

"etwas Gutes zu tun,’ then we can gain insight into the
meaning of the following statement: ". . . ich sterbe,
weil mir auf Erden nichts mehr zu lernen und zu erwerben
fibrig bleibt" (II, 885). Although he was not able to
find happiness in this life, although he met with little
success in the profession of his choosing, he can face
death without remorse in the belief that he has totally
committed himself to the fulfillment of his calling in
this life. Since the occasion to sacrifice his life has
presented itself, since he no longer perceives of the
nature of the life after death as being dependent upon
the degree of perfectibility attained in this life, he
may die. Feeling that he, by virtue of his artistic

creations, had met his obligations for this life, life

no longer has any meaning for him.

 

 

 

 

III. FUNCTIONAL DIMENSIONS OF DEATH

IN KLEIST'S WORKS

A. Innocent Victims of Circumstances
Kleist not only presents several different modes

Of death, but he also utilizes the death motif tO serve

 

various functions at various stages within the thematic
structure to enhance his artistic intent. On the most
basic level, the death Of an individual can serve as an
indication of the current evil state Of affairs in an
imperfect world. Within the individual works themselves,
Kleist employs this kind Of death essentially as a
catalyst, i.e., the needless, at times apparently
unmotivated demise of an individual evokes reactions

from the surviving characters. These provide the dramatic
impetus for the ensuing action and are concurrently
indicative Of and dependent upon the state of consciousness
Of each Of these characters.

1. Die Familie Schroffenstein:
Peter and AldObern

 

Nowhere in all Of Kleist's completed works does
the presence of the Spectre of death appear to pose a
more ominous, foreboding threat than in his first drama,

Die Familie Schroffenstein. The Opening lines of the play

 

38

 

 

39

are a litany Of hatred and of the revenge about to be
undertaken by the House of Rossitz against the House Of
Warwand under the pretense of compliance with the will

of God. The conversation between Jeronimus and the
Kirchenvogt in the first scene reveals both the immediate
as well as the ultimate cause of the macabre ceremony Of
the Opening scene. The immediate cause was the alleged
murder Of Peter, Rupert's youngest son, by two emissaries
of the House of Warwand who had been apprehended holding
drawn, bloody knives at the scene of the alleged crime.
Although one of the men was slain immediately, the
suspicions and preconceived notions of Rupert and his
followers were apparently confirmed by the confession

of the surviving emissary just prior to his execution.
Pressed by Jeronimus for the exact content Of the confession.
the Kirchenvogt concedes that, because of the tumult Of
the crowd, only one word of the "confession" was audible:
"Das eine Wort, Herr, war: Sylvester" (I, 59). It was,
however, this one word which provided Rupert with the
justification for his plotted course of revenge.

The ultimate cause was, as the Kirchenvogt reveals,
the existence Of a document of succession: an agreement
between the House Of Warwand and the House of Rossitz
whereby, in the event of the complete extermination of
one Of the households, the possessions and the sovereignty

Of the one would automatically pass over to the other.

 

 

 

40

This document, originally drafted, no doubt, in good faith
at a point in the distant past as a testimony to the hark
monious, mutually trusting relationship between the two
branches of the Familie Schroffenstein, soon precipitated
the birth Of feelings Of mistrust and suspicion which grew
in intensity with the passage of time. Instead of
strengthening the relationship between the two branches,
it drove them apart, each group living in the constant
fear of being exterminated by the other.

Although it is established in subsequent develop-
ments that Peter was in fact not killed by Sylvester's
men but was rather the victim Of an accidental drowning,

Rupert's desire to avenge his son's alleged murder is the

 

 

primary driving force in the dramatic action until the
point at which all the protagonists are confronted with
the truth. Rupert's hastily drawn conclusions at the
scene of the accident, his acceptance of the one_word Of
the confession at face value, and his instinctively violent,
unpremeditated decision to pursue a course Of murder and
revenge are truly indicative Of the extent to which his
state of consciousness and his mode Of thinking have been
molded by the fears and suspicions inherent in the document
Of succession.

It is not to be assumed, however, that the out-
break Of overt accusations was triggered by the apparently

incriminating circumstances surrounding Peter's death

 

41

alone. Unconfirmed rumors and suspicions had long under-
mined the relationship between the two families.

In the second scene Of the first act we learn that
rumors and suspicions abound in the House of Warwand as
well. The sudden, inexplicable death of Sylvester's young
son Phillip has given rise to accusations against Rupert
and his followers. Agnes, responding to her grandfather's
statements concerning the bond of friendship existing
between the two families, states: "Wie du nur sprichst!
Sie haben dir den Enkel,/ Den Bruder mir vergiftet, und
das sollen/ Nicht Feinde sein!" (I, 67). In the following
lines it becomes apparent that Agnes' suspicions have been
aroused by the suggestion implicit in remarks made by her
mother, Gertrude, who states: "Was hatt ich Offentlich
gesagt? Dir hab/ Ich heimlich anvertraut, es kOnnte
sein,/ War mOglich, hab den Anschein fast——" (I, 67).

Again in this instance, the precipitous allegations
made in response to an unfortunate tragedy in the very
recent past are the ultimate result Of both the mistrust
engendered by the age—old family agreement and unconfirmed
suspicions which were awakened in connection with certain
events in the more distant past. Hostilities are not,
however, initiated by the House Of Warwand. This is due
primarily to the wise leadership Of Graf Sylvester, whose

insistence upon restraint and caution is a reflection of

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

42

his full awareness of the potential dangers inherent in
rumor and mistrust:

Das Misstraun ist die schwarze Sucht der Seele,

Und alles, auch das Schuldlos-Reine, zieht

(Furs kranke Aug die Tracht der Holle an.

Das Nichtsbedeutende, Gemeine, ganz

Alltagliche, spitzfundig, wie zerstreute

Zwirnfaden, wirds zu einem Bild geknfipft,

Das uns mit grasslichen Gestalten schreckt (I, 69).
This stance of restraint and caution is maintained by
Sylvester, even in the face of the most adverse circum-
stances. This is especially evident in his refusal tO
take seriously the message delivered by AldObern, Rupert's
emissary. He cannot rely upon the veracity of second
hand reports, but feels he must confront his accuser
directly: "Franz, sattle mir mein Pferd.--Verzeih mein
Freund,/ Wer kann das Unbegreifliche begreifen?/ ——Wo ist
mein Helm, mein Schwert?—-Denn hOren muss/ Ichs doch aus
seinem Munde, eh ichs glaube" (I, 73). Before he can
respond to the accusations made against him, he must
take all necessary measures to attempt to clarify rationally
the issues at stake: "--Ich muss mir Licht verschaffen,/
Und sollt ichs mir aus der HOlle holen” (I, 74).

In the final analysis, the willful course of action
undertaken by Rupert and Sylvester respectively in the
initial stages of the drama must be regarded as the direct
expression and consequence Of their divergent modes Of

thinking. Rupert wants to interpret the death of Peter

as an overt act of cold-blooded, premeditated murder because

 

 

 

 

43

this interpretation coincides with his preconceived notions
concerning the evil intent and desires of the House of
Warwand. Sylvester, on the other hand, being more acutely
aware of the unreliability of and the potential dangers
inherent in judgments which are based upon rumor, suspicion,
and appearance, refuses even to speculate on the possible
cause of his own son's death. Responding in the second

act tO Gertrude's repeated attempts to cast a cloud of
suspicion over the House Of Warwand, he states: "Ich will
mit Ernst, dass du von Philipp schweigst./ Er sei vergiftet
Oder nicht, er soll/ Gestorben sein und weiter nichts. Ich
wills" (I, 92). In like manner, having heard the message
delivered by AldObern, he resolutely determines to attempt
to demonstrate to Rupert in a rational and reasonable
fashion that he was in no way responsible for the death

of Peter.

The death Of AldObern, who becomes the defenseless
victim of the wrath of Sylvester's subjects, represents the
first actual occurrence of death in the work proper.
Although the repercussions of his death are not as
dramatic or far reaching as those following the alleged
murder Of Peter, its inclusion is nevertheless essential
to the thematic structure and also tO the forward movement
of the dramatic action as well. The death Of Jeronimus in
the third act is essentially an act Of retaliation on the

part of Rupert for the mass murder Of AldObern. Thus, on

 

44

the level Of the dramatic action, there is established, as
will be shown later, a direct causal link between the
conclusions drawn from the death Of Peter, the death Of
AldObern, the death Of Jeronimus, and the death Of Agnes
and Ottokar in the final act. The death of AldObern
functions primarily as a concrete example Of the potential
consequences of drastic measures undertaken solely upon
the basis of unfounded suspicions and preconceived notions
which have been contrived for the enhancement of one's
personal advantage.

This notion is reflected in statements made by
Sylvester immediately after having been informed Of the
nature of AldObern's death. His initial reaction, although
it may appear to be somewhat idealistic in View Of the
circumstances, is nevertheless in keeping with the dignity
and the humanitarian direction of his mode of thinking:
"Unrecht ists,/ Theistin, mit deinem Haupt hattst du das
seine,/ Das heilige, des Herolds, schfitzen sollen" (I,

83). After a moment of reflection, he is able to evaluate
the recent sequence of events from the proper perspective,
and he realizes that he has no reason to fault either
Theistiner or his subjects for their involvement or lack

Of involvement in the death Of AldObern: "Ei nun, sie mOgens
niederschlucken. Das/ Geschehne muss stets gut sein, wie es
kann./ Ganz rein, seh ich wohl ein, kanns fast nicht abgehn,/

Denn wer das Schmutzge anfasst, den besudelts" (I, 83).

 

 

 

 

45

The last statement in the above quotation applies to all
parties involved. For Rupert and his followers, the

death of AldObern is an unfortunate, yet inevitable result
of the course of hatred and revenge which they have chosen
to follow. At the same time, Sylvester is now fully aware
that he and his followers can no longer hope to avoid or

forestall a confrontation with Rupert's forces.

2. Michael Kohlhaas: Elisabeth

 

The death Of Michael Kohlhaas' wife, Elisabeth, can
be viewed from several different perspectives. Her death
is not to be construed, however, as the result Of a
deliberate act of malicious intent. Although Kohlhaas'
servant was not himself present at the time that the blow,
which eventually proved to be fatal, was struck, his
account Of the circumstances leading to the incident
indicates clearly that her death was, at the most, an
unfortunate accident: "Es schien, sie hatte sich zu
dreist an die Person des Landesherrn vorgedrangt, und,
ohne Verschulden desselben, von dem blossen rohen Eifer
einer Wache, die ihn umringte, einen Stoss, mit dem
Schaft einer Lanze, vor die Brust erhalten" (II, 29). Seen
from within the context Of the development of the plot up
to this point, Elisabeth, although she was Of course
aligned with her husband's cause, did not die specifically
either in the defense Of or in the execution Of actions

designed to support that cause.

 

 

 

46

In the early stages Elisabeth supports and encourages
Kohlhaas to seek recompensation for the damages done to him
and also to his servant, Herse, by Junker Wenzel von Tronka.
The following passage indihates that she conceives Of it
as a necessary, even holy cause—-one for which she is
prepared to sacrifice: "Denn sie sagte, dass noch mancher
andre Reisende, vielleicht minder duldsam, als er, fiber
jene Burg ziehen wfirde; dass es ein Werk Gottes ware,
Unordnungen, gleich diesen, Einhalt zu tun; und dass sie
die Kosten, die ihm die Ffihrung des Prozesses verursachen

wfirde, schon beitreiben wolle" (II, 20—21). It soon

 

becomes apparent, however, that she has not comprehended
completely the full breadth and scope of the mission which
her husband has been called to fulfill. The failure Of
all his attempts to Obtain an impartial hearing Of his
charges against Wenzel von Tronka has made Kohlhaas aware Of
the fact that he has taken upon himself the responsibility
Of defending a cause which is Of such vital importance
both for himself and also for his fellow man that it
transcends even his responsibilities as a husband and
father. This is indicated in the explanation he Offers

to his neighbor, the Amtmann, for his unexpected decision
to sell his property: ". . . Kohlhaasenbrfick sei ja nicht
die Welt; es kOnne Zwecke geben, in Vergleich mit welchen,
seinem Hauswesen, als ein ordentlicher Vater, vorzustehen,

untergeordnet und nichtswfirdig sei; und kurz, seine Seele,

 

 

47

mfisse er ihm sagen, sei auf grosse Dinge gestellt, von
welchen er vielleicht bald hOren werde" (II, 25). After
the completion of the transactions, he attempts to explain
to Elizabeth that the decision to sell his property is a
precautionary measure necessitated by his unwillingness to
reside in a country which violated his dignity and rights
as a human being by capriciously denying him the right

to due process of law: "Der Rosskamm, indem er sie sanft
an seine Brust drfickte, erwiderte: weil ich in einem Lande,
liebste Lisbeth, in welchem man mich, in meinen Rechten,
nicht schfitzen will, nicht bleiben mag. Lieber ein Hund
sein, wenn ich von Ffissen getreten werden soll, als ein
Mensch!" (II, 27).

It is in the aftermath of these developments that
Elisabeth proposes that she go to Berlin in Kohlhaas' stead
and attempt to use her influence with the Kastellan at the
castle, her former lover, to good advantage. The noble
intent Of this gesture cannot be denied. Nevertheless,
it is essential that we be aware that this mission was
not undertaken as a selfless act Of total commitment to
the cause of justice. Her emotional behavior and sporadic
outbursts both during and after Kohlhaas' transactions with
the Amtmann indicate clearly that, above all else, she was,
at the time, motivated primarily by her maternal, womanly
instincts and was not yet prepared to commit herself

totally. This lack Of total commitment and the subsequent

 

 

 

48

lack Of understanding for and insight into the course Of
action about to be undertaken by her husband is especially
evident in her reaction to the suggestion that she take
the children and visit in Schwerin for the time being.
Even at the moment of her death she has not yet come to

a complete understanding of the necessity and urgency

of Kohlhaas' course of action, for in a dying gesture she
points out to Kohlhaas the verse in the Bible which reads:
"'Vergib deinen Feinden; tue wohl auch denen, die dich
hassen'" (II, 30).

There is every reason to believe that Kohlhaas
himself was fully aware that Elisabeth had become the
innocent victim Of circumstances which had developed in
connection with the forces set in motion both by himself
and also by various governmental officials as a result of
the original injustice done to him by Junker Wenzel von
Tronka and his cohorts. The above does not imply, however,
that her death was essentially meaningless. Viewed from
the perspective of the thematic structure and the dynamic
progression Of the plot, it becomes evident that Kleist
has employed her death to fulfill a function which is
vital to the projection Of his artistic intent in this
work.

The meaning and purpose of her death is to be found
primarily in its effect upon Kohlhaas. It must be recognized,

first of all, that Kohlhaas does not at any time attempt to

 

 

 

 

 

49

establish a connection between his mission of revenge and

43 NO mention Of her death is

judgment and her death.
made in any Of his proclamations or in the several placards
which he and his men posted. It almost seems as if he

has undertaken his gruesome task in ruthless disregard

of her memory. It is not until his meeting with Martin
Luther that we become aware Of the significance which

her death has assumed in Kohlhaas' eyes. Luther questions
the legitimacy or necessity of his extreme measures:
"Nachdem dein Schwert sich, an dem Junker, Rache, die
grimmigste, genommen, die sich erdenken lasst: was

treibt dich, auf ein Erkenntnis gegen ihn zu bestehen,
dessen Scharfe, wenn es zuletzt fallt, ihn mit einem
Gewicht von so geringer Erheblichkeit nur trifft?" (II, 46).
TO this Kohlhaas responds tearfully: ". . . hochwfirdiger
Herr! es hat mich meine Frau gekostet; Kohlhaas will der
Welt zeigen, dass sie in keinem ungerechten Handel

umgekommen ist" (II, 47).44

Kohlhaas acknowledges here
that the knowledge of the circumstances surrounding the
death of his wife has lent his cause a sense of urgency
and has made it imperative that he carry his course of
action to its successful conclusion.

The death of Elisabeth also performs an important
function within the Novelle. It has already been shown

that, even at the time Of her death, she did not completely

comprehend or support Kohlhaas' mission. Insight is given

 

 

 

 

 

50

tO her, however, after her death, and thus, although
Kohlhaas is unaware Of her identity, she appears tO him
in the guise of a gypsy woman at the fair in Jfiterbock on
the day following her burial and, calling him by name,
entrusts him with a capsule containing information Of
vital importance to the Kurffirst von Sachsen: ". . . 'ein
Amulett, Kohlhaas, der Rosshandler; verwahr es wohl, es
wird dir dereinst das Leben retten!‘ . . ." (II, 83).
Kohlhaas does not learn Of the contents Of the capsule
until shortly before his death when the gypsy woman visits
him in prison. At this occasion, however, he Observes a
striking similarity between her and his deceased wife.
The true function and intent Of her reincarnation is
revealed in her response to the reasons given by Kohlhaas
for his unwillingness to deliver the capsule to the
Kurffirst von Sachsen: "Die Frau, indem sie das Kind auf
den Boden setzte, sagte: dass er in mancherlei Hinsicht
recht hatte, und dass er tun und lassen kOnnte, was er
wollte!" (II, 98). She has, in effect, returned from the
realm of the dead and given supernatural, transcendental
sanction to his course of action, both past and future.
This is underscored by her final action. Just moments
prior to Kohlhaas' execution, she sends him the following
message: "'Kohlhaas, der Kurffirst von Sachsen ist in
Berlin; auf den Richtplatz schon ist er vorangegangen,

und wird, wenn dir daran liegt, an einem Hut, mit blauen

 

 

 

 

 

 

51

und weissen Federbfischen kenntlich sein. Die Absicht, in
der er kommt, brauche ich dir nicht zu sagen; er will die
Kapsel, sobald du verscharrt bist, ausgraben, und den
Zettel, der darin befindlich is, erOffnen lassen. —-Deine
Elisabeth'" (II, 100-101). It is only when armed with
this knowledge that Kohlhaas is able to fulfill completely

his destiny in this life.

3. Die Hermannsschlacht: Hally

 

Kleist's grand patriotic drama Die Hermannsschlacht

 

is generally relegated to a position Of minor significance
within the complex of Kleist's total literary production.45
This is due, in part, tO the tendentiousness Of the content
and also to the obvious parallels which can be drawn between
characters in the drama and contemporary personages in
Germany, Austria, and France. Also contributing to critics'
aversion tO this drama is the belief that Kleist was
advocating that his countrymen also resort to extreme,
brutal, inhumane tactics similar to those employed by
Hermann in his quest to free the Germans from the tyranny

Of the Romans. Especially appalling to modern day
sensitivities are the acts Of violence and destruction

which were committed at Hermann's command by German

subjects who were disguised as Roman soldiers. One of

the more barbarous of these acts was the unprovoked rape

and subsequent death of the young maiden, Hally. It is

 

 

52

not necessary that we either condemn or attempt to justify
Hermann's involvement in this brutal act. Let us rather
attempt to determine the function which her death fulfills
in this work.

Seen from within the context Of Hermann's conception
Of his responsibilities as the leader of the Germanic
forces, the event leading to the tragic death Of Hally
was a necessary, last resort measure designed to unite
the German people in a common cause against the Romans.
In the opening scene Of the play, several Of the German
princes have come together to join their forces in a united
effort to halt the ever growing threat posed by the presence
Of the Roman army on German land. It soon becomes apparent,
however, that some of the princes are more concerned with
furthering their own selfish interests than with the greater
cause Of freedom and autonomy.46 The situation is assessed
most poignantly at the end of the scene in the words Of
Wolf: "Es bricht der Wolf, O Deutschland,/ In deine Hfirde
ein, und deine Hirten streiten/ Um eine Handvoll Wolle
sich" (I, 537). Hermann's awareness both of the urgent
need for immediate action against the Roman forces and
also Of the existence of petty feuds and rivalries as well
as purely selfish interests among his fellow princes is
the reason for his apparent reluctance at the end of the
third scene to assume outrightly a position of leadership

in the struggle against the Roman forces. Throughout the

 

 

 

 

53

scene, Hermann attempts to make the princes aware Of the
real, grander, more universal issues which by far outweigh
their personal interests and grievances. He does so,
first Of all, by questioning the genuineness of their
commitment and by pointing out their vulnerability to the
deceitful intrigues Of the Romans. He furthermore proceeds
to confuse and perplex them with ambiguous statements
concerning his personal goals and intent:

Wollt ich auf Erden irgend was errin en,

Ich wurde glficklich sein, kOnnt 1ch m1t Mannern mich,

Wie hier um mich versammelt sind, verbinden;

Jedoch, weil alles zu verlieren bloss

Die Absicht ist--so lasst, begreift ihr,

Solch ein Entschluss nicht wohl ein Bfindnis zu:

Allein muss ich, in solchem Kriege, stehn,
Verknfipft mit niemand, als nur meinem Gott (I, 543).

 

The purpose of these and similarly perplexing statements
is to make the princes aware that he himself is prepared
to commit himself totally and to sacrifice all, even his
life if it should be necessary, in the attempt to free his
peOple from the burden of Roman Oppression. He demands an
equal sense Of commitment, a willingness to sacrifice all
on the part of the princes if he is to become their leader.
The princes, however, do not fully grasp the implications
Of his demands.

It is precisely this lack Of total commitment and
this lack Of insight into the gravity of the current
situation which necessitates the death of Hally. Realizing

that he cannot yet depend completely upon the undivided

 

 

 

 

54

allegiance Of either his fellow princes or the German people,
he determines to pursue a course Of action which is equal
in every respect to the deceit and intrigue of the tactics
employed by the invading Romans. Already at the time of
their approach, he sent his own soldiers, disguised as
Roman soldiers, to instigate acts Of violence and plunder
which would be attributed to the invaders. These measures
were frustrated, however both by the apparent apathy Of
the German people and also, more importantly, by the
unexpected discipline of the Roman troops. He realizes
that hatred for the Romans and a thirst for revenge on

the part of his people will be awakened only by a deed
more dastardly than those already committed, and thus

he sets out to see what can be accomplished: "Komm,

lass uns heimlich durch die Gassen schleichen,/ Und sehn
Ob uns der Zufall etwas beut" (I, 586).

It is in the aftermath of these developments

 

 

that Hally is assaulted, presumably by Roman soldiers,

and subsequently stabbed to death by her own father.

Her death is necessary, however, for the development of

both the dramatic action Of the play. Upon his arrival

at the scene of the occurrence, Hermann recognizes immediately
that it is the knowledge of this act Of violence, allegedly
committed by the Romans, which will irrevocably unite his

people in their struggle against the Romans. Thus he has

 

 

55

her body cut up into fifteen pieces and has one part sent
immediately by messenger to each Of the fifteen Germanic
tribes. The effectiveness of this gruesome tactic is pro—
nounced by Wolf at the scene Of the final victory:

Hally, die Jungfrau, die geschandete,

Die du, des Vaterlandes grauses Sinnbild,

Zerstuckt in alle Stamme hast geschickt,

Hat unser VOlker Langmut aufgezehrt.

In Waffen siehst du ganz Germanien lodern,

Den Greul zu strafen, der sich ihr verfibt (I, 625).

Considered from the standpoint Of the thematic

structure, the death of Hally was also a necessary, last
resort measure. For, it was not until they were confronted
with an atrocity such as the one committed against Hally
that the German princes were able to come to the realization
that further deeds Of that nature could be avoided only if
they would abandon now their personal, egocentric interests

and ambitions and commit themselves totally to the preserva-

tion of their national freedom and autonomy.

4. Das Bettelweib von Locarno: das Bettelweib

 

The death of the Old beggar woman in the short

story Das Bettelweib von Locarno is related in just a few

 

compact sentences in the Opening paragraph:

Der Marchese, der, bei der Rfickkehr von der Jagd,
zufallig in das Zimmer trat, wo er seine Bfichse
abzusetzen pflegte, befahl der Frau unwillig, aus
dem Winkel, in welchem sie lag, aufzustehen, und
sich hinter den Ofen zu verffigen. Die Frau, da
sie sich erhob, glitschte mit der Krficke auf dem
glatten Boden aus, und beschadigte sich, auf eine
gefahrliche Weise das Kreuz; dergestalt, dass sie
zwar noch mit unsaglicher Mfihe aufstand, und query

 

56

wie es vorgeschrieben war, fiber das Zimmer ging,

hinter den Ofen aber, unter StOhnen und Achzen,

niedersank und verschied (II, 196).
It is Obvious from the description in the above excerpt
that her death was not the tragic result Of a deliberate,
malicious act of violence. By all appearances, her death
was, simply stated, a most unfortunate accident—-one for
which no one could, by the farthest stretch Of the imagina-
tion, be held responsible. One might thus legitimately
question the purpose and the function Of her three
posthumous ghostly appearances which ultimately resulted
in the death of the Marchese.

If we evaluate this story, however, from the stand-
point Of Kleist's artistic intent and the prevailing thematic
structure of his works, it becomes evident that he was
concerned with more than the mere creation or presentation
of a gripping "Gespenstergeschichte." Although by all
conventional standards her death was, an unfortunate
accident, within the larger framework it must be regarded
as the result of his having neglected to treat her with
the dignity and respect to which she as a human being was
entitled. After her death, supernatural means must be

employed in order to avenge the injustice done to her.

5. Der Findling: Elvire

 

The death of Elvire differs from the death Of the

individuals already discussed in that it is the direct

 

 

 

 

 

57

consequence Of a course of action undertaken by an indi-
vidual, Nicolo, for the express purpose Of doing her harm.
In the Opening pages, it is revealed that, after his
adoption by Piachi and Elvire, Nicolo proved to be an
exemplary son, with the exception, however, of two po-
tentially dangerous traits: "Nichts hatte der Vater, der
ein geschworner Feind aller Bigotterie war, an ihm
auszusetzen, als den Umgang mit den MOnchen des
Karmeliterklosters, die dem jungen Mann, wegen des
betréchtlichen VermOgens, das ihm einst, aus der
Hinterlassenschaft des Alten zufallen sollte, mit

grosser Gunst zugetan waren; und nichts ihrerseits die
Mutter, als einen frfih, wei es ihr schien, in der Brust
desselben sich regenden Hang ffir das weibliche Geschlecht"
(II, 201). The intensification of the latter trait into
a ruthless, uncontrollable passion gives rise to the
circumstances ultimately precipitating Elvire's death
after Nicolo, having accidentally discovered her enduring
passion for the young nobleman who had sacrificed his
life for her, determines to gain personal advantage from
this knowledge.

Falsely believing Elvire to be responsible for
publicly humiliating him at the funeral Of his wife,
Nicolo is Obsessed by a deep hatred and a desire for
revenge. Equally significant, however, is the evidence

of his growing sexual attraction for her. Struck by her

 

 

 

 

58

youthful beauty, he, projecting his own illicit feelings
onto her, hopes both tO satisfy his personal desires and
also to expose her as a hypocrite: ". . . es schien ihm
unglaublich, dass sie, bei soviel Lockungen dazu, nicht
selbst zuweilen auf dem Wege wandern sollte, dessen Blumen
zu brechen er eben so schmahlich von ihr gestraft worden
war" (II, 206). Both emotions, hatred, with the resultant
thirst for revenge, and passion, are intensified as a result
Of subsequent developments which lead NicolO to believe
that he himself is the Object Of Elvire's secret adoration.
This illusion is shattered, however, when his
mistress Xaviera Tartini, who had used her influence with
the bishOp as a means to Obtain confidential information
about Elvire, informs him of the true identity Of the noble-
man in the portrait. Frustrated and humiliated once again,
he sets out with an even greater vengeance in an effort
to achieve his pernicious goals: "Beschamung, Wollust und
Rache vereinigten sich jetzt, um die abscheulichste Tat,
die je verfibt worden ist, auszubrfiten" (II, 212). Securing
again the costume which he had worn tO the carnival, he
steals into Elvire's room and conceals himself behind
the curtain which he had draped over the portrait of the
young nobleman. Her arrival produces the results which
he anticipated: ". . . kaum hatte Elvire, die bald darauf
eintrat, nach einer stillen und ruhigen Entkleidung, wie

sie gethnlich zu tun pflegte, den seidnen Vorhang, der

 

 

 

 

59

die Nische bedeckte, erOffnet und ihn erblickt: als sie
schon Colino! Mein Geliebter! rief und Ohnmachtig auf
das Getafel des Bodens niedersank" (II, 212).

Although the unexpected return Of Piachi prevents
Nicolo from completing the intended desecration Of Elvire's
character as well as her body, her death shortly thereafter
is a direct result Of this devastating experience. Relating
her death to the thematic structure Of the work, it can be
stated that Elvire dies, an innocent victim Of the vicious,
unbridled passions of an irreconcilably evil individual.
Furthermore, it is in response to her death but even more
to Nicolo's unconscionable actions immediately following
the incident that Piachi becomes aware of the need for
him to take the matter of revenge and punishment into

his own hands.

B. The Anticipatory Experience of Death

 

In several of his works, Kleist places his leading
protagonists into a situation where they experience in
varying degrees of intensity, the torments, doubts and
fears which conventional modes Of thinking have customarily
associated with the idea Of death. This situation generally
occurs at a crucial juncture in the development Of the plot
and it is of special significance for the thematic structure
Of these works. Although in certain instances some of the

characters (Prinz Friedrich, Littegarde) are actually

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6O

confronted with the very real prospect of their own death,
none of them dies as a direct result of this experience.
Nevertheless, it is a necessary experience for each Of
these characters for it is in this confrontation with

the spectre Of death that he is confronted with the stark
reality of truth and consequently becomes aware of the
need for a shift Of emphasis, a change Of direction in

his mode of thinking.

1. Prinz Friedrich von Homburg: Prinz Friedrich

 

The celebrated "Todesfurchtszene" of the drama

Prinz Friedrich von Homburg is probably one Of the best

 

known individual scenes in all Of German literature.
Within the context of the traditional, classical structure
Of the drama, this scene, since it occurs in the third act,
could be regarded as the high point, the climax Of the
dramatic action. In Kleist's dramas, however, the dramatic
climax does not occur until the very end. Homburg's initial
reactions to the sight of his Open grave indicate that for
him his imminent death represented the complete destruction
of all his aspirations for both present and future fame and
fortune. Moreover, from the standpoint of his moral
develOpment and character, it was the point at which he
sank to rock bottom.

The stage for the ensuing dramatic action is set
by Homburg's somnambulistic activities in the first scene.

When Homburg failed to appear at the appointed time to

 

 

 

 

 

61

lead the scheduled departure Of his trOOps, Graf
Hohenzollern instituted a search and found him, as
he explains to the Kurffirst:

Als ein Nachtwandler, schau, auf jener Bank,

WOhin im Schlaf, wie du nie glauben wolltest,

Der Mondschein ihn gelockt, beschaftiget,

Sich traumend, seiner eignen Nachwelt gleich,

Den prachtgen Kranz des Ruhmes einzuwenden (I, 632).
At the present time, none Of the spectators to the
spectacle can attach any great significance to Homburg's
actions other than the possibility that they were an
expression Of his anticipation of a resounding victory
in the battle to be fought on the following day. The
Kurffirst, who had been amused but also perplexed by
Homburg's behavior, closes the scene with the stern
reminder that victory on the battlefield is achieved
at a cost and cannot be the product Of one's subjective,
subconscious experiences:

Ins Nichts mit dir zurfick, Herr Prinz von Homburg,

Ins Nichts, ins Nichts! In dem Gefilde der Schlacht,

Sehn wir, wenns dir gefallig ist, uns wieder!

Im Traum erringt man solche Dinge nicht! (I, 634).
The fact that Homburg's somnambulistic activities in the
first scene are indicative Of more than subconscious thoughts
and desires begins to become more apparent soon after he is
awakened by Hohenzollern. When reminded Of his having

failed to lead the scheduled departure Of his regiment,

he reacts with indifference:

 

 

 

 

 

 

62

Es ist gleichviel! Der alte Kottwitz ffihrt sie,

Der jede Absicht dieses Marsches kennt.

Zudem hatt ich zuruck ins Hauptquartier

Um zwei Uhr morgens wiederkehren mfissen,

Weil hier Parole noch soll empfangen werden:

SO bleib ich besser gleich im Ort zurfick (I, 637).
Of more immediate concern for him is that, at the time
that he was awakened, he inexplicably found himself in
the possession of a lady's glove. Although he can recall
vividly all the other characters and events in his dream
experience, he cannot remember the identity Of the person
to whom the glove belongs. On the following morning,
when he is to receive his instructions for what is to
be the decisive battle Of the Kurffirst's campaign, he is
still preoccupied with the events Of the previous evening.
Throughout the fifth scene he is visibly distracted and
appears to be completely oblivious, even when spoken to
directly, to the significance Of the proceedings.

The only instance at which he exhibits any sign
whatsoever of mental alertness is when Natalie notices
the absence of one Of her gloves. The Kurffirst, who had
once again been a witness to Homburg's strange, irrational
behavior, closes the proceedings with a direct appeal to
the Prince to practice restraint. This request serves,
basically, two important functions. In the first place,
we are made aware that Homburg's irresponsible actions in
the past have already cost the Kurffirst two victories.

Second, and Of even greater significance, the Kurffirst is

 

 

 

63

attempting to make Homburg aware Of the actual issues at
stake in the impending battle: freedom, autonomy, and
the right Of the people Of Brandenburg to self-determination.
Standing in direct opposition to the above quotation

is Homburg's first monologue of the play at the end Of the
first act:

Nun denn, auf deiner Kugel, Ungeheures,

Du, der der Windeshauch den Schleier heut,

Gleich einem Segel lfiftet, roll heran!

Du hast mir, Glfick, die Locken schon gestreift:

Ein Pfand schon warfst du, im Vorfiberschweben,

Aus deinem Ffillhorn léchelnd mir herab:

Heut, Kind der GOtter, such ich, flfichtiges,

Ich hasche dich im Feld der Schlacht und stfirze

Ganz deinen Segen mir zu Ffissen um:

Warst du auch siebenfach, mit Eisenketten,

Am schwedschen Siegeswagen festgebunden! (I, 648).
It is Obvious that Homburg's sights are set solely upon the
attainment of his personal goals and ambitions. The up-
coming battle has no other relevance than that it will
provide him with the Opportunity to acquire that level
of personal fame and fortune which until now has eluded
him. Mfiller-Seidel (p. 134) has Observed that this
monologue is a true reflection of Homburg's inner wishes

and desires. The nouns "Windeshauch," "Schleier,' "Segel,"
"Locken" and also the verbal forms "lfiften," "streifen,"
"vorfiberschweben," "lacheln," and "haschen" are indicative
Of the fact that Homburg is striving after that which is
temporary and transitory and is consequently not fully

aware of the more permanent, universal implications Of

the battle.

 

 

 

 

64

It is this state Of consciousness, this limited
perspective, which sets the stage for Homburg's precipitous
rush into battle in the second scene Of the second act.
When it becomes apparent that victory is being won, he,
anxious to Obtain personal fame and glory by performing
deeds Of valor on the battlefield, can restrain himself no
longer and orders his troops to prepare to engage in
combat immediately. When he is reminded by Kottwitz Of
the Kurffirst's order to wait for a signal before entering
the battle, he, motivated only by his personal ambitions,
replies: "Auf Ord'r! Ei Kottwitz! Reitest du so
langsam?/ Hast du sie noch vom Herzen nicht empfangen?"
(I, 653).

The victory celebration in the ninth scene of the
second act is dampened considerably by the Kurffirst's
Opening remarks:

Wer immer auch die Reuterei geffihrt

Am Tag der Schlacht, und, eh der Obrist Hennings

Des Feindes Brucken hat zerstOren kOnnen,

Damit ist aufgebrochen, eigenméchtig,

Zur Flucht, bevor ich Order gab, ihn zwingend,

Der ist des Todes schuldig, das erklar ich,

Und vor ein Kriegsgericht bestell ich ihn (I, 663).
Initially, Homburg is embittered by his imprisonment. He
perceives it as a personal affront committed against him
by the Kurffirst. In the opening scene of the third act
it is evident that Homburg is not yet fully aware Of the

deeper implications Of the charges which the Kurffirst has

made against him. He has not yet come tO the recognition

 

 

 

 

65

that these charges do not question his repute as a brave,
effective warrior; they are rather concerned with the right
of an individual to willfully, capriciously violate the

law of the land for the express purpose Of furthering his
personal interests and ambitions. It is partially because
of this complete lack of insight into the issues at stake
that Homburg, regarding his imprisonment as a necessary
formality on the part Of the Kurffirst, is confident of

an imminent pardon. Furthermore, and this again underscores
his failure to comprehend completely the full import Of the
current state Of affairs, his expectations for pardon are
based upon his subjective knowledge of his value and worth

tO the Kurffirst.

 

We can detect a weakening of the Prince's composure
and self—assurance at the moment that he is informed Of the
Kurffirst's intent to sign the document ordering his death
sentence. Suddenly he, who had Often faced death fearlessly
in battle, is confronted with the prospect of having to die
as the result Of an indiscretion whose significance he does
not even acknowledge:

Er kOnnte--nein1 so ungeheure
Entschliessungen in seinem Busen walzen?
Um eines Fehls, der Brille kaum bemerkbar,
In dem Demanten, den er jfingst empfing,
In Staub den Geber treten? (I, 671)
Having come to the conclusion, with the aid Of Hohenzollern,

that his engagement to Natalie is the reason for the

Kurffirst's failure to grant him pardon, he determines to

 

 

66

request the Kurffirstin to intervene in his behalf. It is
while he is enroute to the castle that Homburg sees his
Open grave.

The meaning and the function Of the "Todesfurchtszene"
can be best understood if it be considered in conjunction
with the Prince's monologue at the end of the first act.
Having been confronted with the reality Of his imminent
death, he now wants only to live and is prepared to abandon
all his former ambitions for material gain and military
success. He is even willing to relinquish his claims to
Natalie, whose hand he hoped to win as a crowning achieve-
ment tO all his successes:

Ich gebe jeden Anspruch auf an Glfick.
Nataliens, das vergiss nicht, ihm zu melden,
Begehr ich gar nicht mehr, in meinem Busen
Ist alle Zartlichkeit ffir sie verlOscht (I, 676).
With the abandonment of all his former goals and ambitions,

he no longer has any meaningful purpose in life. Concerned

only with the preservation of his physical existence, he

 

is prepared to spend the rest of his days in meaningless

 

activity.

In his excessive preoccupation with the fact of
mere physical existence, Homburg has reached the point where
he is already, within the context Of Kleist's conception Of

death, "moralisch tot."47

Nevertheless, this scene performs
an important function within the work. For Homburg himself,

the anticipatory experience of death at the site of his Open

 

 

67

grave represents, using the metaphors Of the essay "Uber

das Marionettentheater," the beginning of his "Durchgang
durch das Unendliche" (II, 345). It was not until he had
experienced the nothingness, the emptiness Of a meaningless
death, not until his mind had been purged Of all hOpes for
attaining his egocentric, self—serving goals that he was
able to become aware of both the egocentricity of his mode
of thinking and also the need for a reorientation in his
system Of values. In essence, Homburg's experience Of death
represents, from the standpoint of his moral character, his

deepest plunge, but it is at the same time the first,

 

necessary step toward his total rehabilitation at the end.

2. Der Zweikampf: Littegarde

 

The sequence Of events in the Novelle Der Zweikampf

 

is, in many respects, highly reminiscent of the drama Die

 

Familie Schroffenstein. The impetus for the ensuing action

 

is provided when Herzog Wilhelm von Breysach is murdered
while returning home from a meeting with the Kaiser in

Worms. The purpose of this meeting had been to arrange

that he be succeeded to the throne by his illegitimate

son, Graf Philipp von Hfiningen. The Herzog had undertaken
this action, first of all, because he had no other legitimate
heirs and, second, because he wished to prevent his half—
brother Jakob der Rotbart, who had long been hostile toward

him, from inheriting his domain. Rotbart's unexpected and

 

 

68

gracious acceptance of these measures served to alleviate
the suspicions which many had harbored against him. Never—
theless, the investigation Of the murder, which the Herzogin
was duty-bound to conduct, revealed both that the arrow
which killed the Herzog had been made for Rotbart and also
that Rotbart was absent from his castle on the night of

the murder. The Herzogin, who is convinced Of his innocence,
informs him by letter of these findings for the sole purpose
of preventing the spread Of vicious, unfounded rumors and
suspicions.

Rotbart, on the other hand, seizes upon this
Opportunity to further his pernicious ambitions: "Brfider,
seht! welch eine schandliche Anklage, auf den Mord meines
Bruders, wider mich zusammengeschmiedet worden ist!" (II,
232). After a few moments of reflection, however, he
voluntarily places himself under the arrest Of the
Herzogin's messenger and declares his intent Of clearing
himself of all charges before the tribunal. It is at
this point that Littegarde is drawn into the action. As
evidence of his innocence of any complicity in the death
Of the Herzog, Rotbart reveals the following: "'. . . weil
ihr denn wissen wollt, warum es weder wahrscheinlich, noch
auch selbst mOglich sei, dass ich an dem Mord meines Bruders,
es sei nun persOnlich Oder mittelbar, Teil genommen, so
vernehmt, dass ich in der Nacht des heiligen Remigius, also

zur Zeit, da er verfibt worden, heimlich bei der schOnen,

 

 

 

 

69

in Liebe mir ergebenen Tochter des Landdrosts Winfried von
Breda, Frau Wittib Littegarde von Auerstein war'" (II, 235).

For Littegarde, who is described as being, "so wie
die schOnste, so auch, bis auf den Augenblick dieser
schmahlichen Anklage, die unbescholtenste und makelloseste
Frau des Landes" (II, 235), the results are immediate and
catastrophic. After the death Of her father, which was
caused as a direct result of the scandal in which she had
become implicated, she is forcibly driven from the family
castle by her brothers. Determined to prove her innocence,
Littegarde summons the aid Of Friedrich von Trota, who at
one time had requested her hand in marriage. Despite the
overwhelming evidence against her, Friedrich, fully
convinced Of her innocence, agrees to represent her before
the tribunal. Appearing before the court at the time when
the document which absolved Rotbart of any complicity in
the death of the Herzog is about to be read formally,
Friedrich tears up the document and makes the following
pronouncement to Rotbart: ". . . dass er ein schandlicher
und niedertrachtiger Verleumder, und er entschlossen sei,
die Schuldlosigkeit Frau Littegardens an dem Frevel, dem
er ihr vorgeworfen, auf Tod und Leben, vor aller Welt, im
Gottesurteil zu beweisen!” (II, 242).

Friedrich's resort to the trial by combat gives
rise to the central conflict of the Novelle. The medieval

practice Of the trial by combat was institutionally

 

 

 

 

70

sanctioned, i.e., it had become an integral part Of the

legal-political as well as the religious corpus juris. It

 

was predicated upon the belief that, in the course of the
combat, God would make his will manifest by allowing the
innocent party to conquer his Opponent. It was not,
however, a matter to be undertaken frivolously for they
who "falsely" called for the intervention of God in this
manner were condemned to die. Littegarde's composure

and confidence just prior to the struggle are based, above
all else, upon her knowledge of her innocence but also
upon her complete trust that God would favorably direct
the events to her advantage. Attempting to assuage the
doubts and fears of Friedrich's mother and sisters, she
states: "Keine Schuld befleckt mein Gewissen; und ginge er
ohne Helm und Harnisch in den Kampf, Gott und alle seine
Engel beschirmen ihn!" (II, 245).

This illusion is shattered suddenly, however, when
Friedrich falls accidentally and immediately receives what
appear to be several mortal wounds from the sword Of Jakob
der Rotbart. To all the spectators it appears as if God
has spoken in favor of Rotbart, and Friedrich and Littegarde
are imprisoned to awaiten the compulsory death sentence.
Friedrich, however recovers miraculously from his wounds,
and, as a result, he becomes aware of the invalidity, the
arbitrary, capricious nature of the institution of the

trial by combat. Responding to this mother's reproaches

 

 

 

 

71

Of Littegarde, he states: ". . . wo ist der Sterbliche,
und ware die Weisheit aller Zeiten sein, der es wagen
darf, den geheimnisvollen Spruch, den Gott in diesem
Zusammenhang getan hat, auszulegen?" (II, 248).

The gaining of this awareness involves a more
lengthy, arduous process in the case Of Littegarde. She,
who is more aware than anyone else, even Rotbart, of her
innocence, is also convinced of the absolute validity of
the "Gottesurteil." As was the case with Prinz Friedrich
von Homburg, Kleist brings her to the recognition of the
invalidity Of her mode of thinking by placing her in the
very presence of death. The vicarious experience of
death in Kleist's works is, above all else, an intensely
personal experience. For Littegarde, this experience
brings about a complete disintegration Of her personality
and an extreme fragmentation of consciousness or dis—
association from the self.

After Friedrich has recovered sufficiently from
his wounds to visit her in her prison cell, he finds her
bordering on insanity, in a state Of complete mental and
physical anguish. Attempting to comfort her, he is
rejected vociferously and cruelly: "'Hinwegi' rief sie,
mehrere Schritt weit auf Knien vor ihm auf dem Stroh
zurfickbebend: 'wenn ich nicht wahnsinnig werden soll,
so berfihre mich nicht! Du bist mir ein Greuel; lodernes

Feuer ist mir minder schrecklich, als dul'" (II, 250).

 

 

 

 

 

72

Completely bewildered and perplexed, Friedrich, coming

to the only conclusion possible under the circumstances,
asks Whether she was perhaps guilty Of the charges

brought against her. Littegarde's response is demonstra—
tive of both the nature and also the extreme intensity

Of her inner conflicts—-the conflict between her inner
certainty and knowledge and her blind, absolute acceptance
Of the arbitrary, humanly contrived precepts prOpagated

by the prevailing social structure: "'Schuldig, fiberwiesen,
verworfen, in Zeitlichkeit und Ewigkeit verdammt und
verurteilt!’ rief Littegarde, indem sie sich den Busen,
wie eine Rasende zerschlug: 'Gott ist wahrhaftig und
untrfiglich; geh, meine Sinne reissen, und meine Kraft
bricht. Lass mich mit meinem Jammer und meiner
Verzweiflung allein!‘" (II, 251).

After reaching this depth of despair and mental
anguish, she begins to regain her composure and awareness
and is able to relate in detail the exact nature of her
relationship to Jakob der Rotbart, thereby substantiating
Friedrich's conviction of her innocence. What is even
more significant, however, is that she now defends her
innocence in most emphatic terms: "Wie die Brust eines
neugebornen Kindes, wie das Gewissen eines aus der Beichte
kommenden Menschen, wie die Leiche einer, in der Sakristei,
unter der Einkleidung, verschiedenen Nonne!" (II, 253).

Although she is herself cognizant Of her complete innocence,

 

 

 

 

73

she is nevertheless still troubled by the ambiguous,
damning results of the trial: ". . . hat das geheilgte
Urteil Gottes nicht gegen mich entschieden? Hast du dem
Grafen nicht in jenem verhangnisvollen Zweikampf unterlegen,
und er nicht die Wahrhaftigkeit dessen, was er vor Gericht
gegen mich angebracht, ausgekampft?" (II, 253). In the
course of his response, Friedrich, giving expression to
the central theme Of the Novelle, removes this final
Obstacle by stating: "Wo liegt die Verpflichtung der
hOchsten gOttlichen Weisheit, die Wahrheit im Augenblick
der hochsten gottlichen Weisheit, die Wahrheit im
Augenblick der glaubensvollen Anrufung selbst, anzuzeigen
und auszusprechen?" (II, 254).

Littegarde was able to come to an acceptance of this
truth only because she, in the face Of death, had regained
her awareness both of her innocence and also Of her personal

worth.

3. Die Verlobung in St. Domingo: Toni

 

It is, of course, only in a very limited sense that
we can speak of an "anticipatory eXperience of death" in

Die Verlobung in St. Domingo. Unlike Prinz Friedrich and

 

Littegarde, Toni is not confronted directly with the very
real prospect of an imminent death, nor is she subjected
to the mental and spiritual anguish which results from the

knowledge that one is about to die an essentially meaningless,

 

 

 

 

74

purposeless death. A change in Toni's mode of thinking,

a reorientation in her system of values is rather effected
as a result Of her response to the two death-related
episodes related to her by the fugitive, Gustav von der
Ried.

Providing the setting for the Novelle is the
insurrection of the black inhabitants Of the island against
their white, French overlords. One Of the most violent
and fearful leaders of the revolution was the Old Negro,
Congo Hoango. Immediately after the outbreak Of hostilities,
Hoango embarked upon a ruthless, relentless course of
blind revenge, murder, and destruction. As an initial
act Of terror, he killed Villeneuve, his former master
who had not only given him his freedom but had also
treated him consistently with generosity and respect,
killed his family and devastated completely the Villeneuve
estate. Obsessed with the lust for the total annihilation
of all the white inhabitants Of the island, he also
resorted to deceit and intrigue, lest anyone should escape
his grasp: "Ja, er forderte in seiner unmenschlichen
Rachsucht, sogar die alte Babekan mit ihrer Tochter,
einer jungen, funfzehnjahrigen Mestize, namens Toni,
auf, an diesem grimmigen Kriege, bei dem er sich ganz
verjfingte, Anteil zu nehmen; und weil das Hauptgebaude
der PflanZung, das er jetzt bethnte, einsam an der
Hauptstrasse lag und sich haufig, wahrend seiner

Abwesenheit, weisse Oder kreolische Flfichtlinge einfanden,

 

75

welche darin Nahrung Oder win Unterkommen suchten, so
unterrichtete er die Weiber, diese weissen Hunde, wie er
sie nannte, mit Unterstfitzungen und Gefalligkeiten bis
zu seiner Wiederkehr hinzuhalten" (II, 161). Toni was
especially wellsuited for this deceitful task, not only
because of her youthful figure and appearance, but above
all because of the light color of her skin. In the
event of the arrival of a fugitive, she was instructed
to adorn herself in her most attractive clothing, and
she was encouraged, ". . . den Fremden keine Liebkosung
zu versagen, bis auf die letzte, die ihr bei Todesstrafe
verboten war" (II, 161). The unsuspecting stranger was
doomed to die, however, upon the return of Congo Hoango.
This practiced ritual is repeated on the night
that Gustav von der Ried arrives. Fleeing through the
mountains to Port au Prince, the last white stronghold
on the island, in the company of his uncle and aunt as
well as their children and domestic servants, Gustav had
set out alone in an attempt to procure vital food supplies.
Upon hearing that he had arrived at an estate which was
now possession of the infamous Congo Hoango, Gustav is
about to flee when Toni, holding a lantern in a position
which best revealed the lightness Of her skin, appears.
He is taken aback momentarily: "Wer bist du? rief der
Fremde straubend, indem er, um mehr als einer Ursache

willen betroffen, ihre junge, liebliche Gestalt

 

 

76

betrachtete" (II, 163). Although he does not become aware
of the reason for his inexplicable attraction to Toni
until somewhat later, Gustav gives in to her assurances

of his safety and agrees to enter the house.

While Toni is in the kitchen preparing a meal for
him, her mother, Babekan, attempts to bolster his false sense
of security by engaging him in conversation and feigning
sympathy for the plight Of the white inhabitants Of the
island: "'Ja, diese rasende Erbitterung,‘ heuchelte die
Alte. 'Ist es nicht, als Ob die Hande eines KOrpers, Oder
die Zahne eine§_Mundes gegen einander wfiten wollten, weil
das eing Glied nicht geschaffen ist, wie das andere?'"
(II, 165). In addition, she attempts to divert him from
his preoccupation with the fear for his safety and to
awaken in him a feeling of affinity with herself and her
daughter by revealing that they too, because they each
had one white parent, are potential victims of the ruthless
revenge of the rampaging blacks: "'Was kann ich, deren
Vater aus St. Jago, von der Insel Cuba war, ffir den
Schimmer von Licht, der auf meinem Antlitz, wenn es Tag
wird, erdémmert? Und was kann meine Tochter, die in
Europa empfangen und geboren ist, dass der volle Tag jenes
Weltteils von dem ihrigen widerscheint?'" (II, 165).
Having evoked a sympathetic response from him, Babekan
feels confident of the success of her deceitful scheme,
and she is certain that he can soon be persuaded tO

entrust her with the safety Of his retinue.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

77

When Toni returns, she too joins the conversation,
and it is in her response to an episode related by Gustav
that we can detect the first signs Of a developing inner
conflict. Responding to Toni's question concerning the
reason for the blacks' hatred for the whites, Gustav
states that, whereas he can well understand the blacks'
desire to free themselves from the tyranny Of their white
overlords, he cannot condone the ruthless, indiscriminate
nature of their tactics. As an example he cites the case
Of the young Negro girl who had fallen victim tO the
yellow fever epidemic which had broken out shortly after
the start of the revolution. When her former master, who
had once punished her brutally after she had rejected his
advances, was forced to seek refuge from the wrath of the
Negroes, she sent her brother to him and invited him to
spend the night with her. Unaware that she was afflicted
with a fatal disease, he was filled with gratitude and
regarded her as his savior. Hardly had he spent a few
intimate moments with her, however, when she arose suddenly
and burst out: ". . . eine Pestkranke, die den Tod in der
Brust tragt, hast du gekfisst: geh und gib das gelbe Fieber
allen denen, die dir gleichen!" (II, 170). At this
significant moment, Gustav turns to Toni and asks her

directly, whether she would be capable of such a deed

(II, 170).

 

 

78

It is after she was confronted directly and
personally with this question that Toni, who had previously
been an accomplice to equally deceitful intrigues and is
well aware Of the fate awaiting Gustav and his associates
upon the return of Congo Hoango, begins to gain insight into
and to question the motives underlying her actions. Kleist
presents her response in but one short, nevertheless
pregnant sentence: "Nein! sagte Toni, indem sie verwirrt
vor sich niedersah" (II, 170). Relating this event to
the thematic structure Of Kleist's works, Toni has reached
the stage where she has become aware for the first time Of
the lack of unity between her conscious and her unconscious
behavior. Kleist brings her from this point Of momentary
confusion and internal disarray to the point at which she
comes to the recognition of the need for a shift Of
emphasis in her mode of thinking and the need for a
reorientation Of her scale Of values. The Opportunity
is provided by a second episode related by Gustav.

Alone with her in his room, Gustav suddenly becomes
aware of her striking resemblance to his former fiancée,
Mariane Congreve. Relating the circumstances surrounding
her death, Gustav explains that she died as a result of
his having had the impertinence tO publicly declare his
reservations concerning the activities of the newly
established Franch revolutionary tribunal. When the

Officers of the court came to arrest him, he was not to

 

79

be found, and they took Mariane in his stead. Informed
of her arrest, he rushed to the execution place and
identified himself as the one who should be executed.

She however, when questioned, denied any knowledge of

him and was beheaded in his stead. Again in this
instance, Toni's response is recorded without elaboration:
"Bei diesen Worten trat der Fremde, indem er das Madchen
losliess, an das Fenster; und da diese sah, dass er sein
Gesicht sehr gerfihrt in ein Tuch drfickte: so fibernahm

sie, von manchen Seiten geweckt, ein menschliches Geffihl;
sie folgte ihm mit einer plOtzlichen Bewegung, fiel ihm
um den Hals, und mischte ihre Tranen mit den seinigen"
(II, 174—175). It is this "menschliches Geffihl," indicative
of the change which has taken place within her, which
determines, as we shall see in our subsequent discussion
of this work, her future course of action.

4. Das Kathchen von Heilbronn: Graf
Wetter vom Strahl

 

It has been shown that, in the works which have
been discussed thus far in this section, the anticipatory
experience of death is a decisive, instrumental factor in
bringing about a change Of direction in the mode of
thinking and, consequently, a reorientation Of the scale
of values Of an individual. It represents, so to speak,
the moment of the first, albeit incomplete, recognition—-the

point at which the individual begins to become aware of his

 

8O

inner dichotomy and of the invalidity of his mode of

thinking. In the drama Das Kathchen von Heilbronn, Graf

 

Wetter vom Strahl's experience Of death occurs in connection
with a supernatural dream experience, and it does not appear
to be as intricately related to or responsible for the
process Of recognition and change to which he, in the
course of his develOpment, must submit.

Although the actual experience itself took place
at a time prior to the events portrayed in the drama,
it is not related until the ninth scene of the second
act. Nevertheless, the revelation Of this experience
occurs at a crucial juncture in the develOpment Of the
plot for it not only elucidates, to a certain extent,
the events of the preceding scenes, but it also provides
the impetus for the ensuing dramatic action.

There are, as Hermann Weigand has observed,
essentially two basic determinative factors underlying
the dynamic forward progression Of the dramatic action
in the drama. In the first place, there is the medieval
notion of the permanent, distinctive division of the
various social classes. These divisions were adhered to
by all with respect, and they were considered to be
divinely instituted and approved. The second factor is
related to the above, and it concerns the Graf's dream
experience in which it was revealed to him that he was

destined to marry the daughter of the Kaiser.48

 

81

The Graf's monologue in the first scene Of the
second act is similar in function to the Prince's monologue

at the end of the first act Of Prinz Friedrich von Homburg

 

in that it reveals his innermost thoughts and wishes.
Whereas Homburg's actions were motivated by his hopes

tO attain personal fame and glory on the battlefield,

the Graf's perspective has been distorted by his adherence
to and unquestioning acceptance of the traditional,
arbitrary categories of social distinction propagated

by contemporary society. As a consequence, his monologue
reveals that he is torn between what appear to be two
diametrically Opposed forces. He has, on the one hand,
fallen deeply in love with Kathchen. Prohibiting the
develOpment and the expression of this love at the time,
however, are the Graf's awareness of and also his acceptance
Of his Obligation and responsibility tO submit tO and
support the currently prescribed social distinctions.
Addressing himself to his remote ancestors, he declares:
"Warum verlasst ihr eure goldnen Rahmen, ihr Bilder
meiner geharnischten Vater, die meinen Rfistsaal bevOlkern,
und tretet, in unruhiger Versammlung, hier um mich herum,
eure ehrwfirdigen Locken schfittelnd? Nein, nein, nein!

Zum Weibe, wenn ich sie gleich liebe, begehr ich sie
nicht; eurem stolzen Reigen will ich mich anschliessen:
das war beschlossene Sache, noch ehe ihr kamt" (I, 454).

The thoughts expressed in this monologue indicate that

 

82

the Graf has attempted to reconcile these Opposing forces
by drawing a distinction between love and marriage. He
regards marriage strictly as an institution, as a means
to fulfill his social Obligations and responsibilities.
The Graf's unquestioning allegiance to this
arbitrary, artificial code of behavior assumes an added
significance and his attempts to conceal, even suppress,
his feelings for her seem somewhat more plausible when
the content Of his dream experience is revealed. For
this present discussion it is especially noteworthy that
the dream experience and the revelation Of the angel
occurred at a time when the Graf was in the very presence
Of death. Following a period Of severe depression, the
cause of which he revealed to no one, he became ill
suddenly, and all efforts to cure him appeared to be
futile. In a state Of delirium, which was the result
Of a persistent fever, he revealed, however, both the
cause Of his depression and also his will to die: ". . . er
scheide gern, sprach er, von hinnen; das Madchen, das fahig
ware, ihn zu lieben, sei nicht vorhanden; Leben aber ohne
Liebe sei Tod; die Welt nannt er ein Grab, und das Grab
eine Wiege, und meinte, er wfirde nun erst geboren werden"
(I, 469). After he had lain in this state for three days,
the angel appeared to him and revealed to him that on the

eve of the new year he would be led to the maiden who

would bring him happiness.

 

 

83

When the angel reappeared at the appointed time
and led him in spirit to Kathchen, it appeared to all
bystanders that he had died: "Eine Feder ward ihm vorgehalten,
seinen Atem zu prfifen: sie rfihrte sich nicht. Der Arzt
meinte in der Tat, sein Geist habe ihn verlassen; rief ihn
angstlich seinen Namen ins Ohr; reizt' ihn, um ihn zu
erwecken, mit Gerfichen; reizt' ihn mit Stiften und Nadeln;
riss ihm ein Haar aus, dass sich das Blut zeigte; vergebens:
er bewegte kein Glied und lag, wie tot" (I, 470). Immediately
upon regaining full consciousness, he, having been given a
new, meaningful purpose in life, stated his desire to
continue living: "'Geh, Mutter geh, und lass in allen
Kirchen ffir mich beten: denn nun wfinsch ich zu leben'"
(I, 471). The one aspect Of the entire experience which
had made the greatest impact upon him, however, was the
angel's revelation that his bride-to—be was the daughter
Of a Kaiser. Blinded by his preconceived notions Of
nobility and social standings, he failed to heed the angels
initial admonishment, which was simply: "Vertraue, vertraue,
vertraue!" (I, 470). Thus, even though he had been brought
into Kathchen's presence and had gazed into her eyes, he
failed to recognize her on the day that he entered her
father's place of business, for he was as yet unable tO
separate her from her current social standing.

The incorporation of the supernatural dream

experience into this work distinguishes the Graf's

 

84

"anticipatory experience Of death" from that experienced by
the other individuals discussed. The fact that he, at
the time of his visit to Kathchen, failed to exhibit any
signs whatsoever of life must be seen as the result Of
his spirit having been disassociated temporarily from his
body by transcendental means. What is of significance
for our investigation is that the intrusion Of the
transcendental forces into his life occurred at a time
when the Graf had despaired completely Of life and was,
because Of his failure to respond to any medical treatment,
on the threshold Of death. Furthermore, the dream
experience and the revelation of the angel took place
when he was in a state of delirium and was not fully
conscious. In this respect, the Graf's experience in

the face of death is similar to Littegarde's. Speaking
in terms Of the thematic structure, this experience
represents the first step toward his rehabilitation,

his total enlightment, at the end. It was only after

he had suffered for an extended period Of time and had

in turn caused Kathchen to suffer by repeatedly rejecting
her unkindly that he was enabled to gain insight into

the meaning of the dream.

C. The Sacrificial Death

 

Kleist employs the sacrificial death to perform

a function which is vital to the thematic structure and

 

85

the projection Of his artistic intent in his works. It
will be recalled that, as a result of the insights gained
during the time Of the Kant crisis, Kleist came to a new
understanding of the meaning and purpose Of life. An
integral component of this understanding was the conviction
that being ever prepared to sacrifice one's life for a
noble, meaningful cause is an ingredient which is essential
for a meaningful, purposeful existence. It is this notion
which is the basis for the potential or actual acts Of
sacrifice of the individuals to be discussed.

It is essential that we be aware that these
individuals are also, like the individuals discussed
in the first section Of this chapter, real or potential
victims of circumstances in the infirm world. What
distinguishes these individuals, however, is that they
knowingly and willfully risk their lives because they
are aware Of or have just become aware of values which
are so essential to human existence that they must be

preserved and upheld at all costs.

1. The Potential Death of Sacrifice

 

a. Das Kathchen von Heilbronn: Kathchen.--Of all

 

the characters Kleist created in his works, the character
Of the young maiden, Kathchen von Heilbronn, corresponds
most closely to his conception of man's potential. Her

father, Theobald, characterizes her before the vehmic court

 

 

86

as one who is "gesund an Leib und Seele, wie die ersten
Menschen, die geboren worden sein mOgen; ein Kind recht
nach der Lust Gottes . . ." (I, 432—433). Like the
marionette in the essay "Uber das Marionettentheater,"
she is manipulated by a force outside of herself, and,
consequently, all her actions are free from the possible
interference Of any personal, egocentric motives or
inhibitions. She exists in a state of complete harmony
with herself, with nature, and with GOd—-her relationship
with the transcendental realm has not been distorted or
disrupted by the intervention Of conventional modes Of
thinking or by arbitrary, traditional categories Of belief
and behavior. Thus, when she first saw the Graf, she
recognizes him immediately as the one whom the angel

had brought to her in her dream. Placing her complete,
unquestioning trust in the message of the angel, she
dedicated herself completely to him as a gesture of her
love. In contrast to the Graf's love for her, Kathchen's
love was unrestricted, unconditional, and absolute. It
was a form Of divine love, one which emanated out Of her
inner being and concentrated directly and completely upon
the Object, the person. A love of this nature is
incomprehensible to the mortal man who has embraced

a conventional mode of thinking and has accepted tradi—
tional categories Of belief and behavior. Furthermore,

it was the intrusion of this divine, absolute love into

 

87

the lives Of Theobald and Graf Wetter vom Strahl which
set the dramatic forces into motion.

What is of particular interest for this investigation
is the manner in which this love manifested itself in
potential acts of selfless sacrifice on Kathchen's part
and how her willingness to sacrifice herself was instru—
mental in effecting a change in the Graf's mode of thinking.
Extending the analogy to the figure Of the marionette,
Kathchen undertakes these selfless sacrificial acts
because she is responsive only to the dictates of her
soul, her inner driving force. The driving force within
her is, as her actions demonstrate clearly, the virtue
which Kleist designates in his letters as the most womanly
of all virtues: "Sorge ffir das Wohl anderer" (II, 572).
Thus, when she happened to be in the cell of Prior Hatto
at the time that he by accident received the letter which
revealed the plan Of Graf vom Stein to attack the castle
Of Thurneck, she, reacting instinctively, i.e., responding
to the impulses of her inner driving force, and taking no
consideration for her own safety, snatched the letter from
his hands and fled with it in order to warn the Graf of
the impending danger. It must be remembered that this
action was undertaken after the Graf had forbidden her
to come into his presence again. In addition, she was

well aware Of his betrothal to Kunigunde and of their

 

88

imminent marriage. Nevertheless, her only concern is for
their welfare. Handing the letter to Gottschalk, she
states:
Der Brief hier ist vom Graf vom Stein, verstehst du?
Ein Anschlag, der noch heut vollffihrt soll werden,
Auf Thurneck, diese Burg, darin enthalten,
Und auf das schone Fraulein Kunigunde,
Des Grafen, meines hohen Herren, Braut (I, 487).

This scene represents a crucial juncture not only
in the development of the plot, but also in the thematic
structure of the work for it is as a result of this selfless
gesture on the part Of Kathchen that he began to become
aware of her innate value and worth as a human being and
also of the less than humane manner in which he had
treated her. The uneXpected arrival of Kathchen marks
the point at which a change in his attitude toward her
is initiated. Initially, he becomes the temporary victim
of his own ruthless rage and uncontrollable passions and
sinks tO the lowest point of moral degradation. This can
be observed in both his words and also his actions after
her arrival. Also of importance in this connection are
the stage directions, which give an indication of his
state of mind and of the forces Operative within him.
Immediately upon her entry into the room, not even knowing
the purpose Of her visit, he orders Gottschalk: "Schmeiss
sie hinaus. Ich will nichts von ihr wissen" (I, 485).

When she does not leave immediately, he repeats the order,

but, as the punctuation indicates, more emphatically:

 

89

"Schmeiss sie hinaus! Ich will nichts von ihr wissen!"
(I, 485). Kathchen, attempting to draw his attention to
the letter, is interrupted rudely: "Ich will ihn nicht!—-
Was ist dies ffir ein Brief?/ WO kommt er her? Und was
enthalt er mir?" (I, 486). Her attempts to explain are
again cut short. Suddenly he, completely beside himself
with rage, no longer in full control Of himself, bursts
out, as the stage directions indicate, wildly:

Die Dirne, die landstreichend unverschamte!

Ich will nichts von ihr wissen! Hinweg, sag ich!

Zuruck nach Heilbronn, wo du hingehOrst! (I, 486)
When she attempts once again to make him aware Of the vital
importance Of the letter, he can control himself no longer
and reaches for the whip on the wall:

Die Peitsche her! An welchem Nagel hangt sie?

Ich will doch sehn, Ob ich, vor losen Madchen,

In meinem Haus nicht Ruh mir kann verschaffen

(I, 486).

Aware Of the Graf's state of mind, Kathchen retains her
composure throughout and entrusts Gottschalk with the
letter. After the Graf has himself read the letter,
however, we can Observe a change taking place within
him. He suddenly begins to display a measure of concern
for her welfare:

Dein Antlitz speit ja F1ammen!--

Du nimmst dir gleich ein Tuch um, Katharina,

Und trinkst nicht ehr, bis du dich abgekfihlt (I, 489).

As he is about to place his own scarf around her, he

becomes aware of the whip and asks: "Was macht die

 

9O

Peitsche hier?" (I, 490). Reminded that he had himself

taken the whip down, he replies, "ergrimmt": "Hab ich hier
Hunde, die zu schmeissen sind?" (I, 490). This statement

is, above all else, a personal commentary on and a sincere
expression of remorse for the brutal, inhumane fashion in
which he had treated Kathchen, who had placed herself in
jeopardy for his sake.

It was yet another potential act of sacrifice by

Kathchen on that very same night which was an instrumental

 

factor in bringing about the total enlightment and awareness
Of the Graf. He was, in the first place, made aware Of the
deceitfulness and the avariciousness Of Kunigunde, and,
second, he was given deeper insight into and simultaneously
gained a deeper respect for the person and nature Of
Kathchen. In the twelfth scene of the third act, Kunigunde
has just been rescued from the burning castle. Her only
concern at the moment, however, is that she left behind

a portrait Of the Graf and, unbeknownst to him at the

time, a case containing the Official documents which
granted certain areas Of the Graf's possessions to her.
Despite the Graf's protestations, she insists that these
items be retrieved and unhesitatingly sends Kathchen into
the raging fire. It is at this point that the drastic
contrast between the figures of Kathchen and Kunigunde
becomes especially evident, not only for the viewer or

reader of the drama, but also for the Graf. Whereas

 

91

Kathchen acted without taking her own safety into con—
sideration and solely out of her concern for others,
Kuniginde was willing to endanger the life of another
in order to further her personal interests and ambitions.
Completely unsympathetic with the Graf's expressions of
concern for Kathchens safety, she exclaims:

Bei Gott, und wenns des Kaisers Tochter ware!--

Was furchtet Ihr? Das Haus, wenn es gleich brennt,

Steht, wie ein Fels, auf dem Gebalke noch;

Die Treppe war noch unberuhrt vom Strahl;

Rauch ist das einzge Ubel, das sie findet (I, 494).

This contrast and the Graf's growing awareness of

it is brought out even more distinctly after Kathchen is
led safely from the collapsing building by the angel.
Believing her to be dead, the Graf is stricken with grief
and reveals in his words that he has come to a complete
recognition of the nobility Of her deeds and Of her value
and worth as an individual: "Trostlos mirl/ Die Erd hat
nichts mehr SchOnes. Lasst mich sein" (I, 497). It is
when he learns that Kathchen has escaped unharmed from
the fire that the Graf arrives at another crucial juncture
in his development. Although he had not seen the angel
standing behind her when she escaped from the castle, he
approaches her, observes her, and states: "Nun fiber dich
schwebt Gott mit seinen Scharen!" (I, 498). This recognition
is crucial for it indicates that the Graf has recognized

for the first time that he has been judging her by standards

which do not apply to her. His perception has been blurred

 

 

92

by his adherence to the precepts, the arbitrary categories
of behavior and belief propagated by contemporary society.
It is for this reason that he determines, in the second
scene of the fourth act, to interview her in her sleep,
knowing that it is only in this subconscious state that
she can reveal the source of the forces Operative within
her: "Ich kann_diesem Jammer nicht mehr zusehen. Dies
Madchen, bestimmt, den herrlichsten Bfirger von Schwaben
zu beglficken, wissen will ich, warum ich verdammt bin,

sie einer Metze gleich, mit mir herum zu ffihren; wissen
warum sie hinter mir herschreitet, einem Hunde gleich,
durch Feuer und Wasser, mir Elenden, der nichts ffir sich
hat, als das Wappen auf seinem Schild.-—Es ist mehr, als
der blosse sympathetische Zug des Herzens; es ist irgend
von der HOlle angefacht, ein Wahn, der in ihrem Busen

sein Spiel treibt" (I, 503-504).

As the ensuing events reveal, it was after this
hearing, during which Kathchen recounted in detail the
events of their simultaneous dream experiences, that the
Graf abandoned completely his conventional mode of thinking.
NO longer hampered by his earlier considerations for rank
and social standing, he set out to determine the rational
basis for the dream experience. When it was determined,
as a result Of the investigation conducted by the Graf,

that Kathchen was indeed the daughter of the Kaiser, a

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

93

general reconciliation of all the Opposing parties, with

the exception of Kunigunde, was effected at the end.

b. Der Zweikampf: Friedrich von Trota.——In the
Novelle Der Zweikampf, once again, the death Of an indi—
vidual who has willfully endangered his own life as a
selfless expressiOn Of concern for the welfare Of a
fellow human being is averted as a result of an act of
divine or supernatural intervention. In addition, the
ultimate result Of this potential act of sacrifice is
a change in the structure Of contemporary society.

In the previous discussion of this work, the act
itself, the ill-fated trial by combat, and the circumstances
leading up to it were discussed. It was also shown that
Friedrich von Trota agreed to assist Littegarde in her
attempt to prove her innocence Of the allegations made
against her by Jakob der Rotbart, inspite Of the overwhelming
evidence against her. In this section we shall concentrate
more specifically upon the reason, the basis, for Friedrich's
unhesitating affirmative response to Littegarde's request
for his assistance. In essence, the Friedrich—Littegarde
episode in this Novelle develops as a consequence Of an
act of mutual trust. Littegarde, although fully cognizant
of her own innocence, is unable to provide any concrete
evidence which can contradict the devastating testimony

Of Rotbart. Her only immediate recourse is a personal

 

94

appeal to the trust and confidence Of the individuals who
are closest to her. After the funeral of her father, she
appeals directly to her brother Rudolf, but, when he

demands that she produce a witness to her innocence, she

can only reply: "dass sie sich leider auf nichts, als

die Unstraflichkeit ihres Lebenswandels berufen kOnne,

indem ihre ZOfe gerade wegen eines Besuchs, den sie in

der bewussten Nacht bei ihren Eltern abgestattet, abwesend
gewesen sei" (II, 237). Hereupon she is beaten unmercifully
and driven from the castle by Rudolf.

It is after her recovery from her wounds that she
turns to Friedrich, knowing him tO be a person worthy Of
her complete trust. Her trust is not misplaced. Friedrich's
response is immediate and decisive: "'verliert kein Wort
zur Verteidigung und Rechtfertigung Eurer Unschuld! In
meiner Brust spricht eine Stimme ffir Euch, weit lebhafter
und fiberzeugender, als alle Versicherungen, ja selbst als
alle Rechtsgrfinde und Beweise, die Ihr vielleicht aus der
Verbindung der Umsténde und Begebenheiten vor dem Gericht
zu Basel ffir Euch aufzubringen vermOgt'" (II, 240).

It is Friedrich's respect and concern for the
dignity and worth of Littegarde as well as his complete,
unquestioning trust in her goodness, her innocence and
reliability which prompt him to challenge Rotbart to the
trial by combat. His trust in her is so complete, so

deeply engrained, that he feels that God alone should be

 

95

her judge.49 Furthermore, it is this trust, in conjunction

I with his unexpected recovery from his apparently mortal
wounds "durch eine besondere Ffigung des Himmels" (II, 248),
which enable him to perceive that the outcome of his
struggle with Rotbart was, at the most, ambiguous and
that the format of the trial by combat, with all its
restrictions, was a humanly contrived institution: "Was
kfimmern mich diese willkfirlichen Gesetze der Menschen?
Kann ein Kampf, der nicht bis an den Tod eines der beiden
Kampfer fortgeffihrt worden ist, nach jeder vernfinftigen
Schatzung der Verhaltnisse ffir abgeschlossen gehalten
werden? und dfirfte ich nicht, falls mir ihn wieder aufzunehmen
gestattet ware, hoffen, den Unfall, der mich betroffen,
wieder herzustellen, und mir mit dem Schwert einen ganz
andern Spruch Gottes zu erkampfen, als den, der jetzt
beschrankter und kurzsichtiger Weise daffir angenommen
wird?" (II, 249). His sole concern is that, whereas he
had undertaken his actions in the false belief that her
innocence would become manifest, he had not only made it
appear to the world that she was in fact guilty, but he
had also, because Of an accidental stumble, caused her to
be sentenced to death.

As we have seen, this confidence and trust is
interrupted momentarily when Littegarde professes her
acceptance of the verdict of the "Gottesurteil." At this

crucial point, Kleist has Friedrich lapse into unconsciousness.

 

96

Here, as in other works, the individual is enabled to
withdraw momentarily from the conflicts and the apparent
contradictions and ambiguities existent in the realm Of
his conscious eXperience, only to return to face reality
with renewed vigor and a renewed sense of confidence and
determination.50 Thus, after hearing Littegarde's
affirmation Of her innocence, he reaffirms his complete
trust in her and expresses the confidence that her honor
will be upheld: "'O Littegarde,‘ beschloss er, indem er
ihre Hand zwischen die seinigen drfickte: 'im Leben lass
uns auf den Tod, und im Tode auf die Ewigkeit hinaus sehen,
und des festen, unerschfitterlichen Glaubens sein: deine
Unschuld wird, und wird durch den Zweikampf, den ich ffir
dich gefochten, zum heitern, hellen Licht der Sonne gebracht
werdenl'" (II, 254). Since it appears at the time inevitable
that he and Littegarde will be executed in accordance with
contemporary laws, Friedrich expects that Littegarde's
exoneration will occur in eternity. It is realized,
however, in this life when it is revealed that she was
indeed innocent of the allegations made against her by
Jakob der Rotbart. Not only are they rescued from a death
at the stake, but the Kaiser, upon his return to Worms,
"liess . . . in die Statuten des geheiligten gOttlichen
Zweikampfs, fiberall wo vorausgesetzt wird, dass die Schuld
dadurch unmittelbar ans Tageslicht komme, die Worte

einrficken: 'wenn es Gottes Wille ist'" (II, 261).

 

 

97

2. Actual Sacrificial Deaths

 

a. Die Familie Schroffenstein: Jeronimus, Ottokar.——

 

In the second scene of the third act of Die Familie

 

Schroffenstein, Jeronimus is slain by Rupert's subjects

 

as an act Of retaliation for the death Of AldObern and
the rumored death of Johann, Rupert's illegitimate sca
Since Rupert stood by passively while he was being
slaughtered by the angry mob which had been enflamed
by Santing at Rupert's behest, it is evident that
Jeronimus died, the innocent victim of an evil mind
hopelessly bent on blind revenge and destruction.

There are, however, other dimensions of Jeronimus'
death which are perhaps of an even greater significance
for both the external structure and also the internal
thematic structure of the work. His death is essentially
a sacrificial death. Evidence is provided in the final
scene of the first act. Arriving in Warwand on his way
from Rossitz, where he had been a witness to the ceremony
Of revenge and had been told Of the incriminating evidence
against Sylvester, he overhears Sylvester's stated intent
to travel to Rossitz.51 In response he queries: "Lieferst
du/ Wie ein bekehrter Sfinder selbst dich aus?“ (I, 74).
Seizing upon Sylvester's lack Of response, he continues

in "righteous indignation":

 

98

E1 nun, ein schlechtes Leben

Ist kaum der Mfihe wert, es zu verlangern.

Drum geh nur hin, und leg dein sfindig Haupt

In christlicher Ergebung auf den Block (I, 74).
Sylvester appeals to Jeronimus' knowledge of and respect
for him as a person. He, however, remains firmly convinced
of the truth Of his allegations and his slanderous response
is filled with contempt for the person and charaCter
Sylvester. In the dramatically decisive concluding liq s,
he states:

--Doch nicht so vielen Atem bist du wert,

Als nur dies einzge Wort mir kostet: Schurke!

Ich will dich meiden, das ist wohl das Beste.

Denn hier in deiner Nahe stinkt es, wie

Bei MOrdern (I, 74).

As was the case in Der Zweikampf, it is at this critical

 

juncture that Kleist has Sylvester collapse, unconscious.
As we have seen, it is after his return to
consciousness that Sylvester learns Of the death Of
AldObern and begins to realize that a direct confrontation
with Rupert's forces can no longer be avoided. Thus he
orders Theistiner to summon his vassals, and he prepares
to organize a force to counter the impending attack of
Rupert. Especially noteworthy in this connection is that
his actions are completely devoid of the hostility, the
thirst for revenge which were so prominent in the Opening
scene of this drama. His actions are rather motivated
by an awareness of the human, existential values which

are being endangered:

 

99

In seiner HOhle suchen wir den Wolf,

Es kann nicht fehlen, glaube mirs, es geht

Fur alles ja, was heilig ist und hehr,

Fur Tugend, Ehre, Weib und Kind und Leben (I, 84).
Jeronimus, who has remained silent throughout this scene,
has become aware Of the injustice Of his accusations
against Sylvester. When he is advised to return to
Rossitz for his own safety, he states:

——Hast recht, hast recht--bins nicht viel besser were.

Als dass du mir die Tfire zeigst.--Bin ich

Ein Schuft in meinen Augen doch, um wie

Viel mehr in deinen (I, 85).

In addition, his respect for the person and character of
Sylvester and for the purity and the nobility Of his goals
has been restored. He himself wishes to be identified with
this cause.

This Opportunity is provided in the third scene
of the second act. After the rescue of Agnes from the mad
clutches of Johann, Sylvester is more convinced than ever
of the need for a rational, logical discussion of the
controversy: "Das beste war/ Noch immer, wenn ich Rupert
sprechen kOnnte" (I, 93). Jeronimus warns him, however,
Of the dangers involved:

--'s ist ein gewagter Schritt. Bei seiner Rede

Am Sarge Peters schien kein menschliches,

Kein gOttliches Gesetz ihm heilig, das

Dich schfitzt (I, 93).

After his arrival in Rossitz as Sylvester's messenger,

it appears initially that Jeronimus may have found the

Rossitzer in a conciliatory mood. While speaking with

 

100

Eustache, Rupert's wife, he becomes aware of her dis-
satisfaction with the longstanding state Of enmity existing
between the two branches Of the family and Of her desire
for a reconciliation. In the course of their conversation,
he informs her of the relationship between Ottokar and
Agnes. His next statements indicate that he has perceived
fully the urgency of the mission he has undertaken.
Responding to Eustache's query concerning the rumors Of
his personal feelings for Agnes, he states:

Ja, 's ist wahr. Doch untersucht

Es nicht, ob es viel Edelmut, Ob wenig

Beweise, dass ich deinem Sohn sie gOnne

--Denn kurz, das Madel liebt ihn (I, 111).
Encouraged by Eustache's pledge Of support, his enthusiasm
is heightened when it appears that Rupert is receptive to
Sylvester's proposal that they meet together in an attempt
to clarify reasonably the recent sequence of events.

Just moments prior to his departure, however,
Jeronimus begins to become aware of Rupert's evil design:
Told that Sylvester was unconscious at the time or the
death Of AldObern but is nevertheless willing to make
recompensation, Rupert states simply: "Hat nichts zu
sagen" (I, 115). He then adds indifferently: "Was ist
ein Herold?" (I, 115). Jeronimus, appalled by this blatant
disrespect for human life, declares: "Du bist entsetzlich”
(I, 115). TO this Rupert replies with a hint Of sug-

gestion: "Bist du denn ein Herold?--?" (I, 115).

Jeronimus appeals to his sense of decency and justice:

 

101

Dein Gast bin ich, ich wiederhols.--Und wenn

Der Herold dir nicht heilig ist, so wirds

Der Gast dir sein (I, 115).
This appeal is met by sarcasm and scorn: "Mir heilig? Ja.
Doch fall/ Ich leicht in Ohnmacht" (I, 115). A few moments
later, Jeronimus becomes the victim Of the merciless mob.

The impact made by his death on both Rupert and

Sylvester is of crucial significance for the further
development Of the plot. It is a particularly shattering
experience for Rupert when, shortly after the death of
Jeronimus, Santing announces, in the presence Of Eustache,
the completion of his assigned task. Although Rupert's
subsequent words and actions are clearly motivated by
the desire to attempt to conceal his own complicity, we
are given an indication that his own confidence in the
legitimacy Of his undertakings has been shaken. This is
especially evident in the first scene of the fourth act.
Speaking alone with Santing, he states:

Das ist eben der Fluch der Macht, dass sich

Dem Willen, dem leicht widerruflichen,

Ein Arm gleich beut, der fest unwiderruflich

Die Tat ankettet (I, 117).
Although the ensuing develOpments demonstrate sufficiently
that Rupert's remorse is by no means genuine, it is never—
theless significant that Rupert is troubled when confronted
with the actual consequences of his plotted course Of
action. This dissatisfaction and disgust with his own

actions come to a climax in the final act, after he learns

that, in his blind revenge, he has murdered his own chi l.

 

102

The news of Jeronimus' death has an equally signifi-
cant effect upon Sylvester and his followers. In the first
place, Sylvester recognizes that Jeronimus' willingness to
go to Rossitz in his stead was a selfless, sacrificial
gesture:

Ihn hab ich verkannt,
Jeronimus—-hab ihn der Mitschuld heute
Geziehen, der sich heut fur mich geopfert.
Denn wohl geahndet hat es ihm--mich hielt
Er ab, und ging doch selbst nach Rossitz, der
Nicht sichrer war, als ich (I, 125).
Furthermore, in the remembrance Of this sacrificial act,
he recognizes that he can no longer excercise restraint
but must counter the evil forces of Rupert with force. Thus,
the stage is set for the tragic events Of the final act.

The death Of Agnes and Ottokar at the beginning
of the fifth act represents, first Of all, the ultimate
tragic consequence of all the events which have taken
place up to this time. Treating each character separately,
it is essential to note that the death of Ottokar, is, in
every respect, a sacrificial death. He was fully aware
Of the identity of the two "mysterious knights" who were
hovering about the entrance to the cave, and he exchanged
clothing with Agnes in the hope that his father would
kill him in her stead and that she might make her way to
safety.

If we examine closely the development and deepening

Of the relationship between Ottokar and Agnes as it is

 

103

presented in various scenes up to the time Of their death,
it becomes apparent that this willful act Of sacrifice was
in many respects a spontaneous expression Of his complete
love for and total commitment to her. In the first scene
of the drama, Ottokar too takes part in the foreboding
ceremony Of revenge and swears: "Rachel scthr ich,
Rachel/ Dem MOrderhaus Sylvesters" (I, 52). Any possible
doubts concerning the sincerity Of his pledge or the
strength of his commitment are removed at the time Of
his conversation with Jeronimus. Responding tO the
latter's expressions of concern and attempting to justify
his father's extreme measures, Ottokar states:

Es gab uns Gott das seltne Glfick, dass wir

Der Feinde Schar leichtfasslich, unzweideutig,

Wie eine runde Zahl erkennen (I, 55).
In response to Jeronimus' expression of complete confidence
and trust in the innocence of Sylvester, he in turn reveals
the extent to which he is convinced of the validity and
necessity of his father's actions.

Already by the end of the first scene, however, the

first indications of a weakening Of this resolve and Of
his conviction of the validity of his planned actions are
given. Having learned that both he and Johann had become
captivated or infatuated by the natural beauty, charm and
innocence of the same anonymous young maiden, Ottokar proposes
that they honor her request and desist from attempting to

determine her identity and that they, for the time being,

 

104

rather concentrate upon taking revenge against the House
Of Warwand. Johann, however is completely distraught for
he has already learned the identity Of the young maiden.
Unable or unwilling to bring her name across his lips,

he merely informs Ottokar: "Du hasts geahndet" (I, 63).
Ottokar, fearful Of the truth, replies:

Was

Hab ich geahndet? Sagt ich denn ein Wort?

Kann ein Vermuten denn nicht trfigen? Mienen

Sind schlechte Ratsel, die auf vieles passen,

Und ubereilt hast du die Auflosung.

Nicht wahr, das Madchen, dessen Schleier hier,

Ist Agnes nicht, nicht Agnes Schroffenstein? (I, 63)
There are two important factors which come into consideration
at this point. In the first place, concerning the nature
of the relationship between Ottokar and Agnes, we note that
it has been shrouded under the veil Of mystery and
anonymity. He has elevated her, has idealized her and
has made her the Object of his adoration. In the second
place, Johann's confirmation Of his worst fears and
suspicions has suddenly placed her into the midst of
the conflicts and the controversies Of the real, mundane
world. This gives rise to a deep, inner conflict within
Ottokar. When Jeronimus, who has in the meantime, as we
have seen, become convinced of Sylvester's complicity in
the death Of Peter, arrives and Offers an apology for his
earlier accusations. Ottokar is completely distracted

and does not hear what is being spoken. Simultaneously

offended and perplexed by Ottokar's lack Of response,

 

105

Jeronimus renounces his claims to Agnes. At this point
Ottokar suddenly embraces him, forgives him, and,
bursting into tears, exclaims: "Lass mich, ich muss
hinaus ins Freie" (I, 64).

Torn between his commitment to take revenge against
Sylvester and his household and his love for Agnes, Ottokar
approaches her in the first scene Of the second act with
a twofold purpose. The most immediate concern is to
determine the necessity Of his fulfilling his commitment.
Thus he confronts Agnes directly and asks:

Nun sage mir, wie konntest du es wagen,

SO einsam dies Gebirg zu betreten,

Da doch ein machtger Nachbar all die Deinen

In blutger Rachefeld verfolgt? (I, 77).
She, as yet completely unaware Of Rupert's proclamation
Of revenge, responds:

In meines Vaters Salen liegt der Staub

Auf allen Rfistungen, und niemand ist

Uns feindlich, als der Marder hOchstens, der

In unsre Hfihnerstalle bricht (I, 77).
Placing his complete trust in the veracity of her statements,
Ottokar exclaims:

O Gottl Ich danke dir mein Leben nur

Um dieser Kunde!--Madchen! Madchenl O

Mein Gott, so brauch ich dich ja nicht zu morden!

(I, 77).

Having cleared away this Obstacle, Ottokar has come

to the recognition that their relationship can no longer

be continued on a purely platonic, idealistic basis; it

must rather become an effective, working force within

 

106

thier lives. Thus he proposes that they shed the veil of
secrecy and anonymity and become completely frank with

each other. He suggests that as a preliminary gesture

they reveal their respective names and place their complete
trust in each other. Their conversation is interrupted,
however, when Johann appears suddenly.

The next encounter between the two occurs in the
first scene of the third act. In the meantime, however,
two important developments have taken place. First Of
all, Agnes has learned of the course Of revenge undertaken
by the House of Rossitz, including Ottokar, against her
family. Second, she was just rescued in the preceding
scene from the mad clutches Of Johann. Thus, when Ottokar
arrives, she is startled and appears to be frightened.

Her responses to his statements and questions are brief
and abrupt. When Ottokar leaves to fetch her a drink Of
water, her deepest suspicions appear to be confirmed:

Nun ists gut.

Jetzt bin ich stark. Die Krone sank ins Meer,
Gleich einem nackten Ffirsten werf ich ihr
Das Leben nach. Er bringe Wasser, bringe

Mir Gift, gleichviel, ich trink es aus, er soll
Das Ungeheuerste an mir vollenden (I, 96—97).

It is only after she becomes aware that she has falsely
suspected Ottokar that Agnes is enabled to fulfill the
first requirement for a genuine love relationship and
give him her complete, unhesitating trust. As they

confide in each other and essentially reiterate the

 

 

107

rumors and suspicions which are predominate in each
household respectively, they begin to realize that their
personal feelings have been based upon these rumors and
suspicions and not upon facts. Ottokar charges Sylvester
with the death Of Peter. Agnes on the other hand accuses
Rupert of having delegated Johann to take her life. In
the final analysis, each one of them is convinced Of the
integrity of his respective father. A crucial juncture
is attained, however, in the following exchange Of
statements:
Ottokar. Hatte nur

Jeronimus in seiner Hitze nicht

Den Menschen mit dem Schwerte gleich verwundet

Es hatte sich vielleicht das Ratsel gleich

GelOst.

Agnes. Vielleicht--so gut, wie wenn dein Vater

Die Leute nicht erschlagen hatte, die

Er bei der Leiche deines Bruders fand (I, 101).
After a moment of reflection, Ottokar reminds her Of the
"confession" Of Peter's alleged Slayers. Agnes counters
by saying that her father too is now in a position to
receive an equally incriminating confession.

At this point Ottokar recognizes not only that he
has misjudged Sylvester, but also that a reconciliation
could be effected between their fathers if they too could
discuss their differences in a reasonable and frank manner:

—-0 Gott, welch eine Sonne geht mir auf!

Wenns mOglich ware, wenn die Vater sich

SO gern, so leicht, wie wir, verstehen wollten!
--Ja kOnnte man sie nur zusammenffihren!

Denn einzeln denkt nur jeder seinen einen

Gedanken, kam der andere hinzu,
Gleich gabs den dritten, der uns fehlt (I, 102).

 

108

Completely aware of the intensity Of Rupert's blind thirst
for revenge, Ottokar realizes, however, that he will not be
able to bring him into a conciliatory mood until the full
truth is brought to light:

Ich mildern? Meinen Vater? Gute Agnes,

Er tragt'uns, wie die See das Schiff, wir mfissen

Mit seiner Woge fort, sie ist nicht zu

Beschworen.--Nein, ich wusste wohl was Bessers.

Denn fruchtlos ist doch alles, kommt der Irrtum

Ans Licht nicht, der uns neckt (I, 103).
Recalling that the small finger on each Of Peter's hands
was missing and deeming this to be less than the mark of
a murderer, he is convinced that the actual circumstances
Of Peter's death can be determined only at the place
where it occurred.

In the third scene of the fourth act, he learns
that Peter had not in fact been murdered but had drowned.
Furthermore, the finger on the left hand had been cut Off
by the undertaker's widow and her daughter, Barnabe, and
the one on the right by the presumed murderers. Hopeful
both for his personal happiness and also for a reconciliation
between Rupert and Sylvester, he returns to Rossitz, only
to learn that Rupert is absent and has left orders that
he be imprisoned in the castle tower. When Eustache
reveals that Rupert, aware of the relationship between
him and Agnes, has gone Off with Santing into the mountains

in search of her, Ottokar realizes that he will not be able

to approach his father with facts and reason. Abandoning

 

 

 

109

all hopes for the actual consummation of his love for Agnes,
he has only one purpose left in life: to sacrifice himself
in order tO save her from the ruthless wrath Of his father.
As he is about to leap to freedom from the castle tower,

he exclaims: "Das Leben ist viel wert, wenn mans verachtet./
Ich brauchs" (I, 137). After receiving the mortal wound

from the sword of his unsuspecting father, he reiterates

his intent to Agnes in his dying gasps: "Es ist-—/

Gelungen. --Flieh!" (I, 145).

Before the discussion of the death Of Ottokar can
be concluded, it is essential to note the manner in which
Kleist has integrated this event into the broader themaic
structure of the work. On the one hand, it represents the
ultimate tragic consequence of the evil will Of Rupert.

On the other hand, it represents a crucial step in the
process Of his rehabilitation and enlightenment-—the
actual ultimate goal Of the dramatic process of this
drama. Even though he is not aware at the time that he
has killed his own son, Rupert's words and actions
immediately after the act itself indicate clearly that
he is no longer at one with himself. He can no longer
justify his actions and consequently seeks the approval
Of his accomplice, Santing. Standing before the body,
he asks: "Warum denn tat ichs, Santing? Kann ich es/

Doch gar nicht finden im Gedachtnis" (I, 144). Reminded

 

110

that it is Agnes, he states: "Die tat mir BOses, O/ Ich
weiss es wohl.--Was war es schon?" (I, 144). He leaves

the scene with the consolation that she is the daughter

of his mortal enemy, Sylvester. This scene is crucial

for it is only after he himself has questioned the validity
Of the basis for his actions that he is prepared to accept
the truth when it is revealed, thereby making possible

the reconciliation at the end.

b. Die Verlobung in St. Domingo: Toni.--In the

 

previous discussion of this work it was observed that it
was after she had heard the report of Mariane Congreve's
selfless act of sacrifice for Gustav that Toni, having
been made aware previously of the treachery implicit in
her own actions, was overcome by a "menschliches Geffihl"
(II, 175). Although Toni gives herself completely to
Gustav in love as an initial, almost instinctive response
to this change in her thinking, this "menschliches Geffihl"
becomes manifest on the following morning in a manner more
directly related to the current state of affairs. In
response to Babaekan's solicitation of her assistance

in the plot to detain Gustav in the house and his associates
in their hiding place in the mountains until the return Of
Congo Hoango, she wflflldlwn, “'dnun vs schandlich und
niederirachtig ware, d»; Hwfiltflflhl an Pnrsoncn, die man

in Got Bass gflluukt, alwu zn vurluizen. Sie meinte, oass

 

 

111

ein verfolgter, der sich ihrem Schutz anvertraut, doppelt
sicher bei ihnen sein sollte . . .'" (II, 176-177). In
addition, she no longer sees Gustav solely as a member

Of the white race but rather as an individual who is tO
be judged on the basis Of his own merit and worth: "'Was
hat uns dieser Jfingling, der von Geburt gar nicht einmal
ein Franzose, sondern, wie wir gesehen haben, ein Schweizer
ist, zu Leide getan, dass wir, nach Art der Rauber, fiber
ihn herfallen, ihn tOten und ausplfindern wollen? Gelten
die Beschwerden, die man hier gegen die Pflanzer ffihrt,
auch in der Gegend der Insel, aus welcher er herkOmmt?
Zeigt nicht vielmehr alles, dass er der edelste und
vortrefflichste Mensch ist, und gewiss das Unrecht, das
die Schwarzen seiner Gattung vorwerfen mOgen, auf keine
Weise teilt?'" (II, 177).

In her emphatic reply to Babekan's reminder that
she, in the recent past, had been a willful participant in
several similar intrigues, Toni demonstrates unequivocably
that she has broken completely with the past and has
determined to pursue a course Of action which conforms
to her inner feelings and convictions. Arising in anger,
she states: "'du hast sehr Unrecht, mich an diese
Greueltaten zu erinnernl Die Unmenschlichkeiten, an
denen ihr mich Teil zu nehmen zwingt, empOrten langst
mein innerstes Geffihl; und um mir Gottes Rache wegen

alles, was vorgefallen, zu versOhnen, so scthre ich dir,

 

 

 

112

dass ich eher zehnfachen Todes sterben, als zugeben werde,
dass diesem Jfingling, so lange er sich in unserm Hause
befindet, auch nur ein Haar gekrfimmt werde'" (II, 177).
Although Babekan agrees unexpectedly at this point to
allow Gustav to escape, Toni, after she has reflected

upon the intensity of her mother's hatred for the white
race, suspects treachery. Engineering a counter intrigue
of her own,52 she falls down suddenly at her mother's feet
and feigns remorse for the rash expressions Of sympathy
for the plight of Gustav and declares, "dass sie ihn ganz
und gar der Rache der bestehenden Landesgesetze, die

seine Vernichtung einmal beschlossen, preis gabe" (II,
178).

When Gustav appears, Toni remains in troubled
silence as Babekan, using her well-trained powers Of
deceit, informs him that the presence Of roving bands
Of Negro trOOps in the area will require that he remain
in concealment in his room and that his associates remain
in the mountains until a more favorable time. Assuring
him of her noble intent, she sends Nanky, Hoango's
illegitimate son, into the mountains to bring provisions
and the message of Gustav's safety to Herr StrOmli and
his retinue. At the first Opportunity, Toni slips from
the house, and, intercepting Nanky, informs him that
Babekan has changed her plans. Entrusting him with the

note in which Gustav had instructed Herr StrOmli to bring

 

 

 

113

his family to the house of Babekan, she further instructs
him to take care that the family will arrive before dawn.
TO be noted in this connection is that Toni's concern for
the welfare Of Gustav has taken on a personal dimension
and has hence assumed an even greater sense Of urgency
and necessity. Having placed her complete trust in the
sincerity Of his expressions Of love and his stated
intent to make her his bride, she ventures forth on

this course of action as an expression Of her love: "Denn
sie sah den Jfingling, vor Gott und ihrem Herzen, nicht
mehr als einen blossen Gast, dem sie Schutz und Obdach
gegeben, sondern als ihren Verlobten und Gemahl an, und
war willens, sobald nur seine Partei im Hause stark

genug sein wfirde, dies der Mutter, auf deren Bestfirzung
sie unter diesen Umstanden rechnete, ohne Rfickhalt zu
erklaren" (II, 181).

Although she has instituted these measures as a
means to facilitate the consummation of her relationship
to Gustav, she is nevertheless still troubled by the
deceitful manner in which she originally enticed Gustav
to entrust her with his safety. Determined to confide
in him completely, she hopes that he will be able to
forgive her on the basis Of the efforts she has made to
rescue him from a certain death. When she comes into
his room, however, she finds him in a deep sleep, and,

not wishing to disturb him, she decides to awaiten his

 

 

 

 

114

awakening. Precisely at this moment, however, Congo Hoango
arrives uneXpectedly. Fearful Of Gustav's response if he
should be awakened at this moment, she recognizes the need
for decisive action. Seizing the rope which by chance was
hanging on the wall, she binds his hands and feet and
fastens the rope to the bed. When Hoango, who had been
alerted by Babekan to the possibility of an intrigue,
arrives, she, feigning complete innocence, brings him to
the captive Gustav.

The postponement of Gustav's execution until the
following morning provides Toni with a final Opportunity
to attempt to effect his rescue. Slipping away from the
house in order to warn the approaching retinue Of Herr
StrOmli of the presence of Congo Hoango and also to devise
with their assistance a plot to free Gustav, she no longer
thinks in terms of the consummation Of her relationship
with him. Fully aware that he has comprehended neither
the necessity nor the intent of her actions and suspects
her of having betrayed him, she, who had regained the
confidence Of both Babekan and Congo Hoango, determines
to risk her own life in order to prove to him that she
is worthy Of his love: "Denn die Blicke voll Verachtung,
die der Fremde von seinem Bette aus auf sie geworfen hatte,
waren ihr empfindlich, wie Messerstiche, durchs Herz gegangen;

es mischte sich ein Geffihl heisser Bitterkeit in ihre Liebe zu

 

 

 

 

 

115

ihm, und sie frohlockte bei dem Gedanken, in dieser zu
seiner Rettung angeordneten Unternehmung zu sterben" (II,
187).

With Toni's assistance, the StrOmlis, although
greatly outnumbered, are enabled to take the slumbering
Negroes by surprise and to free Gustav from his captors.
Upon seeing Toni, however, he is filled with rage and,
seizing a pistol from the hands of his rescuers, wounds
her mortally. In her dying breath, Toni turns tO Gustav,
who has in the intervening moments been informed of her
heroic deeds and noble intentions, and exclaims: "'Ach . . .
du hattest mir nicht misstrauen sollen!‘" (II, 193). Herr
StrOmli and his associates, using Seppy and Nanky, whom
they had seized upon Toni's advice, as hostages, make
their way safely to Port au Prince. After his return
to Switzerland, Herr StrOmli has a monument erected on
his property in memory of Gustav and the selfless sacrifice

of Toni.

 

 

D. The Death of Atonement

 

In the first scene Of the third act Of Die Familie

 

Schroffenstein, Agnes, realizing that she has falsely

 

suspected Ottokar of having poisened the water which he
had given her to drink, exclaims:

0 war es Gift, und kOnnt ich mit dir sterben!
Denn ist es keins, mit dir zu leben darf

Ich dann nicht hoffen, da ich so unwfirdig

An deiner Seele mich vergangen habe (I, 98).

 

 

116

Although she does not, Of course, take her own life or
willfully submit to death at this point, the sentiments
expressed are nevertheless indicative of the meaning and
the function of the death of atonement in Kleist's works.
Kleist employs the death of atonement primarily as a

means to underscore the notion that the expression and
preservation of basic, inalienable human rights and values
is essential for human existence.

The death of atonement is, first Of all, a
voluntary, individual act. With the exception Of Prinz
Friedrich, the individuals to be discussed in this section
offer their own lives as an atonement for having willfully
violated the dignity and worth, the rights and values of
a fellow human being. Gustav, the Marchese, and Penthesilea
all take their own lives after they have caused the death
Of another individual. However, seen from a strictly
legalistic point Of View and taking into consideration
the circumstances surrounding the death of these indi—
viduals, there is, by all conventional standards, no
immediate need for them to make atonement. Operating
from within the thematic structure Of the individual works,
Kleist brings these characters to the point at which they
become aware that it was because of their willful disregard
for the rights and values Of their victims that they
caused their death. It is for this reason that they

must make atonement.

117

l. Prinz Friedrich von Homburg: Prinz Friedrich

 

In the final act Of Prinz Friedrich von Homburg,

 

the Prince appears before the Kurffirst and the Officers
of the army and, acknowledging the validity and the
justice of the sentence which had been proclaimed against
him, announces his intent and desire to make atonement
for his transgression against the law of the land:

Ich will das heilige Gesetz des Kriegs,

Das ich verletzt', im Angesicht des Heers,

Durch einen freien Tod verherrlichen! (I, 704).
In the previous discussion of this work, it was Observed
that, after he had seen his Open grave, Homburg, wishing
only to remain alive, renounced all his earlier ambitions
for personal fame and fortune. This was, however, only
the initial step toward his total rehabilitation and his
full awareness Of the broader implications Of his willful,
personally motivated violation of the Kurffirst's orders.

The decisive moment for the Prince arrives in the

fourth scene of the fourth act when Natalie delivers the
Kurffirst's letter. The letter does not, however, grant
pardon outrightly; the Kurffirst rather makes a direct
appeal for Homburg to determine his own fate:

'Mein Prinz von Homburg, als ich Euch gefangen setzte,

Um Eures Angriffs, allzufrfih vollbracht,

Da glaubt ich nichts, als meine Pflicht zu tun;

Auf Euren eignen Beifall rechnet ich.

Meint Ihr, ein Unrecht sei Euch widerfahren,

SO bitt ich, sagts mir mit zwei Worten-—
Und gleich den Degen schick ich Euch zurfick' (I, 687).

 

118

It is this personal appeal for him to make a rational
judgment concerning both his own actions and also the
validity of the laws under which he has been judged which
is directly responsible for the resultant change in the
Prince's mode Of thinking.

It is apparent from the outset that the Kurffirst's
appeal has made an immediate and decisive impact upon the
Prince. Seemingly oblivious to Natalie's exuberance and
expressions Of joy, he, lost in reflection, queries: "Er
sagt, wenn ich der Meinung ware--?" (I, 687). Resisting
her efforts to hasten him, he states: "——Ich will den
Brief noch einmal fiberlesen" (I, 687). At her urging,
however, he does seat himself and begins to write, only
to discard the letter shortly thereafter in disgust. His
response to Natalie's praise Of the discarded letter is
indicative of his growing awareness: "Pah!——Eines Schuftes
Fassung, keines Prinzen.——/ Ich denk mir eine andre Wendung
aus" (I, 688). These lines are at once an indictment Of
his earlier course of action and also a recognition of the
need for him to conduct himself in a manner consistent
with the dignity and responsibilities implicit in his
position as a prince. It is after he reads the letter
for a second time that he becomes fully aware of the
nature and intent Of the Kurffirst's appeal. Deeply
moved, he exclaims: "Mich selber ruft er zur Entscheidung

auf!" (I, 688).

119

After several moments of introspection and deliberate,
thoughtful reflection, the Prince is able tO decide upon a
proper course Of action. Warned by Natalie that failure to
comply with the Kurffirst's request will ensure his execution
on the following day, he replies, unconcerned: "Er handle,
wie er darf;/ Mir ziemts hier zu verfahren, wie ich soll!"
(I, 690). Awakened from his self—pity by the direct
appeal of the Kurffirst, he, having had the Opportunity
to reflect upon and to examine his own motives and actions,
has come to the recognition that there is only one possible
course of action for him to follow. Earlier, caring only
for the furtherance of his personal interests, he had set
an example of anarchy and capriciousness. His future
actions, however, must be dictated by an awareness Of
his responsibilities as a prince and as a commanding
Officer. In addition, he has gained insight into the
dignity and the nobility of the character Of the Kurffirst,
and thus he has no other alternative but to acknowledge
his guilt and to make atonement for it. After finishing
his letter to the Kurffirst, he confirms his position to
Natalie:

Ich will ihm, der so wfirdig vor mir steht,
Nicht, ein Unwurdger, gegenuberstehn!
Schuld ruht, bedeutende, mir auf der Brust,
Wie ich es wohl erkenne; kann er mir

Vergeben nur, wenn ich mit ihm drum streite,
SO mag ich nichts von seiner Gnade wissen (I, 690).

 

120

It is essential to note, however, that the Prince's

acceptance of the death sentence and his desire to atone
for his precipitous, personally motivated rush into battle,
represent more than an act of submission to or a recognition
Of the absolute pre-eminence of the law Of the land. As
he indicates in the presence of the Kurffirst and the
Officers of the army, he has come to a recognition of the
necessity of "das heilige Gesetz des Kriegs" under which
he has been judged. Earlier, when he was concerned only
with saving his own life, he had considered only the
negative aSpects and the personal implications Of the
law. He now recognizes that in his acts of willful
defiance he has endangered the existence Of the state
itself for these laws were established in order to ensure
the right Of the individual to enjoy his inalienable right
to freedom and fatherland:53

Was kann der Sieg euch, meine Brfider, gelten,

Der eine, dfirftige, den ich vielleicht

Dem Wrangel noch entreisse, dem Triumph

Verglichen, fiber den verderblichsten

Der Feind' in uns, den Trotz, den Ubermut,

Errungen glorreich morgen? Es erliege

Der Fremdling, der uns unterjochen will,

Und frei, auf mfitterlichem Grund, behaupte

Der Brandenburger sich; denn sein ist er,

Und seiner Fluren Pracht nur ihm erbaut! (I, 704).
Furthermore, fully aware that he had failed to fulfill his
responsibility both as a prince and also as a commanding

Officer of the army to preserve and protect these inalienable

rights, he is now prepared to give up his life as an atonement.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

121

At the same time, this demonstration Of the change in his
mode of thinking and the reorientation of his scale of
values makes it possible for the Kurffirst to grant him

pardon.

2. Das Bettelweib von Locarno: der Marchese

The individual components Of the thematic structure
Of Kleist's works are not as readily discernible nor are
they developed as extensively in this short short story
as they are in the other works which have been discussed
up to this point. Nevertheless, the extraordinary events
in the story as well as the Marchese's suicide at the end
must be considered from within the framework Of the thematic
structure and Kleist's poetic intent in his works.

It was noted in the discussion Of the death Of the
Old beggar woman that the Marchese became guilty of her
death because he, by capriciously ordering her to move to
the Opposite side of the room, failed to treat her with
the dignity and respect to which she as a human being was
entitled. In addition, because an offense of this nature
is not recognized by conventional or traditional codes Of
justice and, more significantly, because the Marchese him-
self does not reCOgnize either the nature or the serious—
ness Of the Offense which he had committed, it becomes
necessary that supernatural forces intervene.

The bulk of the story is in actuality a presentation

Of the relentless pursuit Of the Marchese by these

 

122

supernatural forces until he at the end is compelled to
make atonement. The first incident occurs several years
after the original tragedy. A Florentine knight who had
shown an interest in purchasing the property is accom-
modated for the night in the room.where the Old woman

had died. Shortly after midnight, however, he, deeply
disturbed, awakens the Marchese and his wife and relates
the following: ". . . dass es in dem Zimmer spuke, indem
etwas, das dem blick unsichtbar gewesen, mit einem
Gerausch, als Ob es auf Stroh gelegen, im Zimmerwinkel
aufgestanden, mit vernehmlichen Schritten, langsam und
gebrechlich, quer fiber das Zimmer gegangen, und hinter

dem Ofen, unter StOhnen und Achzen niedersunken sei" (II,
196). Not without significance is the Marchese's reaction
to this report: "Der Marchese erschrocken, er wusste
selbst nicht recht warum, lachte den Ritter mit erkfinstelter
Heiterkeit aus, und sagte, er wolle sogleich aufstehen und
die Nacht zu seiner Beruhigung mit ihn in dem Zimmer
zubringen" (II, 197).

The consequences Of this incident are most
unfortunate for the Marchese for not only are several
prospective buyers Of the castle frightened away, but
rumors begin to spread among his domestic servants.
Determined to put an end to these developments, he
spends the following night in the allegedly haunted

room. At the stroke of midnight, the entire inexplicable

 

123

occurrence is repeated. On the following evening he again
goes up to the room, accompanied this time by his wife and
one Of their faithful servants. Again at the stroke Of
midnight, the three hear the mysterious sounds but are
able tO see no one. On the third night, the Marchese

and his wife, determined to find out the source of these
mysterious, frightening occurrences, go up tO the room
again and, for no specific reason, take with them the
household dog, who by chance happened to be before the
door to the room. Their deepest fears are confirmed

by the reactions Of the dog at the arrival Of the midnight
hour: "Drauf, in dem Augenblick der Mitternacht, lasst
sich das entsetzliche Gerausch wieder hOren; jemand, den
kein Mensch mit Augen sehen kann, hebt sich, auf Krficken,
im Zimmerwinkel empor; man hOrt das Stroh, das unter ihm
rauscht; und mit dem ersten Schritt: tapp! tapp! erwacht
der Hund, hebt sich plOtzlich, die Ohren spitzend, vom Boden
empor, und knurrend und bellend, grad als Ob ein Mensch
auf ihn eingeschritten kame, rfickwarts gegen den Ofen
weicht er aus" (II, 198). At this moment, the Marquise,
filled with fear, flees from the castle, and the Marchese,
completely beside himself, thrashes about in the air with
his dagger. Moments later, he placates the supernatural
power which had been hounding him and takes his own life
as an atonement: "Der Marchese, von Entsetzen fiberreizt,

hatte eine Kerze genommen, und dasselbe [das Zimmer],

 

124

fiberall mit Holz getafelt wie es war, an allen vier Ecken,
mfide seines Lebens, angesteckt" (II, 198).

The final lines of the story reveal an additional
dimension of the Marchese's death of atonement: ". . . noch
jetzt liegen, von den Landleuten zusammengetragen, seine
weissen Gebeine in dem Winkel des Zimmers, von welchem er
das Bettelweib von Locarno hatte aufstehen heissen" (II,
198). Just as the monument, which Herr Stromli had erected
to the memory of Gustav and Toni, served as a reminder of
Toni's selfless act of sacrifice, so also the presence of
the Marchese's bones in the room where he had caused the
death of the Old beggar woman serve as a reminder to the
people of the community Of the Offense which he had

committed and of the price which he was forced to pay.

3. Die Verlobung in St. Domingo: Gustav

 

By all conventional standards, Gustav's shooting
Of Toni was, at the most, a most tragic error on his part
and, if not completely justifiable, then it was at the
very least defensible or understandable in View Of the
fact that he had no certain knowledge whatsoever that
her inexplicable maneuvers at the time Of the unexpected
arrival of Congo Hoango were actually designed to help
him win his freedom. Thus there would appear to be no
overwhelming need for him to take his own life at the end.

The fact remains, however, that he himself does become

 

 

125

aware of the need for him to atone for her death. This
awareness develops as a result of his having come to the
recognition that, whereas Toni's actions were motivated by
her love for him and by her genuine concern for his welfare,
he had acted impulsively, in response to his deepest fears
and prejudices.

If the development Of his brief relationship with
Toni is examined, it cannot be denied, of course, that he
is strongly attracted to her. At the same time, however,
it is also true that he personally cultivates her feelings
for him and encourages her to express these feelings in
order to ensure his own safety.54 Both factors, his
attraction to her and also his attempts to awaken her
feelings in order to ensure his own safety, are evinced
in the actions which he undertakes when they are alone
together in his room on the night Of his arrival.
Observing her as she is preparing a foot bath for him,
he is taken in completely by her beauty and charm:
". . . er hatte, bis auf die Farbe, die ihm anstOssig
war, scthren mOgen, dass er nie etwas SchOneres gesehen.
Dabei fiel ihm eine entfernte Ahnlichkeit, er wusste
noch selbst nicht recht mit wem, auf, die er schon bei
seinem Eintritt in das Haus bemerkt hatte, und seine ganze
Seele ffir sie in Anspruch nahm. Er ergriff sie, als sie

in den Geschaften, die sie betrieb, aufstand, bei der

Hand, und da er gar richtig schloss, dass es nur ein

 

126

Mittel gab, zu erprfifen, Ob das Madchen ein Herz habe
Oder nicht, so zog er sie auf sein Schoss nieder und
fragte sie: 'Ob sie schon einem Brautigam verlobt ware?'"
(II, 172). After learning that she has just recently
rejected theproposal of a wealthy young Negro, he,
seizing the opportunity to probe her heart further,
asks "ob es vielleicht ein Weisser sein mfisse, der ihre
Gunst davon tragen solle?" (II, 173), and we read that
she, "legte sich plOtzlich nach einem flfichtigen,
traumerischen Bedenken, unter einem fiberaus reizenden
ErrOten, das fiber ihr verbranntes Gesicht aufloderte,
an seine Brust" (II, 173). Equally significant is his
response to this develOpment, which again reveals the
dual nature of his intent with respect to her: "Der
Fremde, von ihrer Anmut und Lieblichkeit gerfihrt, nannte
sie sein liebes Madchen, und schloss sie, wie durch
gOttliche Hand von jeder Sorge erlOst, in seine Arme.
Es war ihm uanglich zu glauben, dass alle diese
Bewegungen, die er an ihr wahrnahm, der blosse elende
Ausdruck einer kalten und grasslichen Verréterei sein
sollten" (II, 173).

As we have seen, the decisive moment in their
relationship arrives when Toni, deeply moved by Mariane
Congreve's act of sacrifice for Gustav, gives herself to
him completely in love. Gustav now feels completely

assured Of his safety: "Der Fremde, als er sich wieder

 

127

gesammelt hatte, wusste nicht, wohin ihn die Tat, die er
begangen, ffihren wfirde; inzwischen sah er so viel ein,
dass er gerettet, und in dem Hause, in welchem er sich
befand, ffir ihn nichts von dem Madchen zu beffirchten war"
(II, 175). Deeply distressed, however, by her endless
weeping and also by his own feelings Of guilt for having
violated her virginity, he attempts to placate her and

in the process commits himself irrevocably to her: "Er
nahm sich das kleine goldene Kreuz, ein Geschenk der
treuen Mariane, seiner abgeschiedenen Braut, Von der
Brust; und indem er sich unter unendlichen Liebkosungen
fiber sie neigte, hing er es ihr als ein Brautgeschenk,

wie er es nannte, um den Hals" (II, 175). His impulsive
reactions when he first sees her after having been freed
from his captors clearly attest to the fact that he has
not, however, overcome completely his earlier fears and
prejudices and also that he has not fulfilled the first
requirement for a genuine love relationship by placing his
complete, unconditional trust in her. After he is informed
Of her heroic deeds and noble intent, he gains insight into
the great injustice he has committed against her. This
awareness is reflected in his response to her dying words:
"Gewissl sagte er, da ihn die Vettern von der Leiche
wegrissen: ich hatte dir nicht misstrauen sollen; denn

du warst mir durch einen Eidschwur verlobt, obschon wir

keine Worte darfiber gewechselt hatten!" (II, 193).

 

128

Furthermore, having come to this recognition, there is
no other recourse for him but to take his own life as an

atonement.

4. Penthesilea: Penthesilea

 

The suicide of Penthesilea in the final scene Of
this drama is subject to a myriad Of interpretations.
Complicating the issue considerably is, first Of all,
the fact that throughout the drama the motif Of death
appears to be inextricably linked with the motif of
love.55 In the fifth scene, for example, Achilles, having
just returned from his initial round of combat with
Penthesilea, the queen of the Amazons, and declaring
his intent to seek renewed combat with her, states:

Was mig die GOttliche begehrt, das weiss ich;

Brautwerber schickt sie mir, gefiederte,

Genug in Lfiften zu, die ihre Wfinsche

Mit Todgeflfister in das Ohr mir raunen (I, 342).
The same interrelationship can be Observed in Penthesilea's
words in the final scene. Having verified that it was
indeed she who had mutilated the body of Achilles, she,
standing before his corpse, states:

So war es ein Versehen. Kfisse, Bisse,

Das reimt sich, und wer recht von Herzen liebt,

Kann schon das eine ffir das andre greifen (I, 425).
It must be recognized, however, that this apparent

correlation between love and death in this work arises

out of the central conflict which Penthesilea must

 

129

overcome in the course of her development. In addition,
it is precisely because of the manner in which her love
resulted in the death Of Achilles that she mug; take her
own life at the end. The basic driving force in the
dramatic action until the last scene is Penthesilea's
attempt to fulfill two mutually exclusive commitments,

56 On the

both of which she regards as being absolute.
one hand, as she relates to Achilles in the fifteenth
scene, she, as the queen of the AmazonS, is bound to

uphold the sacred law which decrees that the Amazons

must win love on the field of conquest. The correlation
between love and violence is, in other words, implicit

in the Amazonian way of life and it is projected to its
ultimate extreme in Penthesilea's brutal, barbarous slaying
Of Achilles. On the other hand, she has committed her—
self absolutely toward the fulfillment Of the prophecy

which her mother, Otrere, had made, contrary to the laws

and customs of the Amazons, on her death bed:

Sie sagte: 'geh, mein sfisses Kind! Mars ruft dich!
Du wirst den Peliden dir bekranzen:
Werd eine Mutter, stOlz und frOh, wie ich--' (I, 394).

Although the increasing tensions between these two absolute

drives does ultimately provide the dramatic impetus for

the brutal slaying of Achilles, it does not, however,

adequately explain the reason for Penthesilea's suicide.
There are, in addition, other factors which must

also be taken into consideration while dealing with

Ir“:

 

 

130

Penthesilea's death. There is, first Of all, the fact that
she had once previously seriously contemplated suicide.

In the ninth scene, she, in deep despair because of her
defeat in battle by Achilles, was about to allow herself

to sink into the river but was prevented from doing so by
Meroe and the faithful Prothoe. Furthermore, at two
significant junctures in the dramatic action, she, echoing
sentiments expressed by Kleist shortly before his own
death, declares herself ripe for death. The first instance
occurs in the fourteenth scene after she is deluded by

both Achilles and Prothoe into believing that she was in
fact the victor in the battle. Arising from the depth

of despair to which she had sunk in the ninth scene, she

exults:

 

 

Die Eumeniden fliehn, die schrecklichen,

Es weht, wie Nahn der GOtter um mich her,

Ich mOchte gleich in ihren Chor mich mischen,

Zum Tode war ich nie so reif als jetzt (I, 380).
The second instance occurs in the final scene of the drama.
Slowly regaining full consciousness and an awareness Of her
surroundings after the brutal slaying Of Achilles, she
states:

Ich bin so selig, Schwester! Uberselig!

Ganz reif zum Tod O Diana, ffihl ich mich!

Zwar weiss ich nicht, was hier mit mir geschehn,

Doch gleich des festen Glaubens kOnnt ich sterben,

Dass ich mir den Peliden fiberwand (I, 421).

In a certain sense, one can establish, on the level Of the

dramatic action and motivation, a direct causal link between

 

131

these incidents and her final act of suicide. Her death
can then be considered as the fulfillment Of a long-
nurtured desire to die or also as her inevitable end.57
Nevertheless, it is essential that we be aware Of
the Obvious--that Kleist, the ultimate manipulator of all
characters and events, does not allow her to die after any
Of these instances. To have done so would have meant to
allow her to die an essentially meaningless, purposeless

death. Certain parallels can be drawn at this juncture

to the "Todesfurchtszene" in Prinz Friedrich von Homburg.

 

If the Prince had died at this point, it would have been
meaningless for he had not yet perceived fully the
necessity of his death sentence. It was only after he
had gained a complete awareness of the severity and the
broader implications of the offense which he had committed
that he was prepared to give up his life as an atonement.
Penthesilea too must undergo this process of recognition,
and it is after she becomes fully aware Of the nature of
the crime which she has committed and of the reason for it
that she can and must die. For Penthesilea, this process
begins after she in a state of insanity has slain and has
maimed the corpse of the unarmed, unsuspecting Achilles.
It is culminated when she at the end, in full awareness
and completely sane, literally wills herself to death.

At the beginning of the final scene, Penthesilea

returns in victory to the camp Of the Amazons with the

 

 

 

132

body of Achilles. Although her actions do indicate that
she is aware of her surroundings, she appears to be in

a trance and is completely incommunicative. Because she
does not speak, the reader or viewer of the drama and

also the remaining characters have no insight momentarily
into her inner thoughts. The dramatic action in the early
part of the scene is carried by her pantomimic actions

and by the descriptions of or reactions to these actions
by the other protagonists. What she performs in pantomime,
however, sets the stage for the ensuing developments in
this scene. The placement of the body of Achilles at

the feet of the high priestess Of Diana, misinterpreted

 

 

by the latter as an accusation of guilt, represents for
Penthesilea, who in the nineteenth scene had been severed
from the community of the Amazons for her refusal tO
abandon her unrelenting pursuit of Achilles, the ultimate
and final act of compliance with and fulfillment Of the
sacred law Of Tanais, the founder of the state. Moments
later, the sacred bow of Tanais, which had miraculously
come to life at the time of the inception of the Amazonian
state, falls from her hands and "dies." This Occurrence
has a twofold significance. On the one hand, it foreshadows
the ultimate collapse Of the Amazonian state and way of
life, On the other hand, it signifies the complete and
final disassociation of Penthesilea from the Amazonian

state.58 This she affirms verbally at the end of the

 

133

scene. She must now face her fate alone, as a completely
autonomous individual.

The next crucial stage in the scene develOps when
Penthesilea regains consciousness. Initially she is
unaware of her surroundings and believes that she has
died. Addressing Prothoe, she states:

0 sagt mir!-—Bin ich in Elysium?

Bist du der ewig jungen Nymphen eine,

Die unsre hehre KOnigin bedienen,

Wenn sie von Eichenwipfeln still umrauscht,

In die kristallne Grotte niedersteigt? (I, 420).
Prothoe's reminder that ". . . was du hier erblickst,/ Es
ist die Welt noch, die gebrechliche" (I, 421) does not
affect her significantly for, although she does not recall
what has happened, she believes that she has conquered
Achilles:

Zwar weiss ich nicht, was hier mit mir geschehn,

Doch gleich des festen Glaubens kOnnt ich sterben,

Dass ich mir den Peliden fiberwand (I, 421).

In order to confirm this belief, she, despite the protesta-
tions Of those surrounding her, insists that she be shown
the body of Achilles:

Hinweg! Und wenn mir seine Wunde,

Ein HOllenrachen, gleich entgegen gahnte:

Ich will ihn sehn! (I, 422).

The decisive moment of recognition for Penthesilea arrives
when she uncovers the maimed, mutilated body of Achilles.

As yet unaware that this is her own handiwork, she declares:

"Wer von euch tat das, ihr Entsetzlichen!" (I, 422).

 

 

 

134

From this point on, she is compelled by an inner
force to uncover the truth. It is important to notice,
however, that the intent Of her "investigation" extends
beyond the determination Of the killer of Achilles; she
must know who is responsible for the desecration of his
body. In her eyes, the actual slaying of Achilles has
been superseded by an even more serious Offense. She
perceives, as the following passage indicates, the
desecration Of his corpse as a crime against the sanctity
Of his person, as the ultimate violation of his human

dignity and worth:

 

Doch wer, o Prothoe, bei diesem Raube

Die Offne Pforte ruchlos mied, durch alle
Schneeweissen Alabasterwande mir

In diesen Tempel brach; wer diesen Jfingling,
Das Ebenbild der GOtter, so entstellt,

Dass Leben und Verwesung sich nicht streiten,
Wem er gehOrt, wer ihn so zugerichtet,

Dass ihn das Mitleid nicht beweint, die Liebe
Sich, die unsterbliche, gleich einer Metze.
Im Tod noch untreu, von ihm wenden muss:

Den will ich meiner Rache opfern. Sprich! (I, 424).

After ascertaining and accepting the truth, she, having
regained full consciousness of the deed she has committed,
declares herself free from the laws of the Amazons. For,
she has recognized that it was in an attempt to fulfill
her commitment to these laws——laws which denied her her
inalienable right as a woman to seek and express love--
that she was driven to her inhuman, brutal actions.59

Nevertheless, she at the same time recognizes that the

ultimate responsibility for her actions lies within

135

herself, and thus she Offers her own life as an atonement.
This recognition is echoed in her final words:

Denn jetzt steig ich in meinen Busen nieder,

Gleich einem Schacht, und grabe, kalt wie Erz,

Mir ein vernichtendes Geffihl hervor.

Dies Erz, dies lautr' ich in der Glut des Jammers

Hart mir zu Stahl; trank es mit Gift sodann,
Heissatzendem, der Reue, durch und durch;

Trag es der Hoffnung ewgem Amboss zu,

Und schérf und spitz es mir zu einem Dolch;

Und diesem Dolch jetzt reich ich meine Brust:

SO! SO! SO! SO! Und wieder!--Nun ists gut (I, 427).

 

E. Death by Judgment

The death by judgment serves essentially the same
function in Kleist's works as the death of atonement. The
individuals who were discussed in the previous section,
with the possible exception of the Marchese, chose
individually and voluntarily to Offer their own lives
as an atonement after they had been brought to the recogni—
tion that they in their actions had violated basic,
inalienable human rights and values of their fellow
human beings. In other words, they themselves passed
judgment on their own actions. The individuals to be
discussed in this section are those who cannot or will
not of themselves atone for the wrongs which they have
committed and hence their judgment must come from without.

In Michael Kohlhaas, Der Findling, and Die Hermannsschlacht,

 

 

Kleist invests the leading protagonists (Kohlhaas, Piachi,

Hermann) with the authority to pass judgment. In Das

 

136

Erdbeben in Chili and Der Zweikampf, judgment is passed

 

 

by supernatural forces.

1. Michael Kohlhaas: der Kurffirst von Sachsen

 

At the end Of the previous discussion of this work,
it was obserVed that Elisabeth, who returned from the
realm Of the dead in the guise Of the old gypsy woman
to give transcendental sanction to Kohlhaas' course of
action, provided him with information concerning the
Kurffirst von Sachsen which enabled him to fulfill completely
his destiny, his mission in this life. The moment for the
final completion of his mission arrives on the day of his
execution. His complaints against Junker Wenzel von
Tronka have been settled to his complete satisfaction,
and he has accepted unquestioningly the death sentence
passed by the imperial court. Just moments prior to his
execution, he, spotting the Kurffirst in the crowd, Opens
the capsule, reads the note which is of such Vital
importance for the Kurffirst, and then swallows it. Upon
seeing this, the Kurffirst collapses, unconscious. Although
he does not actually die at this point, his imminent death
is strongly suggested at the end of the story: "Der
Kurffirst von Sachsen kam bald darauf, zerrissen an Leib
und Seele, nach Dresden zurfick, wo man das Weitere in
der Geschichte nachlesen muss" (II, 103).

The final action on the part Of Kohlhaas is, first

of all, an act of personal revenge against the Kurffirst

 

 

 

137

for having willfully and deceitfully retracted the amnesty
which he had granted him. It is, in addition, an act Of
judgment performed in accordance with the role which Kleist
has delegated to him in this work.

Kohlhaas' initial course of revenge and destruction
is undertaken, "kraft der ihm angeborenen Macht" (II, 31),
after he, having failed in every attempt to obtain even
a hearing for his charges against Wenzel Von Tronka, deter—
mines tO withdraw himself from the established social order
and to obtain justice on his own. The ultimate source of
this course of action is, first of all, his inborn sense
of and respect for justice, his "Rechtgeffihl, das einer
Goldwaage glich" (II, 14) and also his awareness of his
responsibilities to his fellow man. The justification
for the manner in which he seeks to Obtain justice is,
as is revealed in his conversation with Martin Luther,
the conviction that the individual who has been deprived
by the state Of his inalienable right to the protection
of the law has, in effect, been cast out of the community
and hence is no longer subject to the laws Of the community:
"Verstossen . . . nenne ich den, dem der Schutz der Gesetze
versagt ist! Denn dieses Schutzes, zum Gedeihen meines
friedlichen Gewerbes, bedarf ich; ja er ist es, dessenhalb
ich mich, mit dem Kreis dessen, was ich erworben, in
dieser Gemeinschaft flfichte; und wer mir ihn versagt, der

stOsst mich zu den Wilden der EinOde hinaus; er gibt mir,

 

138

wie wollt Ihr das leugnen, die Keule, die mich selbst
schutzt, in die Hand" (II, 45). It is on the basis of
this inner conviction, which, incidentally, is not
repudiated effectively at any point but is rather confirmed,60
that Kohlhaas takes upon himself the responsibility of
taking revenge upon those who have willfully suppressed
and perverted the exercise of justice for their own
advantage. At the same time, however, it must also be
recognized that his sense Of justice requires that he
return to the confines of the established order if there
should be any evidence pointing to the administration and
practice of justice within it. Responding to Luther's
assurances that the Kurffirst had not been informed Of
his proceedings against Wenzel von Tronka, he affirms
this, stating: "Wohlan . . . wenn mich der Landesherr
nicht verstOsst, so kehre ich auch wieder in die
Gemeinschaft, die er beschirmt, zurfick" (II, 46). Thus,
when Kohlhaas receives the ambiguously worded placard in
which the Kurffirst guarantees him safe conduct to Dresden,
declares his intent to conduct an investigation of his
charges, and pledges to grant him and his followers
amnesty unless his case is rejected or dismissed
unexpectedly, he abandons his course of revenge and,
after settling his affairs, goes to Dresden to obtain
justice.

In the final analysis, it is the Kurffirst's pledge

of amnesty which causes his downfall. It is important to

 

139

notice, first of all, that the pledge was not granted out
Of a concern for the administration of justice, but rather
in order to create the semblance of justice. Concerned
about the growing strength Of Kohlhaas' forces and about
the evidence of increasing public support for his cause,
the Kurffirst determines to accept Luther's strongly worded
proposal that he grant Kohlhaas amnesty, seeing it as a means
to put an end to the ugly affair. Furthermore, it is by
virtue of his position as the supreme sovereign of the
state that he is able to and does grant amnesty. The
excesses which Kohlhaas has been compelled to resort to

in his pursuit of justice, however, represent, as BlOcker
states, a violation of justice "in seiner letzten, seiner

metaphysischen Wirklichkeit."61

Consequently the Kurffirst,
having pledged amnesty, becomes involved in what BlOcker
terms "ein unlOsbares Rechtsdilemma" for: "Gnade kann

es nur geben, wo sie Recht krOnt, nicht aber, wo sie es

"62 Thus he himself has violated the

ausser Kraft setzt.
principles of a justice of a higher level which demand

that Kohlhaas be condemned, but he is at the same time
obligated to honor and uphold the amnesty which he, by virtue
of his invested authority as the sovereign ruler, has
granted. Having themselves nullified any legal basis

for the prosecution of Kohlhaas for the acts of violence

which he has perpetrated on Saxon soil, the Saxons are

placed, as Silz states, "under the compulsion to devise

 

 

 

140

feints and evasions to maintain the semblance of a legality

that was from the first an illegality."63

Although it is
necessary that Kohlhaas be condemned, they must now
construct a pretext in order to bring him to justice
for crimes other than those Of which he is actually guilty.
The opportunity to construct such a pretext is
provided when Johann Nagelschmidt, together with other
members of Kohlhaas' dismanteled band, undertakes,
desirous of the booty of war, to resume the acts of violence.
Calling himself "einen Statthalter des Kohlhaas" (II, 65),
he attempts to gain support for his actions with the devious
contention, "dass die Amnestie an mehreren, in ihre Heimat
ruhig zurfickgekehrten Knechten nicht gehalten, ja der Kohlhaas
selbst mit himmelschreiender Wortbrfichigkeit, bei seiner
Ankunft in Dresden eingesteckt, und einer Wache fibergeben
worden sei . . ." (II, 65066). The Tronkas, who up to
this point have been forced to work toward the satisfaction
of Kohlhaas' demands, determine to exploit fully this
opportunity, and they begin immediately to lay the ground—
work for bringing Kohlhaas to justice. Furthermore, it is
a relative of the Tronkas, the police chief Freiherr von
Wenk, who, using the absence Of the Prinz von Meissen to
his advantage, takes it upon himself to in effect place
Kohlhaas under house arrest. When Kohlhaas is able to
force him to admit, "dass die ihm feierlich, vor den Augen

der ganzen Welt angelobte Amnestie gebrochen sei" (II, 73),

 

 

141

he feels that he tOO has been relieved of his Obligations
and responsibilities: ". . . Ob er schon einsah, dass er
sich das einzige Rettungsmittel, das ihm ubrig blieb, die
Flucht, durch die Schritte, die er getan, sehr erschwert
hatte, so lobte er sein Verfahren gleichwohl, weil er sich
nunmehr und seinerseits von der Verbindlichkeit den
Artikeln der Amnestie nachzukommen, befreit ash" (II,
73-74). Thus, unaware that the messenger had not only
been apprehended but had also been bribed subsequently
by the Kurffirst and his advisors to deliver the letter
from Nagelschmidt, he, seeing this as an Opportunity to
gain his freedom, accepts Nagelschmidt's Offer of
assistance and thereby provided his adversaries with
the pretext they needed. After a hastily called trial,
he is condemned, "mit glfihenden Zangen von Schinderknechten
gekniffen, gevierteilt, und sein KOrper, zwischen Rad und
Galgen verbrannt zu werden" (II, 77).

The execution is averted, however, when the Kurffirst
von Brandenburg intervenes and reclaims Kohlhaas as a
citizen of Brandenburg. Requested to present the charges
against Kohlhaas before the court in Berlin, the Kurffirst
von Sachsen is cognizant of the dubious circumstances under
which Kohlhaas has been condemned and also of the fact that
the amnesty had granted him pardon for the acts of violence
which he had committed in Saxony. Desirous to relieve

himself of all responsibilities, he turns the matter over

 

142

to the imperial court: "so beschloss der Kurffirst, der
Majestat des Kaisers zu Wien einen Bericht fiber den
bewaffneten Einfall des Kohlhaas in Sachsen vorzulegen,
sich fiber den Bruch des Von ihm eingesetzten Offentlichen
Landfriedens zu beschweren, und sie, die allerdings durch
keine Amnestie gebunden war, anzuliegen . . ." (II, 79).
It is in the course of the ensuing events that Kohlhaas
is reinstated into his role as the executor of revenge
and judgment.

The first event of major significance occurs at
the time that the Kurffirst, dressed in the costume of a
hunter, breaks away from the hunting party which he is
attending at the instigation of a female companion and
goes, to satisfy her curiosity, tO the house where
Kohlhaas, who is being escorted to Berlin, is staying
for the night. Noticing the small lead capsule which
Kohlhaas is wearing around his neck, he, quite innocently
inquires about it and discovers to his complete devastation
and consternation, that it is Kohlhaas to whom the Old
gypsy woman in Jfiterbock had given the capsule which
contained information concerning the future Of his house-
hold. After recovering from the illness which overcame
him at the time of this discovery, the Kurffirst concentrates
solely upon gaining possession Of the capsule.

Kohlhaas, having learned Of the identity of his

visitor in the meantime and aware of the significance

143

which the latter attaches to the capsule, recognizes that
he has been given the means to take revenge on the Kurffirst.
Thus, when the Jagdjunker von Stein arrives and, on behalf
of the Kurffirst, offers him his freedom in return for the
capsule, Kohlhaas rejects the Offer emphatically: "Edler
Herr! Wenn Euer Landesherr kame, und sprache, ich will
mich, mit dem ganzen Tross derer, die mir das Szepter
fuhren helfen, vernichten--vernichten, versteht Ihr,
welches allerdings der grOsseste Wunsch ist, den meine
Seele hegt: so wfirde ich ihm doch den Zettel nicht, der
ihm mehr wert ist, als das Dasein, verweigern und sprechen:
du kannst mich auf den Schafott bringen, ich aber kann

dir weh tun, und ich willsl'" (II, 86). To be noted in
connection with the above passage is, first of all, that

an acceptance Of this offer would have meant for Kohlhaas

a compromise of his "Rechtgeffihl" which demands that the
Kurffirst be brought to judgment because of the nature Of
the Offenses which he has committed. In addition, it must
be recognized that Kohlhaas is in custody and is thereby
restricted in the actions which he could undertake on his
own. The possession Of the capsule has empowered him, has
given him the means to take revenge upon or to pass judgment
on the Kurffirst for the injustice which had been committed
against his person, i.e., against his inalienable right

as a human being and as an individual citizen to the due

process of law, when the amnesty was capriciously revoked.

 

 

144

The reappearance or "reincarnation" of Elisabeth
at the end of the Novelle in the guise of the Old gypsy

woman, i.e., her return from the transcendental realm of

 

the dead, empowers Kohlhaas, on the other hand, to pass

judgment upon the Kurffirst for the manner in which he,

 

first, by having illegally granted the amnesty and second
by having failed to fulfill his responsibility to uphold

and respect the amnesty, violated the sanctity of his

 

Office. Furthermore, the Kurffirst's pre-eminent position
of authority and sovereignty in earthly spheres necessi-
tates the intervention Of higher powers.64 In his meeting
with Kohlhaas, Martin Luther, although he is referring
specifically, of course, to the Kurffirst's lack of know-
ledge concerning the proceedings against Wenzel von
Tronka, challenges Kohlhaas' right or authority to
personally cast judgment upon a sovereign earthly ruler:
"Wenn Staatsdiener hinter seinem Rficken Prozesse
unterschlagen, Oder sonst seines geheiligten Namens, in
seiner Unwissenheit spotten; wer anders als Gott darf

ihn wegen der Wahl solcher Diener zur Rechenschaft ziehen,
und bist du, gottverdammter und entsetzlicher Mensch,
befugt, ihn deshalb zu richten?" (II, 45—46). With the
aid Of Elisabeth, Kohlhaas is provided with the means

and with her sanction he is invested with the authority

to pronounce this judgment, and he is thereby enabled

to ensure the complete victory of the cause Of justice.

145

2. Der Findling: Nicolo

 

Commenting upon the unfortunate death in childbirth
of Constanze, Nicolo's wife, the narrator states: "Dieser
Vorfall, bedauernswfirdig an sich, weil ein tugendhaftes und
wohlerzogenes Wesen verloren ging, war es doppelt, weil er
den beiden Leidenschaften Nicolos, seiner Bigotterie und
seinem Hange zu den Weibern, wieder Tor und Tfir Offnete"
(II, 205). We have already seen how the intensification
of the latter into a psychopathic, sexual passion for
Elvire in combination with the pernicious desire to take
revenge against the woman who in her chasteness and innocence
had unknowingly humiliated him so deeply had caused Nicolo
to devise "die abscheulichste Tat, die je verfibt worden
ist" (II, 212). It is, however, the former passion, his
hypocrisy as well as his assOciations with the supreme
hypocrites Of the church-state of Rome, the Carmelite
monks, which, in the final analysis make it necessary for
Piachi to take upon himself the responsibility Of condemning
him for the unconscionable, unpardonable manner in which
he purposely and willfully contrived to violate the human
dignity and worth of his adoptive parents.

The disastrous flow of events, which results in the
murder of Nicolo by Piachi and ultimately in the execution
of Piachi, is set in motion the moment that Nicolo is
apprehended while attempting to carry out his plan to

take revenge upon and to desecrate the person and character

 

146

of Elvire. He, realizing that he cannot possibly hope to
exonerate himself, throws himself down at the feet of
Piachi, "und bat ihn, unter der Beteuerung, den Blick

nie wieder zu seiner Frau zu erheben, um Vergebung" (II,
213). Though deeply distressed and angered, Piachi is
desirous of putting an end to the matter quickly and
quietly, and, excercising the greatest of restraint,
banishes Nicolo from the house.

Before we can proceed with our discussion of the
course Of revenge undertaken by Piachi, it is essential
that we examine briefly his character as it is presented
in the earlier part Of the Novelle. All his actions are
governed by his concern for the well-being of others.
This is made manifest not only in the gentleness and
thoughtfulness with which he treated Elvire, but even more
so in his treatment of Nicolo. Not only had he rescued
the orphan Nicolo, who was infected with the plague, from
the streets, but, after his own son, Paolo, died after
having become infected with the plague as a result Of his
contact with Nicolo, he took him into his home and adopted
him shortly thereafter. As a supreme gesture of his
generosity, Piachi, after several years, ceded his entire
estate to his adopted son: "Kurz, als Piachi sein
sechzigstes Jahr erreicht hatte, tat er das Letzte und
das Ausserste, was er ffir ihn tun konnte: er fiberliess

ihn, auf gerichtliche Weise, mit Ausnahme eines kleinen

147

Kapitals, das er sich vorbehielt, das ganze VermOgen, das
seiner Gfiterhandel zum Grunde lag, und zog sich, mit
seiner treuen trefflichen Elvire, die wenige Wfinsche in
der Welt hatte, in den Ruhestand zurfick" (II, 202).
Within this unlikely setting, the perversity of Nicolo
grew and flourished.

It is in his response to Piachi's order that he
leave the house that Nicolo reveals fully his hypocrisy
and his absolute moral degradationand depravity. Arising
suddenly from the floor, he declares: "an ihm, dem Alten,
sei es, das Haus zu réumen, denn er durch vollgfiltige
Dokumente eingesetzt, sei der Besitzer und werde sein Recht,
gegen wen immer auf der Welt es sei, zu behaupten wissen!"
(II, 213). He, who just moments before had declared his
remorse and had begged for forgiveness, now, in complete
disregard for the atrocities which he had committed and
for his moral responsibility, obstinately asserts his
legal rights. Hereupon, Piachi determines to take legal
measures to relieve Nicolo of his rights to the estate;
these efforts, however, are thwarted. Enlisting the aid
of his friends, the Carmelite monks, Nicolo, after making
certain concessions, is able to Obtain a legal writ which
confirms his ownership Of the property: "Kurz, da er
Xavieren, welche der Bischof los zu sein wfinschte, zu
heiraten willigte, siegte die Bosheit, und die Regierung

erliess, auf Vermittelung dieses geistlichen Herrn, ein

148

Dekret, in welchem Nicolo in den Besitz bestétigt und dem
Piachi aufgegeben ward, ihn nicht darin zu beléstigen" (II,
214). Already grieved deeply by the death Of Elvire on
the preceding day, Piachi, upon receiving the decree,
performs his gruesome task of revenge: "Durch diesen
doppelten Schmerz gereizt, ging er, das Dekret in der
Tasche, in das Haus, und stark, wie die Wut ihn machte,
warf er den von Natur schwacheren Nicolo nieder und
drfickte ihm das Gehirn an der Wand ein" (II, 214).

A gentle, compassionate man is thus transformed
by an irreconcilibly evil force into a merciless executor

Of judgment and revenge.

3. Der Zweikampf: Jakob der Rotbart

 

In the introductory paragraphs, it was stated that,
in this work, the execution Of justice is performed by
supernatural forces. It would be more accurate to state,
however, that Jakob der Rotbart is actually subjected to
a twofold judgment: divine judgment and, posthumously,
the judgment of man. As we have seen, the trial by combat
between Friedrich von Trota and Rotbart developed as a
result of Rotbart's having attempted to clear himself Of
all suspicions concerning his complicity in the murder of
his half-brother, Herzog Wilhelm von Breysach, by revealing
publicly that he had been in the company Of Littegarde on

the night of the murder. It was an act Of divine intervention,

149

"eine sonderbare Schickung des Himmels" (II, 249), which
effected Friedrich's miraculous recovery from the mortal
wounds which he had sustained in combat and which enabled
him and eventually Littegarde to recognize the ambiguity
of the verdict delivered and also to become aware of the
invalidity, the capriciousness Of the institution itself.
It is an act of divine judgment upon Jakob der Rotbart,
however, which ultimately effects this insight on the

part Of the larger community. The seemingly insignificant
surface wound which Rotbart sustained in the early stages
of the conflict fails, incredibly, to respond to treatment:
"Ja, ein atzender der ganzen damaligen Heilkunst unbekannter
Eiter, frass auf eine krebsartige Weise, bis auf den
Knochen herab im ganzen System seiner Hand um sich,
dergestalt, dass man zum Entsetzen aller seiner Freunde
genOtigt gewesen war, ihm die ganze schadhafte Hand, und
spaterhin, da auch hierdurch dem Eiterfrass kein Ziel
gesetzt ward, den Arm selbst abzunehmen" (II, 255). With
the failure Of even these radical, extreme measures, it
was predicted that Rotbart would die within a week.

It must be reemphasized at this juncture that the
issue at stake in the trial by combat was not directly
concerned with the question of Rotbart's complicity in
the death Of the Herzog; it was rather concerned with the
veracity of his alibi. Contributing further to the ambiguity

Of the "verdict" proclaimed by the "Gottesurteil" is the

150

fact that, at the time Of Friedrich's challenge to

combat, Rotbart was himself convinced Of the truth Of

his allegations, andit was for this reason that he,

also believing in the validity of the institution,

accepted the challenge emphatically and without hesitation:
"'so gewiss als Gott gerecht, im Urteil der Waffen,
entscheidet, so gewiss werde ich dir die Wahrhaftigkeit
dessen, was ich, Frau Littegarden betreffend, notgedrungen
verlautbart, im ehrlichen Ritterlichen Zweikampf beweisenl'"
(II, 242). Even in the face of an imminent death, implored
by the prior to confess, Rotbart steadfastly maintains

the veracity of his allegations: "der Graf nahm, durch

und durch erschfittert, noch einmal das heilige Sakrament
auf die Wahrhaftigkeit seiner Aussagen, und gab, unter
allen Zeichen der entsetzlichsten Angst, falls er Frau
Littegarden verleumdischer Weise angeklagt hatte, seine
Seele der ewigen Verdammnis preis" (II, 255).

In the aftermath of these developments, it is made
known to Rotbart that he had in actuality been the un—
witting victim of a vengeful scheme carefully contrived
by Littegarde's maid Rosalie, with whom he had carried on
a long—standing illicit affair. It is at this point that
he became aware that the judgment Of God had indeed been
delivered, not in the manner, however, in which he expected.
Overwhelmed with his own guilt and by an awareness of the

judgment which had befallen him, he asks to be brought to

151

the place Of execution, where Friedrich and Littegarde

are about to be executed, declaring: "'ich will nicht,
ohne eine Tat der Gerechtigkeit verfibt zu haben, sterbenl'"
(II, 258). In the presence of all the spectators to the
scheduled execution, he attests to the innocence Of
Littegarde and in his dying words, believing that he

has escaped the reaches of earthly justice, confesses

that the Herzog had been murdered at his behest. His
judgment is completed when the Kaiser, excercising his
authority and responsibility as the sovereign ruler,
orders that Rotbart's corpse be burned as a judgment for
his having willfully jeopardized the lives of two innocent
individuals by attempting to conceal his complicity in

the death of his brother. It is the realization that

he, by enforcing the provisions Of the "Gottesurteil,"
would have borne the ultimate responsibility for the

death Of Friedrich and Littegarde which compels him to
change the wording of and thereby essentially invalidate
the statutes governing the institution Of trial by combat.

4. Die Hermannsschlacht: the annihilation
Of the Romans

 

In his discussion of the motif Of revenge in
Kleist's works, Mfiller-Seidel maintains: ". . . dass
die Haufigkeit des Rachemotivs mit der zentralen Bedeutung

des Geffihls zusammenhangt, ist evident. Sie hangt, um es

genauer zu sagen, mit der Verwirrung des Geffihls zusammen

152

Oder ist . . . nur die ausserste Steigerung der Verwirrung"
(p. 147). What could be considered as perhaps the most
concrete manifestation Of the existence of a "Verwirrung
des Geffihls" within Hermann occurs in the ninth scene of
the fourth act. At the beginning Of the scene, Hermann,
informing Thusnelda that the battle which will be fought
on the following day is designed to exterminate completely
the Roman forces, states:

Die ganze Brut, die in den Leib Germaniens

Sich eingefilzt, wie ein Insektenschwarm,

Muss durch das Schwert der Rache jetzo sterben

(I, 593).
Appalled by the ruthlessness and the indiscrimate nature
of the plotted course of revenge and judgment, Thusnelda
pleads that the "good Romans" be spared, reminding him
of individuals to whom he owes a debt Of gratitude:

Der junge Held, der, mit der Gefahr des Lebens,

Das Kind, auf seiner Mutter Ruf,

Dem Tod der Flammen mutig jungst entrissen?--

Er hatte kein Geffihl der Liebe dir entlockt? (I, 594).
Richard Samuel considers Hermann's response as an
expression Of the "Konflikt zwischen 'Amt' und Gewissen"66
which he is experiencing. It is true that if we consider
the following lines within their immediate context, they
could be considered as a conscious, deliberate attempt on
the part of Hermann to reconcile the nature of his mission

of revenge and judgment with the conflicting dictates Of

his inner conscience:

 

l
l
1. --__J

153

Er sei verflucht, wenn er mir das getan!

Er hat, auf einen Augenblick,

Mein Herz veruntreut, zum Verrater

An Deutschlands grosser Sache mich gemacht!

Warum setzt' er Thuiskon mir in Brand?

Ich will die hOhnische Damonenbrut nicht lieben!

So lange sie in Germanien trotzt,

Ist Hass mein Amt und meine Tugend Rachel (I, 594).

If, however,we consider these lines from the

perspective of the role, the function, which the author
Kleist has projected onto Hermann in this work, then it
becomes apparent that they are, first Of all, an expression
Of his complete awareness of the necessity Of the nature
Of the mission which he has assumed and, second, an
expression Of his awareness of his mandate to commit
himself totally and absolutely toward the fulfillment
of that mission. Hence he cannot and does not allow
his personal feelings and inclinations to interfere.
This full awareness and total commitment to his mission
is emphasized once again at the end of the fourteenth
scene of the fifth act. Just prior to the beginning of
the decisive battle, questioned concerning the fate Of
the traitorous Germans who have aligned themselves with
the Romans, he declares:

Vergebt! Vergesst! VersOhnt, umarmt und liebt euch!

Das sind die Wackersten und Besten,

Wenn es nunmehr die ROmerrache gilt!-—

Hinweg!--Verwirre das Geffihl mir nicht!

Varus und die Kohorten, sag ich dir;

Das ist der Feind, dem dieser Busen schwilltl
(I, 615).

 

154

Aware Of the responsibility which he has assumed, he must
concentrate solely upon and commit himself completely to

the eradication of those forces who have not only set out

to deprive the Germanic people Of their autonomy but have
also conspired to cause the Germans to become traitors to
their own country. A parallel can be drawn at this point

to Michael Kohlhaas. Offering an explanation for his
decision to sell his property, he stated that he had assumed
a responsibility, a mission, which was Of greater importance
than even his responsibilities and Obligations as a husband
and father. In order to fulfill this commitment, it became
necessary for him to step outside of his established role

in the established order and to resort to violent means

in his pursuit of justice. In the work under discussion,
the sword of judgment is placed into the hands of Hermann,
who himself characterizes his goal in life as being: "Dem
Weib, das mir vermahlt, der Gatte,/ Ein Vater meinen

sfissen Kindern,/ Und meinem Volk ein guter Ffirst zu sein"
(I, 548), and it is his responsibility to exterminate
completely the Roman army.

All the major themes Of the work are expressed in
the two stanzas Of the chorus of the bards, intoned just
prior to the commencement of the battle. The first stanza
is concerned with the necessity of the battle, with the
need for the German people to free themselves from the

burden of their foreign Oppressors:

 

 

155

Wir litten menschlich seit dem Tage,

Da jener Fremdling eingerfickt;

Wir rachten nicht die erste Plage,

.Mithohn auf uns herabgeschickt;

Wir ubten nach der GOtter Lehre,

Uns durch viel Jahre im Verzeihn:

Doch endlich drfickt des Joches Schwere,

Und abgeschfittelt will es sein! (I, 613).
The second stanza concerns more Specifically Hermann's
function as the leader of the Germanic forces and his
Obligations to the Germanic people; it stresses the
notions of endurance and total commitment to the cause
Of freedom:

Du wirst nicht wanken und nicht weichen,

Vom Amt das du dir kfihn erhOht,

Die Regung wird dich nicht beschleichen,

Die dein getreues Volk verrat;

Du bist so mild, O Sohn der GOtter,

Der Frfihling kann nicht milder sein:

Sei schrecklich heut, ein Schlossenwetter,

Und Blitze lass dein Antlitz spein! (I, 614).

Although the methods employed by Hermann in his

extermination of the Roman army may well Offend or insult
our sensitivities, the death of judgment itself performs,
as we have seen, a function which is vital to the projection
of Kleist's artistic intent in his works. His concern is
to make man aware of the level Of existence which he has
the inherent potential to attain. They who willfully
suppress the inalienable human rights of others, who
trounce upon the human dignity and worth Of others and
thereby prevent them from realizing their potential,

essentially deprive them of the right to a meaningful

existence and must therefore be eradicated. It is this

156

concept which provides the basis for the necessity of

the extreme measures taken against the Romans by Hermann
and his people. Furthermore, the extreme, inhumane manner
in which Kleist has Hermann fulfill his role may well be

a reflection Of his personal hatred for the Napoleonic
army and an indication of the urgency with which he
perceived the need for national unification.

5. Das Erdbeben in Chili: civic and
church leaders

 

To designate the natural catastrophe, the great
earthquake which befell the city of St. Jago as an act
of divine judgment is, of course, highly subject to
debate. Walter Silz, who perceives the meaning of the
earthquake from the standpoint of its function as an
"unerhOrte Begebenheit” within the structure of the

Novelle,67 maintains, for example: "In the present

 

story, the evidence as to God and his ways is inconclusive.
Much of it is couched in accepted, conventional terms,

"68 If, however,

without thereby becoming more reassuring.
we examine the meaning and function of the earthquake
within the structure of the story, keeping in mind that
it takes place within a seventeenth century setting,
strong evidence can be found which indicates that it

was Kleist's intent that the earthquake be understood

as an act Of God, an act Of divine intervention.

157

The first, yet admittedly inconclusive, indications
of the possibility of the earthquake being an act of
divine intervention are the timing and the immediate
results of the natural catastrOphe. The Opening
paragraphs inform the reader that Josephe was sent
to a convent by her father after it was brought to his
attention that she, despite his prohibitions, had
continued her relationship with Jeronimo, whom he had
dismissed from his position as tutor in the household
during the previous year. Despite this apparently
overwhelming obstacle, Jeronimo managed to resume the
affair, and it was the garden Of the convent which he
made "zum Schauplatz seines vollen Glficks" (II, 144).

It was during the sacred procession Of the Corpus Christi
that Josephe was taken with labor. In the resultant
furor, she, after having given birth to her child, was
condemned to die and Jeronimo was also imprisoned. The
earthquake takes place precisely at the moment that
Josephe is being led to the place Of execution and
Jeronimo, having failed in all attempts to free himself
from his imprisonment and having subsequently despaired
Of life completely, is about to hang himself in his
prison cell. Despite the immensity of the quake and

the great devastation which followed, the alleged sinners
are enabled to escape unharmed with their child, the

product of their "sin."

 

158

Also supporting the notion that the earthquake
was an act of divine intervention into human affairs is
the fact that it is unilaterally interpreted as such
by all figures involved. The crucial factor, however,
is the manner in which, the perspective from which this
interpretation is made on the part of the Opposing forces.
Jeronimo and Josephe perceive it as an act Of divine
intervention designed to effect their rescue. After
their reunion, they are deeply moved when they reflect
upon the thought Of "wie viel Elend fiber die Welt kommen
musste, damit sie glficklich wfirden!" (II, 150). On the
day after the catastrophe, Josephe cannot refrain from
expressing Openly her gratitude: “Ein Geffihl, das sie
nicht unterdrficken konnte, nannte den verflossnen Tag,
so viel Elend er auch fiber die Welt gebracht hatte, eine
Wohltat, wie der Himmel noch keine fiber sie verhéngt
hatte" (II, 152). Furthermore, it is in order to express
her gratitude to God that Josephe desires to attend the
special mass to be held on the following day: "Josephe
ausserte, indem sie mit einiger Begeisterung sogleich
aufstand, dass sie den Drang, ihr Antlitz vor dem SchOpfer
in den Staub zu legen, niemals lebhafter empfunden habe,
als eben jetzt, wo er seine unbegreifliche Macht so entwickle"
(II, 154). The members of the community, however, swayed
by the forceful sermon of the priest, perceive the earth—

quake as God's judgment upon the community for the general

 

159

state of immorality prevalent in the city and, more
specifically, for their having tolerated the transgression
which had been committed in the garden of the convent.
Thus, considered within the context and the historical,
cultural setting of the Novelle, the question is not
whether the earthquake was in fact an act of divine
intervention, but rather, the interpretation of the
meaning, the purpose of this action.

That Kleist himself intended the earthquake to be
construed as the judgment Of a divine power becomes evident
if we consider the narrative stance which he assumes in
certain segments of the work. Mfiller-Seidel (p. 95) has
Observed that, in his depiction of Josephe's flight through
the ruins of the devastated city, Kleist, in his choice of
words, reveals that he as an author is not completely
detached and makes, in essence, value judgments (Wertungen)
Of characters and events. The abbess and almost all the

nuns of the convent are slain "auf eine schmahliche Art"

 

(II, 148). A few steps away, Josephe passes by the corpse

of the archbishOp, "die man soeben zerschmettert aus dem

 

Schutt der Kathedrale hervorgezogen hatte" (II, 148-149).69

In successive stages of her journey, she encounters the
following: "Der Palast des VizekOnigs war versunken, der
Gerichtshof, in welchem ihr das Urteil gesprochen worden
war, stand in Flammen, und an die Stelle, wo sich ihr

Vaterliches Haus befunden hatte, war ein See getreten,

 

 

160

und kochte rOtliche Dampfe aus" (II, 149). Speaking in
terms of the thematic structure and the artistic intent

in Kleist's works, it can be observed that the individuals
and the representatives of the civic and religious insti—
tutions which were responsible for the perpetuation of
arbitrary categories of social distinction and for the
imposition of humanly contrived, institutionalized standards
Of behavior upon Jeronimo and Josephe, having thereby
deprived them Of their inalienable right to develop their
relationship in a normal fashion, were subjected to the
judgment Of God. In the work, Jeronimo and Josephe,
reflecting the insights which Kleist gained during the

time of the Kant crisis, assume an uncommitted stance
toward God; their interpretation of the earthquake as an
act Of divine intervention designed to effect their

rescue from death and to enable them to consummate their
love relationship is based upon their, individual, personal
trust in God. They are forced to succumb, however, to the
predominating force in their environment which bases its
interpretation of the event upon the humanly contrived,

preconceived notions Of the institutionalized church.

F. The Death of Fulfillment

 

If one can speak of a "relationship" between an
author and the characters he has created in his works,

then it can be said, with certain limitations Of course,

 

161

that for the individuals to be discussed here Kleist
provides death as a form of release. It is a release

from the threatening, inconquerable, Often incomprehensible
forces in their environment; it is a release from the
insoluble enigmas, the inescapable paradoxes, and the
injustices inherent in existence itself. These individuals
succumb to or, in a sense, become the helpless victims of
prevailing circumstances in the infirm world, i.e., they
die as a result of having asserted themselves in Opposition
to the predominate forces of contemporary, historical
reality. What distinguishes them, however, and what

gives dignity and meaning to the death they must suffer

are the circumstances under which they die and the reasons
for which they are prepared to risk or accept death. The
act or event of death, the phenomenon Of death, does not

in itself represent for them an act or event of fulfillment.
They do not find fulfillment in death; they rather find
death in the knowledge of having attained or striven for
fulfillment. They die after having committed themselves
totally toward the fulfillment Of their destinies in life
(Kohlhaas, Piachi, Achilles), or they willfully accept
death after they have attained personal fulfillment by
having experienced the true potential Of life (Agnes,

Jeronimo, Josephe).

 

 

 

162

1. Die Familie Schroffenstein: Agnes

 

The death of Agnes, which occurs just moments after
the death of Ottokar at the beginning Of the fifth act,
can be viewed from several perspectives. Considered within
its immediate context, her death is the unfortunate con—
sequence Of an unwitting, most tragic error on the part
Of her own father. Searching for his daughter, he arrives
at the scene Of the cave and sees her, dressed as Ottokar,
beside the body of Ottokar, who is dressed in her clothing.
Unaware of the relationship which has develOped between
them and also Of the knowledge which they have gained
concerning the death Of Peter, he takes her life as an
act of just revenge for what he believes to be the murder
of his daughter. In addition, her death represents the
climax Of a series of murders which were perpetrated in
the wake Of Rupert's proclamation Of revenge in the first
scene against the House of Warwand for the alleged murder
of his young son Peter: the death of AldObern at the hands
of Sylvester's aroused subjects, the retaliatory slaying
of Jeronimus at the behest of Rupert, and the sacrificial
death of Ottokar. In the final analysis, of course, her
death, like the death of the other individuals in the
work, is the result Of the predominating state Of mistrust,
Of the rumors and unfounded suspicions which have prevailed
between the two branches Of the Familie Schroffenstein

since the inception of the "Erbvertrag."

 

163

If we consider her death, however, from her
personal perspective and from the perspective Of the
development of her relationship with Ottokar, then it
will become apparent that it occurs at a time when she
no longer has any reason or desire to continue living.

As we have seen, it is in the first scene of the third
act that the decisive moment in the relationship between
the young couple arrives. It is noteworthy to recall
the words spoken by Agnes in the belief that she is
about to be poisoned by Ottokar:

Nun ists gut.

Jetzt bin ich stark. Die Krone sank ins Meer,

Gleich einem nackten Fursten werf ich ihr

Das Leben nach. Er bringe Wasser, bringe

Mir Gift, gleichviel, ich trink es aus, er soll

Das Ungeheuerste an mir vollenden (I, 96-97).
These lines can be regarded, to a certain extent, as a
prefiguration, a presentiment of her death in the final
act. A life without love has no meaning, is not worth living
for her, but to have died at this point would have meant
dying for an incomplete love. It would have meant dying
for a love shrouded in mystery and anonymity and further—
more tainted by the mistrust and the suspicions secretly
harbored by each of the individuals involved. It is only
after she realizes how terribly she has misjudged Ottokar
and, at his urging, declares herself to be "Ganz deine, in

der grenzenlosesten/ Bedeutung" (I, 99) that an effective,

meaningful mutual relationship of love based upon complete

 

 

164

trust and confidence in the integrity of the other indi—
vidual is established.70 Furthermore, when they in this
atmosphere of complete trust gain insight into the invalidity
of their respective suspicions, thereby causing Ottokar to
determine to ascertain the truth, they simultaneously make
possible the eventual reconciliation of their families

and also create the possibility for the consummation Of

their relationship.

Although the actual consummation of this relation-
ship is averted when each of the children is killed by his
respective father, Agnes does not die, however, until she
has experienced the fulfillment of her love in Ottokar's
vivid portrayal of the bliss of the wedding night.
Diverting her attention during the exchange of clothing,
he begins with a description Of the wedding festivities--
"Erst/ Im schwarm der Gaste, die mit Blicken uns/ Wie
Wespen folgen . . ." (I, l4l)—-and concludes with an
allusion to the consummation of the act of love:

Nun entwallt "

Gleich einem fruhling—angeschwellten Strom

Die Regung ohne Mass und Ordnung--schnell

LOs ich die Schleife, schnell noch eine . . .

streife dann

Die fremde Hfille leicht dir ab (I, 142).
Moments later he is killed by his own father. Kneeling
beside his body, Agnes has no reason to attempt to flee.

In a sense, death is a release from a cruel, unjust

existence, but at the same time she, confronted with the

 

 

 

165

cruel harshness Of an enigmatic reality, has no reason
to continue living, for she has experiencecithe fulfillment

of her love.

2. Das Erdbeben in Chili: Jeronimo and Josephe

 

Stated in the simplest of terms, Jeronimo and
Josephe become the victims Of a violent mob attempting
to save itself from further expressions of the wrath Of
God. Already aroused by the sermon Of the priest, who
in his condemnation Of the moral depravity of the city
had singled out the transgression committed in the garden
of the convent and had committed the souls Of the trans—
gressors to "allen Ffirsten der HOlle" (II, 156), the
members Of the congregation are incited to action when
Meister Pedrillo, significantly depicted at a later
juncture as "der Ffirst der satanischen Rotte" (II, 158),
loudly proclaims the presence of the sinners in their
midst. Momentarily deterred when Don Fernando, whom the
cobbler mistakenly identified as Jeronimo, identifies
himself, the wrath of the crowd is restored when Don
Fernando's infant son, who is being held by Josephe,
reaches out for him: "Er is; der Vater! schrie eine
Stimme; und er ist Jeronimo Rugera! eine andere; und:
sie sind die gotteslasterlichen Menschen! eine dritte;
und: steinigt sie! steinigt sie! die ganze im Tempel

Jesu versammelte Christenheit!" (II, 157). There is again

 

 

 

166

a momentary lull in the action when Jeronimo steps forward
and, identifying himself, asks that Don Fernando be released.
The arrival Of a naval Officer at that same moment appears
to ensure a safe retreat. When the passions of the crowd
are rekindled once again, Josephe, reconciled to her fate,
entrusts the children to Fernando: "gehn Sie, Don Fernando,
retten Sie Ihre beiden Kinder, und fiberlassen Sie uns
unserm Schicksale!" (II, 157). Rejecting the request,

Don Fernando leads his retinue out of the church safely,

but it is then that the full fury Of the mob is unleashed:
"Doch kaum waren sie auf den von Menschen gleichfalls
erffillten Vorplatz derselben getreten, als eine Stimme

aus dem rasenden Haufen, der sie verfolgt hatte, rief:

dies ist Jeronimo Rugera, ihr Bfirger, denn ich bin sein

eigner Vater! und ihn an Donna Constanzens Seite mit
einem ungeheueren Keulenschlage zu Boden streckte" (II,
157-158). After Donna Constanze too is killed and it

appears that Don Fernando will soon be overcome, Josephe

places herself into the hands Of the merciless mob: "hier

 

 

mordet mich, ihr blutdfirstenden Tiger! und stfirzte sich
freiwillig unter sie, um dem Kampf ein Ende zu machen.
Meister Pedrillo schlug sie mit der Keule nieder" (II, 158).
If we consider the problem from a slightly broader
perspective, Jeronimo and Josephe are forced to succumb to
the prevailing forces, the predominate mode Of thinking of

historical reality. Both rescued miraculously from death

 

167

by the earthquake, they are reunited in a valley which
appears to them, "als ob es das Tal von Eden gewesen ware"
(II, 149). Withdrawing by themselves, they rest in the
serene tranquility of nature and make plans to settle in
Europe. These plans are altered, however, as a result

of the events which take place on the following morning.
They are treated with kindness and respect by the same
individuals who had gathered in a festive mood on the
previous day to witness Josephe's execution. A spirit

of general reconciliation seems to have come over the
populace, and Jeronimo and Josephe perceive that the
earthquake--"Sie konnten in der Erinnerung gar nicht weiter,
als bis auf ihn, zurfickgehen" (II, 151)--has effected a
complete change in the social structure and a new beginning
in human relations: "Und in der Tat schien, mitten in
diesen grasslichen Augenblicken, in welchen alle irdischen
Gfiter der Menschen zu Grunde gingen, . . . der menschliche
Geist selbst, wie eine schOne Blume, aufzugehn" (II, 152).
Social barriers and distinctions are 1ifted--"Auf den
Feldern, so weit das Auge reichte, sah man Menschen von
allen Standen durcheinander liegen, Ffirsten und Bettler,
Matronen und Bauerinnen, Staatsbeamte und Tagethner,
Klosterherren und Klosterfrauen . . ." (II, 152)—-and they
who managed to salvage vital provisions share them generously

with those who have less or none.

 

168

Their trust in the goodness Of human society
restored, Jeronimo and Josephe abandon their plan to
immigrate to Spain. It is in their decision to attend
the services in the church, however, that they, desirous
of expressing their gratitude, commit a most tragic error.
Overwhelmed by the spirit of humanitarianism which seemed
to have overcome their fellow man, they failed to reckon
with the natural frailty, the capricious nature of man
and human society and its institutions. They err,
tragically, in believing that the changes which they
have Observed in man and in the social structure are
permanent and complete.71 In the church they are once
again confronted with and are forced to succumb tO the
capriciousness of man and his institutions.

If the idyllic scene of the Novelle is considered
within the context of Kleist's artistic intent, then it
becomes apparent that, despite the tragic outcome, Kleist
intended it to be more than an "illusory and baseless"

"Wunschbild of a new Paradise";72 it is rather an artistic

 

projection of the potential level of existence which man

 

 

has the inherent potential to enjoy. Although Jeronimo

and Josephe become the victims of the misdirected, passionate
mob, their death is given meaning, it is given an added
dimension because they have witnessed and experienced the
potential of life. Hence there is nO reason for them to

attempt to save their lives.

169

3. Penthesilea: Achilles

 

The fate suffered by Achilles is similar, to a
certain extent to the fate of Jeronimo and Josephe in that
he too, because of a tragic error of judgment on his part,
becomes the victim of historical reality. It is the
intrusion of Penthesilea and the Amazonian culture into
Greek civilization--more specifically, Of course, the
intrusion into the battle between the Greeks and the
Trojans-—which determines the events Of the drama. Further-
more, it is because Of the manner in which Achilles attempts
to COpe with and to comprehend this totally alien force
that he must succumb to it. The death of both Achilles
and also Penthesilea is ultimately the result of the clash
of the conflicting values and life styles of their
respective cultures. However, death occurs, i.e., it
becomes dramatically necessary, after Achilles, who by
the assertion of his individuality and by the strength
of his inner feelings had distanced himself, although not
completely, from the tactics and the mode of thinking Of
his society, resorts at the decisive moment to a tactic
typical of the mode Of thinking of his society. Recent
critics have emphasized repeatedly that Kleist has created
in Achilles a character who is in every respect equal in
rank and stature to Penthesilea.73 The qualities which
give him stature in life also lend meaning and stature to

his death.

 

 

 

170

For the Greek kings, the intrusion Of Penthesilea
and the Amozons represents a complete enigma, one which
lies beyond the reaches of their comprehension Of the
conduct and strategy of warfare. Their conception of
warfare is based upon reason; their conduct of warfare
is determined by thoughtfully conceived plans and
strategy. Warfare represents for them, as Odysseus
indicates, the conflict between two sharply delineated,
Opposing forces: "SO viel ich weiss, gibt es in der
Natur/ Kraft bloss und ihren Widerstand, nichts Drittes"
(I, 326). In Penthesilea they are confronted with this
third force. She appears on the scene, by all appearances
in support of the Greek forces, pursuing the Trogan forces
"Wie Sturmwind ein zerrissenes GewOlk" (I, 324) as if
intending to blast them Off of the face of the earth. From
the perspective of conventional logic of warfare, there
is only one conclusion to be drawn: "Und uns die Freundin
mfissen wir sie glauben,/ Da sie sich Teukrischen die
Feindin zeigt" (I, 324). Thus the Greeks propose that
the Amazons form an alliance with them against the Trojans.
This proposal is met with scorn, however, and, in the next
onslaught, they themselves, together with the Trojans, fall
prey to the fury of the Amazons. Lacking any other
rational explanation, the Greeks can only conclude that

Penthesilea is driven by a personal hatred for Achilles:

 

 

 

171

SO folgt, so hungerheiss, die WOlfin nicht,

Durch Walder, die der Schnee bedeckt, der Beute,

Die sich ihr Auge grimmig auserkor,

Als sie, durch unsre Schlachtreihn, dem Achill (I, 327).
But, when Achilles was placed at her mercy, she spared his
life. Unable to comprehend Penthesilea's motives or
methods, unable to combat her by conventional means, they
must fall back upon their ultimate resource, their adroitness
and cleverness in devising plans and strategy for warfare,
in an attempt to overcome her with cunning.

Achilles is part Of this Greek culture, but,
although he himself does not appear in the first scene,
the reports of his actions indicate that his response to
the intrusion of Penthesilea and the Amazons differs
considerably from the tactics employed by his countrymen.
Odysseus considers his actions a matter of concern and a
potential threat to the strategy to be undertaken:

Schafft den Peliden weg von diesem Platze!

Durchbohrt mit einem Pfeilschuss, ihn zu fesseln,

Die Schenkel ihm: er weicht, so scthrt er, eher

Von dieser Amazone Ferse nicht,

Bis er bei ihren seidnen Haaren sie

Von dem gefleckten Tigerpferd gerissen (I, 328-329).
The extent to which Achilles has distanced himself from
and has asserted his individuality against the tactics,
the prevailing mode of thinking of his environment is
revealed completely in the fourth scene. Upon his

victorious return from his first round Of combat with

Penthesilea, in which he proved himself to be her equal

 

 

 

172

in every respect, he is informed by Odysseus Of the
strategy which has been devised against Penthesilea:

Wir werden mit verstelltem Rfickzug sie

In das Skamandrostal zu locken suchen,

WO Agamemnon aus dem Hinterhalt

In einer Hauptschlacht sie empfangen wird (I, 339).
Throughout the beginning Of the scene, Achilles is mentally
withdrawn. Oblivious to the words directed toward him,
he, noticing his horses, remarks laconically: "Sie
schwitzen" (I, 339). In response to Diomedes' arguments
against continuing combat with the Amazons, he, looking
Off into the distance, queries: "Steht sie noch da?"
(I, 340). When asked whether he has heard the plans,

he replies: "Nein, nichts. Was wars? Was wollt ihr?"

(I, 341). Odysseus, in repeating the plans, reveals that

 

the Greeks can and will only engage in combat with the

 

Amazons on their own terms:74

Denn Wahnsinn wars, bei den Olympischen,

Da dringend uns der Krieg nach Troja ruft,

Mit diesen Jungfraun hier uns einzulassen,

Bevor wir wissen, was sie von uns wollen,

Noch fiberhaupt nur, 9p sie uns was wollen? (I, 391).
At this juncture, Achilles does not need nor is he concerned
with the advice or strategy Of his compatriots. His desire
to seek renewed combat is determined by the strength of his
inner feelings of the need to assert his individuality as
a man against the Amazons:

Kampft ihr, wie die Verschnittnen, wenn ihr wollt;

Mich einen Mann ffihl ich, und diesen Weibern,
Wenn keiner sonst im Heere, will ich stehn! (I, 341).

173

Furthermore, he is aware Of the personal challenge which
Penthesilea has presented him:

Was mir die GOttliche begehrt, das weiss ich;

Brautwerber schickt sie mir, gefiederte,

Genung in Lfiften zu, die ihre Wfinsche

Mit Todgeflfister in das Ohr mir raunen (I, 342).
Not restricted by an adherence to conventional standards
and tactics of warfare, he is determined to respond to her
challenge on her own terms. At this stage, he too, like
Penthesilea, identifies or interchanges the concept Of
conquest on the battlefield with the concept of love.
The intensity Of his determination to fulfill his personal
committment to respond to this challenge requires that all
other commitments become subordinate:

Doch mfisst ich auch durch ganze Monden noch,

Und Jahre, um sie frein: den Wagen dort

Nicht ehr zu meinen Freunden will ich lenken,

Ich scthrs, und Pergamos nicht wiedersehn,

Als bis ich sie zu meiner Braut gemacht,

Und sie, die Stirn bekranzt mit Todeswunden,

Kann durch die Strassen hauptlings mit mir schleifen
(I, 342).

 

 

In his initial round Of combat with Penthesilea,
the vivid details of which are reported in an elaborate
manner in the second and third scenes, Achilles was able
to defeat her, not, however, in direct combat, but rather
because of a skillful maneuver on his part. During the
seventh scene, the two protagonists become engaged in direct
combat. It is important to notice, however, that the events
Of the conflict itself are not recounted in as vivid or

specific detail as were those of the first round of combat.

 

174

Of greater significance than the strategic maneuvers
executed or the prowess displayed by each of the respective
combatants are the consequences of the battle. Achilles
inflicts a serious wound upon Penthesilea but refrains from
killing her:

Doch bleich steht der Unbegreifliche,

Ein Todesschatten da, ihr GOtter! ruft er,

Was ffir ein Blick der Sterbenden traf mich! (I, 359).

Until this moment, the course Of action undertaken by both

Achilles and also Penthesilea has been motivated by the

 

mutual determination to combine the quest for love with
conquest on the battlefield, the latter being a prerequisite
for the former. Achilles has accomplished this goal.
However, just as the Greek strategy for the campaign
against the Trojans was rendered useless by the intrusion
Of an alien force, so also the conflict between Achilles
and Penthesilea has been intruded upon by a third force:
Achilles' love for Penthesilea as a woman: "Ein Gott hat,
in der erzgekeilten Brust,/ Das Herz in Liebe plfitzlich
ihm geschmelzt--" (I, 360). The ensuing action in the
drama is determined by Achilles' attempts tO effect a
mutual realization of this love.

A recession of the militancy in Achilles' love
for Penthesilea becomes apparent in the thirteenth scene.
Critics have drawn attention to the apparently contradictory
motives expressed by Achilles in this scene. On the one

hand, he expresses to Prothoe his intent to subject

175

Penthesilea to a fate similar to that suffered by Hector:
"Mein Will ist, ihr zu tun, muss ich dir sagen,/ Wie ich
dem stolzen Sohn des Priam tat" (I, 374). A moment later
he declares: "Sag ihr, dass ich sie liebe" (I, 374). From
this BlOcker concludes: "Lieben und Durch-den-Staub-Schleifen
ist ein und dasselbe."75 While this may be a reflection of
Achilles' attitude at an early stage in the drama, a more
accurate picture Of his present intent is revealed in the
clarification he Offers the bewildered Prothoe of the latter
statement:

Beim Himmel, wie! Wie Manner Weiber lieben;

Keusch und das Herz voll Sehnsucht doch, in Unschuld,

Und mit der Lust doch, sie darum zu bringen.

Ich will zu meiner KOnigin sie machen (I, 375).

The fifteenth scene is most crucial in the drama.

Under the illusion that she has conquered Achilles in
combat, Penthesilea believes that she has fulfilled her
responsibility as queen Of the Amazons and also her personal
inner commitment toward the fulfillment of the prophecy Of
her mother. It is now, in the belief that she has fulfilled
completely her destiny in life, that she can bare her soul
before Achilles and reveal to him both the origins and
customs Of the Amazonian state and also the reason for
her relentless pursuit of him. It is in the revelation
Of this information, however, that the tragedy is precipitated,

for Achilles is incapable, by virtue of his historical,

cultural heritage, of perceiving that the Amazonian practice

 

176

Of gaining love by conquest is more than a formality, a
practiced ritual, but that it is in fact the very basis
for the existence Of the Amazonian state as a religious,
political institution and also for the existence of the
individual Amazon as well.

Separated from Penthesilea because of the sudden
attack of the Amazons against the Greeks, Achilles, falling
back upon tactics typical of his environment, deploys a
ruse and challenges her once again to combat, intending
to allow himself to be captured by her:

So fordert er zum Kampf, auf Tod und Leben,

Noch einmal dich ins Feld hinaus, auf dass

Das Schwert, des Schicksals ehrne Zung entscheide,

In der gerechten GOtter Angesicht,

Wer wfirdig sei, du Oder er, von beiden,

Den Staub nach ihrem heiligen Beschluss,

Zu seines Gegners Ffissen aufzulecken (I, 402—403).
The messenger delivering this challenge arrives at a
time when Penthesilea has just sunk from the heights of
the illusory bliss which she experienced in the belief Of
having conquered Achilles to the depths of despair and
humiliation. Defeated by Achilles, responsible for the loss

of the captured Greeks, banished from the society of her

people, the strength of her inner feelings for and personal

 

 

commitment to Achilles is her ultimate, final source of
strength.76 With the arrival of the challenge, the
validity or veracity of this commitment has been called

into question:

 

177

Was ich ihm zugeflfistert, hat sein Ohr

Mit dem Musik der Rede bloss getroffen?

Des Tempels unter Wipfeln denkt er nicht,

Ein steinern Bild hat meine Hand bekranzt? (I, 403).
Her commitment to Achilles having apparently been exposed
as a fanciful illusion, her only recourse, indeed her
Obligation as titular queen Of the Amazons, at the time
is to uphold and to restore the honor of the sacred law of
Tanais which she had willfully violated in her pursuit of
him. Turning to the high priestess, she declares: "Du
sollst mir nicht umsonst gesprochen haben" (I, 404). Demon-
strating in her outward behavior all signs of insanity, she
goes out into the field accompanied by her wild beasts and
together with them destroys Achilles.

Despite the ignoble, brutal fashion in which
Achilles is slain, Kleist lends him dignity in death. It
is not without significance that the scene in which the
vicious attack is described is not preceded directly by
Penthesilea's acceptance Of the challenge, but rather by
the scene in which Achilles intent is revealed. If his
motives are examined, it can be Observed, first Of all,
that they are determined by his misconception of the
meaning Of the laws Of the Amazons:

. . . eine Grille, die ihr heilig,
Will dass ich ihrem Schwert im Kampf erliege;
Eh nicht in Liebe kann sie mich umfangen (I, 406).

In addition, he has misjudged the character, the nature

Of Penthesilea. He is aware neither Of the strength Of

 

 

178

the passions which he has unleashed in her nor of the
fact that she as an individual can find meaning or ful-
fillment only in her existence as an Amazon:

Sie tut mir nichts, sag ich! Eh wird ihr Arm,

Im Zweikampf gegen ihren Busen wfiten,

Und rufen 'Sieg!‘ wenn er von Herzblut trieft,

Als wider mich! (I, 407).
Despite the tragic errors Of judgment on his part, his
death is not a death of weakness, but rather one of
strength. His perception limited by his particular
cultural, historical heritage, he cannot begin to comprehend
or to probe her inner being. Nevertheless, he is compelled
by an inner need to win her love, and he is prepared to
sacrifice his personal interests and also the goals and
interests of his compatriots in order to commit himself
totally toward Obtaining this goal:

Beim Styx! Bei dem Lernaersumpf! Beim Hades!

Der ganzen Oberwelt und Unterwelt,

Und jedem dritten Ort: es ist mein Ernst;

Ich will den Tempel der Diana sehn! (I, 409).

It is this sense Of total commitment which lends meaning

and stature to his death.

4. Michael Kohlhaas: Michael Kohlhaas

 

Considering the issue of the death Of Michael
Kohlhaas within the context of its historical, political-
social setting, it must be observed, first Of all, that
Kohlhaas is condemned to die by the highest court of the
land, the imperial tribunal, and, in addition, that he is

not convicted for the specific acts Of violence which he

 

 

 

179

had committed on Saxon soil but rather for the more general,
though no less serious, charge for having willfully
disrupted the imperially proclaimed, general state of
public peace in the empire. Within the medieval setting,
the emperor was considered to be the representative of God,
the executor of divine judgment in earthly affairs. It

was ultimately his responsibility to preserve justice and
order in the empire, and, in this instance, it became
necessary for him to intervene because of the manner in
which the exercise and the administration Of justice had
been perverted by the Saxons. Kohlhaas' unequivocable
acceptance Of this judgment is, first Of all, consistent
with his personal sense Of and respect for justice.
Moreover, his sense of justice, his respect for justice,
requires that he accept the judgment, for to have contested
or rejected the verdict would have meant questioning the
very principles of justice which he in his course Of

77

action had sought to have implemented. In this respect

 

 

then, his acceptance Of the imperial verdict can be

construed as an awareness on his part of the need to

atone for the violations Of the law Of the land which

he had been forced to commit because the state had failed

in its function to preserve and administer justice.
Despite the presence of various prestigious

representatives of governmental agencies, the atmosphere

which pervades the day of Kohlhaas' execution is not one

 

180

of judgment or atonement, but rather one of fulfillment
and accomplishment. The meaning, the inner significance
of Kohlhaas' death lies in his awareness Of having ful-
filled completely the conditions Of the mission which

he had been called upon to perform. This becomes evident,
first of all, if we consider the nature of his mission.
Returning to Kohlhaasenbrfick after having Observed
personally the results Of the mistreatment to which his
horses had been subjected by the Tronkas, Kohlhaas,
considering all the alternatives, determines to accept

the loss if it should appear in any way that Herse had
not conducted himself properly. At the same time,
however, he is aware, after having heard of similar
injustices committed against others, that the event of
Herse's innocence will obligate him to seek recompensation:
"Dagegen sagte ihm ein ebenso vortreffliches Geffihl, und
dies Geffihl fasste tiefere und tiefere Wurzeln, . . . dass
wenn der ganze Vorfall, wie es allen Anschein habe, bloss
abgekartet sein sollte, er mit seinen Kraften der Welt in
der Pflicht verfallen wei, sich Genugtuung ffir die
erlittene Krankung, und Sicherheit ffir zukunftige seinen
Mitbfirgern zu verschaffen" (II, 16). After he experienced
failure in his every attempt to obtain even a hearing for
his charges against Wenzel von Tronka, the scope of his
mission is expanded considerably. In a placard issued

from the site of the "provisorischen Weltregierung" at

 

 

 

181

Lfitzen, he calls upon his compatriots, "sich zur Errichtung

einer besseren Ordnung der Dinge, an ihn anzuschliessen"

The changes effected in the social-political
realm are evinced first of all in that it is the Kurffirst
von Brandenburg who steps forward after Kohlhaas was
condemned by the Saxons to rescue him "aus den Handen
der Ubermacht und Willkfir" (II, 77). After being informed
by Herr Heinrich von Geusau of the complicity of his
Erzkanzler, Graf Siegfried von Kallheim, in the suppression
Of Kohlhaas' charges against Wenzel von Tronka, the
Kurffirst relieved the Graf of his position and intervened
on behalf of Kohlhaas before the imperial tribunal.
Furthermore, it was with the aid and sanction Of Elisabeth,
as we have seen, that Kohlhaas was provided with both the
information and the authority to pronounce judgment upon
the Kurffirst von Sachsen, who was ultimately responsible
for the suppression of justice in Saxony. In this con—
nection it must also be Observed that Martin Luther himself
places his sanction upon Kohlhaas' course Of action shortly
before his execution. Although he refused to administer
the sacrament of communion to Kohlhaas at the time Of
their meeting, he dispatches Jakob Freising to administer
the sacrament to him in his prison cell.

On the day of his execution, Kohlhaas receives

complete restitution for the Offenses which were committed

 

 

182

against him by Wenzel von Tronka: the horses were
restored to their original condition, the Junker is
imprisoned, and he also receives recompensation for
both his material losses and also for the costs which
were incurred because Of the mistreatment of Herse.
Informing Kohlhaas Of these developments, the Kurffirst
inquires: "Bist du mit mir zufrieden?" (II, 102). After
examining the Official documents, Kohlhaas declares,
"dass sein hOchster Wunsch auf Erden erffillt sei" (II,
102). With the exception Of the final act of judgment
yet to be performed, Kohlhaas is prepared to accept the
judgment which has been passed against him. Having
attained his goals, having fulfilled completely the
conditions of his miSsion on earth, he has thereby ful—

filled the conditions for a meaningful existence.

5. Der Findling: Piachi

 

Kohlhaas accepted his death sentence without
regret, knowing that he had fulfilled completely his
destiny in life. Piachi, sentenced to death by hanging
for the murder Of Nicolo, accepts his sentence in order
to complete after death the mission which he had under-
taken in life.

As we have seen, it was when the complete,
absolute moral depravity Of Nicolo was made manifest that
Piachi gained an awareness Of his Obligation and responsi—

bility to eradicate completely this evil force. In life

 

183

he was able to destroy Nicolo physically. The annihilation
Of Nicolo's irreparably evil soul can only be completed,
however, after death, and it is in order to accomplish
this goal that Piachi is prepared to sacrifice even his
prospects for eternal bliss. The laws Of the church
state require that a convicted criminal be granted
absolution and the sacrament of communion prior to his
execution. Piachi, however, refuses obstinately to
receive absolution, and when he is brought to the scene
Of the gallows and is confronted with the stark contrast
between the horrors Of hell and heavenly bliss, declares:
"Ich will nicht selig sein. Ich will in den untersten
Grunde der HOlle hinabfahren. Ich will den Nicolo, der
nicht im Himmel sein wird, wiederfinden, und meine Rache,
die ich hier nur unvollstandig befriedigen konnte, wieder
aufnehmen!" (II, 214-215). After he maintains his refusal
on the three suceeding days, he is executed without receiving
absolution by permission of the Pope.

Piachi's refusal tO accept the absolution Offered
by the church is more than a misguided expression of a
fanatic bent upon pursuing the Object of his revenge into
the deepest recesses of hell. An acceptance of the Offer
of absolution would have represented, first Of all, an
abdication Of his responsibility to complete the mission

which he is destined to fulfill. Furthermore, it would

 

 

 

184

have signified an acceptance, a verification of the
validity of the arbitrary, manmade laws and regulations
perpetuated by an institution whose representatives have
contrived with Nicolo to deprive him of both his legal

rights as a citizen and also Of his human dignity and

worth as an individual.

 

 

IV. CONCLUSION

Evidence of the prominent position occupied by
the thought of death in Kleist's thinking can be found
in the details of his personal biography and especially
in his letters. An analysis of excerpts taken from
letters written at various stages in his develOpment
shows that, as a result of the insights gained during
the time of the Kant crisis, Kleist's conception Of
death was inextricably linked with his perception of
his role and his goals in and for this life. With the
recognition of the invalidity of the abstract premises
supporting his teleologically directed mode of thinking
and the subsequent adoption of an Open-minded stance toward
God, Kleist became increasingly more aware Of the need for
meaningful, purposeful accomplishments in and for this life.
At the same time, the idea of death began to occupy a more
prominent position in his thinking. He was no longer
concerned primarily with the nature of or the possibility
of life after death, but rather with the manner in which the
individual faced the prospect Of death. Just as he perceived
the need for a meaningful, purposeful existence, he also
sought to establish a meaningful, purposeful basis for

death. Thus there emerged the notion that willingness

185

 

 

 

 

186

and readiness to sacrifice one's life for a higher, nobler
purpose is an essential ingredient for a meaningful
existence. In the final letters, another, yet related
dimension Of his conception of death was revealed.
Primarily as a result of the personal and professional
frustrations and defeats which he had experienced through-
out his mature years, he came to regard death as a fitting,
legitimate conclusion for the life of an individual who
had committed himself totally toward the fulfillment of
his role and the attainment of his goals in this life.
These basic elements of Kleist's conception of
death provide the conceptual basis for the employment
Of the death motif in his works. The characters in his
works who actively seek death as a result Of their inability
to COpe with their personal frustrations and with the
frustrations and inequities inherent in existence are

not permitted to die. In Die Familie Schroffenstein,

 

for example, Johann, frustrated in his attempts to possess
Agnes, pleads with her to take his life:

Es hat das Leben mich, wie eine Schlange,

Mit Gliedern, zahnlos, ekelhaft, umwunden.

Es schauert mich, es zu berfihren.--Da,

Nimm diesen Dolch (I, 87).
Kleist does not permit him to die but rather reduces him
to a state Of permanent insanity. His leading characters

do not surrender passively to death. Like the wrestler

in the essay, "Von der Uberlegung" (II, 337-338), they

 

 

187

have become involved in the struggle for and with existence.
As a result Of this confrontation, they must succumb. They
do not die or face the very real prospect of death, however,
for the sake Of the preservation of an ideal, but rather
for the sake Of, or because they have violated basic,
inalienable human rights and values. By incorporating

the basic elements Of his conception of death into his
works, Kleist endows the death of his leading protagonists

with a concrete, existential significance.

 

On the most basic level, death is the result of
prevailing circumstances in an imperfect world. The death

of an individual who becomes the innocent victim Of these

 

circumstances functions primarily as a catalyst. It
provides the impetus for the ensuing action, and it also
evokes responses from the individuals who are responsible
for or affected by this death which are indicative of
their modes of thinking at the time.

The majority of the instances Of death in Kleist's
works, however, occur in conjunction with either the
acceptance and awareness of or the denial on the part
Of an individual or social institution Of basic,
inalienable human rights and values. Kleist employs

the anticipatory experience of death as a means to bring

 

certain characters to an awareness Of either their own
inadequacies or of the inadequacies or inequities Of a

predominating social institution. As a result of this

 

—B=====~—— Wf:f~v~ff:;r r .i" , t ' a t t -

188

experience, they begin to gain insight into the actual

meaning and purpose of life. The sacrificial death is

 

a value-related expression on the part of those individuals
who selflessly risk their lives for others because they

are aware of or have just become aware of the need to
preserve and uphold those inalienable human rights and
values which are essential for human existence. The

death of atonement is a voluntary act on the part of those

 

individuals who have come to the recognition that they in
their willful actions have violated the rights and values
Of their fellow man. They must die, for, by depriving
their fellow man of these rights and values, have deprived
him Of the right to, the basis for, a meaningful existence.
Those individuals, however, who are unwilling or unable

to perceive the need to atone for the Offenses which they

have committed must suffer death by judgment. The final

 

section Of this study treated those individuals who are
forced to succumb because they have asserted themselves
against a predominating force or the prevailing mode Of
thinking in their historical environment. The death of

these individuals gains meaning and stature, however, in

that they, in accordance with the conditions which the

author established for his own death, have either experienced
fulfillment in life or have selflessly committed themselves

totally toward the attainment of a meaningful goal in life.

 

 

FOOTNOTES

1. Since it is not within the scope Of this
investigation to deal in great detail with biographical
data, the reader is referred to the biography I consulted:
Joachim Maass, Kleist, die Fackel Preussens: Eine
Lebensgeschichte (Wien, Mfinchen, Basel, 1957).

 

 

2. Heinz Ide, Der junge Kleist . . . in dieser
wandelbaren Zeit . . ." (Wfirzburg, 1961), p. 138).

 

 

3. All references to Kleist's works, both in the
text and also in the footnotes, are to Heinrich von
Kleist: Samtliche Werke und Briefe, ed. by Helmut
Sembdner (4thed., 2 vols.; Mfinchen, 1965). In May of
1802, Kleist writes to Ulrike von Kleist: "So habe ich
zum Beispiel jetzt eine seltsame Furcht, ich mOchte
sterben, ehe ich meine Arbeit vollendet habe" (II, 724).

 

 

4. "O wenn Gott diesmal mein krankhaftes Geffihl
nicht betrfigen wollte, wenn er mich sterben liesse" (II,
710).

5. After the complete collapse Of his plans for
the "Guiskard" tradegy, Kleist, informing Ulrike of his
plans to join the French army, exclaims: ". . . ich
frohlocke bei der Aussicht auf das unendlich-prachtige

Grab" (III 737)-

6. A passage Often cited as an example of his
metaphysical speculations is the following: "Komm lass
uns etwas Gutes tun und dabei sterben! Einen der Millionen
Tode, die wir schon gestorben sind und noch sterben
werden. Es ist, als Ob wir aus einem Zimmer in das
andere gehen. Sieh, die Welt kommt mir vor wie
eingeschachtelt; das kleine ist dem grossen ahnlich.
SO wie der Schlaf, in dem wir uns erholen, etwa ein
Viertel oder Drittel der Zeit dauert, da wir uns, im
Wachen, ermfiden, so wird, denke ich, der Tod, und aus
einem ahnlichen Grunde, ein Viertel Oder Drittel des
Lebens dauern. Und gerade so lange braucht ein menschlicher
KOrper, zu verwesen. Und vielleicht gibt es ffir eine ganze
Gruppe von Leben noch einen eignen Tod, wie hier ffir eine
Gruppe von Durchwachungen (Tagen) einen" (II, 768—769).

189

 

 

 

190

7. Of interest here is the letter of February 22,
1811, to Friedrich von Raumer. Kleist, seeking to salvage
something from the aborted "Abendblétter" venture, pleads
for justice and also for recompensation for his personal
losses. He also bemoans the loss of honor which he has
suffered as a result of the proceedings and the fact that
he is made to appear as a liar. The similarity to Michael
Kohlhaas' case are readily apparent.

8.‘ A most Obvious parallel is Gustav in Die
Verlobung in St. Domingo. He too committed suicide with
a loaded revolver.

 

9. One can point to such expressions as Penthesilea's
”Ganz reif zum Tode O Diana, ffihl ich mich" (I, 421), which
parallel sentiments expressed by Kleist in his final days
(of. II, 885). One can also compare Kleist's "Heiterkeit"
and "Freude" (II, 887) in the face of death tO that of
Prinz Friedrich von Homburg (I, 708) and Kohlhaas (II,
100).

 

lO. Rudolf Unger, Herder, Novalis und Kleist:
Studien fiber die Entwicklung des Todesproblems in Denken
und Dichten vom Sturm und’Drang zur Romantik, reprint of
the edition publiShed’in Frankfurt am Main, 1922 (Darmstadt,
1968).

 

 

 

 

ll. Josef Collin, "Heinrich von Kleist, der Dichter
des Todes," Euphorion, XXVII (1926), 69-112.

 

12. Anneliese Bodensohn, Heinrich von Kleists
Begegnung mit dem Tode (Frankfurt am Main and Bonn, 1951).

 

 

13. Martin Lintzel, "Liebe und Tod bei Heinrich
von Kleist," Ausgewahlte Schriften, Vol. II (Berlin, 1961),
533-580.

 

l4. Benno von Wiese, "TragOdie, Tod und Geschichte
bei H. von Kleist," Die deutsche TragOdie von Lessing bis
Hebbel, 6th ed. (Hamburg, 1964), 327—344.

 

15. René Wellek and Austin Warren, Theory of
Literature, 3rd ed. (New York, 1956), p. 78.

 

 

16. Ibid., p. 78.

17. Walter Mfiller-Seidel, Versehen und Erkennen:
Eine Studie fiber Heinrich von Kleist (KOIn, Graz, 1961),

p. 4.

 

 

191

18. Walter Silz, Heinrich von Kleist: Studies in
his Works and LiteraryCharacter (Philadelphia, 1961),
p. 281.

 

19. Das sprachliche Kunstwerk: Eine Einffihrung in
die Literaturwissenschaft, 11th ed. (Bern und Mfinchen,
1956), p. 60.

 

20., Ibid., p. 62.
21. Mfiller—Seidel, op. cit., 176-177.
22. Cf. John Geary, Heinrich von Kleist: A Study

in Tragedy and Anxiety (Philadelphia, 1968), p. 12. Also
see Josef Collin, op. cit., p. 72.

 

 

23. Rolf Dfirst, Heinrich von Kleist Dichter zwischen
Ursprung und Endzeit: Kleists Werk im Licht idealistischer
Eschatologie (Bern, 1965), p. 15.

 

 

 

24. Hans Joachim Kreutzer, Die dichterische
Entwicklung Heinrichs von Kleist: Untersuchungen zu seinen
Briefen und zu Chronologie und Aufbau seiner Werke, in
Philologische Studien und Quellen, ed. by Wolfgang Binder,
Hugo Moser, Karl Stackmann, NO. 41 (Berlin, 1968), P. 59.

 

 

 

 

25. Ibid., pp. 53-54.

 

26. Ibid., p. 52.

 

27. Unger, op, cit., pp. 93-94.

28. Ide, op. cit., p. 112.

 

29. Ludwig Muth, Kleist und Kant: Versuch einer
neuen Interpretation, in Kantstudien, Erganzungshefte 68
(K6111, 1.954) I p0 34.

 

 

 

30. One can, of course, detect here the strong
influence of Enlightment philOSOphy and thought,
especially Leibniz' Monadic theory. Unger also discusses
this quotation in the light Of Herder's theory Of
Palingenesis, pp. 109-111.

31. Cf. Muth, pp. 49—50: ". . . Kleists
Wissenschaftsideal wurde bestimmt durch die teleologische
Naturlehre der deutschen Aufklarung. Das bedeutet im
Hinblick auf die Auffassung von Wahrheit, dass man dem
Wissenschaftler zutraut, er fasse in dem Zweckgeffige des
Kosmos die Absichten des weisesten und vollkommensten
Wesens. Die Erkenntnisse der Naturforschung erreichen

 

 

192

die Gedanken Gottes, darum sind sie von ewiger Dauer und
Gfiltigkeit; in Kleists Grundvorstellung fibersetzt: sie
gelten nicht nur im irdischen Bereich, sondern auch nach
dem Tode, auf den hOheren Vollkemmenheitsstufen."

32. Ibid., p. 19.

33. Cf. Kreutzer, op. oiE., p. 55: Die Aufgabe des
Glaubens an die durchgehende Verstehbarkeit des Ordnungsgeffiges
der Welt (bei gleichzeitiger Anerkenntnis des Vorhandenseins
einer Ordnung) ist eine fundamentale Voraussetzung ffir die
Dichtung Kleists."

34. Ibid., p. 89.
35. Cf. footnote 32.

36. E. L. Stahl, Heinrich von Kleist's Dramas
(Oxford, 1961), p. 1. Also see COIlIn, op. cit., p. 77.

37. Geary, op. cit., p. 12.
38. Cf. II, pp. 641, 655, 710, 724, 737, 763, 768.

39. The retention Of this attitude toward life can
be observed in the following passage: ”Dieses rétselhaftes
Ding, das wir besitzen, wir wissen nicht von wem, das uns
fortffihrt, wir wissen nicht wohin, das unser Eigentum ist,
wir wissen nicht Ob wir darfiber schalten dfirfen, eine
Habe, die nichts wert ist, wenn sie uns etwas wert ist,
ein Ding wie ein Widerspruch, flach und tief, Ode und reich,
wfirdig und verachtlich, vieldeutig und unergrfindlich, ein
Ding, das jeder wegwerfen mOchte, wie ein unverstandliches
Buch, sind wir nicht durch ein Naturgesetz gezwungen, es
zu lieben?" (II, 670).

40. This positive approach to the Kant crisis is
based upon the interpretation presented by Professor
Belgardt in the Kleist Seminar Of Spring, 1971. I am
deeply grateful for his having permitted me to base my
investigation Of the death motif upon this interpretation.
I should also like to express my appreciation to him for
having made available the unpublished manuscript Of a
paper, "Das Erfahrungssubstrat der Kantkrise in der
Fabelkonzeption bei Heinrich von Kleist," which was read
at the 84th Annual Meeting Of the MLA of America, German
sec. 4, Denver, Colorado, December, 1969.

41. In the opening lines Of the essay, Kleist
presents a picture of the level Of existence which man
could attain if he were to develop the potential with

 

 

 

193

which he has been endowed: "Gott, mein Vater im Himmel!
Du hast dem Menschen ein so freies, herrliches und fippiges
Leben bestimmt. Krafte unendlicher Art spielen in seiner

Brust zusammen, um ihn zum KOnig der Erde zu machen" (II,
325). Despite his noble calling, man has succumbed to
various forces in his environment and finds himself, "auf

verwundernswfirdige und unbegreifliche Weise, in Ketten und
Banden" (II, 325). Blinded by the error Of his own ways,
man has lost sight of the highest and noblest things in
life. He gropes about, "wie mit Blindheit geschlagen,
unter Jammerlichkeiten und Nichtigkeiten umher" (II,

325). It is the mission of the artist to use his talents
to awaken his fellow man from his slumber and to reinstate
in him an awareness of his potential destiny: ". . . ihn
rfistest du mit dem KOcher der Rede, dass er, furchtlos

und liebreich, mitten unter sie trete, und sie mit Pfeilen,
bald scharfer, bald leiser, aus der wunderlichen
Schlafsucht, in welcher sie befangen liegen, wecke" (II,
326).

42. Walther Rehm, Der Todesgedanke in der deutschen
Dichtung vom Mittelalter bis zur Romantik, in DVLG, Buch—
reihe, Vol. XIV (Halle, Salle, 1928), p. 443.

 

 

43. Mfiller—Seidel, op, 212'! p. 83, relates the
death of Elisabeth to Kohlhaas' decision to undertake his
course of revenge. He had already made plans to take up
arms, however, prior to her death. It was the anticipated
rejection of his final appeal which arrived on the day of
Elisabeth's funeral which provided the immediate impetus
for his actions.

44. Heinz Ide, "Kleist im Niemandsland?," Kloiop
und die Gesellschaft: Eine Diskussion, ed. by Walter
Mfiller-Seidel (Berlin, 1965), p. 33, interprets this
passage as follows: "Kohlhaas sagt nicht, er wolle
verhindern, dass die Welt in einem ungerechten Handel
umkomme, er sagt vielmehr, er wolle zeigen, dass sie in
einem solchen nicht umgekommen s e i." From the context
Of the entire sentence, it is clear, however, that the
pronoun "sie" refers to "meine Frau" not tO "die Welt."

 

45. Cf. Mfiller-Seidel, op. cit., p. 53: "Nur mit
immer erneut auszusprechenden Vorbehalten wird man dieses
Stfick in das dichterische Werk Kleists einbeziehen durfen."

46. Richard Samuel, "Kleists 'Hermannsschlacht'
und der Freiherr vom Stein," Heinrich von Kleist: Aufsatze
und Essays, ed. by Walter Mfiller-Seidel (Darmstadt, 1967),
p. 413.

 

 

 

 

 

194

47. The reference is to the letter of July 21, 1801,
to Wilhelmine: "Wer es [das Leben] mit Sorgfalt liebt,
moralisch tot ist er schon, denn seine hOchste Lebenskraft,

namlich es Opfern zu kOnnen, modert, indessen er es pflegt"
(II, 670).

48. "Zu Kleists 'Kathchen von Heilbronn,'" Heinrich
von Kleist: Aufsatze und Essays, ed. by Walter Mfiller-
Seidel (Darmstadt, 1967), pp. 327-328.

 

49. In his selfless devotion to Littegarde, Friedrich
gives expression to one of the values ranking high on
Kleist's scale: complete, unquestioning trust. In a
letter written in the beginning of the year 1800 to
Wilhelmine, he states: "Lassen Sie uns bald recht ioolg
vertraut werden, damit wir uns ganz kennen lernen. Ich-
weiss nichts, Wilhelmine, in meiner Seele regt sich kein
Gedanke, kein Geffihl in meinem Busen, das ich mich scheuen
dfirfte Ihnen mitzuteilen. Und was kOnnte Sie wohl bewegen,
die erste Bedingung der Liebe, das Vertrauen zu verletzten?“
(II, 503-503).

50. Cf. Sylvester's statements in Die Familie
Schroffenstein upon his return from unconsciousness:

 

 

Was mich freut

Ist dass der Geist doch mehr ist, als ich glaubte,
Denn flieht er gleich auf einen Augenblick,

An seinen Urquell geht er nur, zu Gott,

Und mit Heroenkraft kehrt er zurfick (I, 82).

51. Cf. V. C. Hubbs, "The Concept of Fate in
Kleist's 'Schroffenstein,'" Monatshefte, LVI (December,
1964), 340, who asserts that Jeronimus is the only
character who "employs reason almost exclusively as a
means of solving the problem of Sylvester's guilt or
innocence." Jeronimus' ready acceptance of the "evidence"
presented to him at Rossitz indicates, however, that he
too is susceptible to appearances and circumstancial
evidence.

 

52. Cf. Mfiller-Seidel, op. cit., pp. 40-42.
53. Cf. Durst, op. cit., p. 159.
54. Cf. Friedrich Koch, Heinrich von Kleist:

Bewusstsein und Wirklichkeit (Stuttgart, 1958), pp. 78—
80.

 

 

55. Cf. Lintzel, op, cit., pp. 547-548.

 

 

 

195

56. Gerhard Fricke, "'Penthesilea,'" Das deutsche
Drama, ed. by Benno von Wiese, Vol. I (Dfisseldorf, 1964),
p. 377.

 

 

57. Cf. Geary, op. cit., pp. 141-142.
58. Fricke, op. cit., p. 383.

59. Cf. the letter of October 27, 1801 to
Wilhelmine:' "Welche ist das hOchste Bedurfnis des Weibes?
Ich mfisste mich nicht irren, wenn Du anders antworten
kOnntest, als: die Liebe ihres Mannes" (II, 697).

60. It is confirmed by Kohlhaas' letter to the
Kurffirst von Sachsen, and confirmation is implicit in the
Kurffirst von Brandenburg's intervention into Kohlhaas'
case.

61. BlOcker, op, cit., p. 218.

62. Ibid.

 

63. Silz, op. cit., p. 196.

 

64. BlOcker, op. oiE,, p. 222.

65. Because of the singular nature and purpose of
the course of revenge and judgment undertaken and instigated
by Hermann, I have chosen not to concentrate upon the indi—
vidual victims of his revenge but rather upon his role as
an executor of revenge and judgment.

66. "Kleists 'Hermannsschlacht' und der Frieherr
vom Stein," op. cit., p. 440.

67. Heinrich von Kleist, op. cit., p. 13.

 

68. Ibid., p. 26.

 

69. Italics mine.

70. Cf. footnote 51.

71. Mfiller-Seidel, op. 333., p. 139.
72. 'Silz, op. 315°! p. 21.

73. Cf. BlOcker, op. cit., p. 184; Fricke, op, cit.,
p. 381; Mfiller—Seidel, op, cit., p. 98.

 

196

74. For the ideas in the above paragraphs I am
indebted to Mfiller-Seidel, Versehen und Erkennen, pp. 38-40.

 

75. BlOcker, op, cit., p. 185.
76. Cf. Fricke, op, cit., pp. 380-381.

77. This notion is reflected by BlOcker, op. 933.,
p. 282: "Er stirbt, weil er Von der Welt nicht etwas verlangen
kann, was er selbst nicht zu geben bereit ist. Indessen er
sie bei ihren eigenen Forderungen nimmt, zwingt er sie, auch
ihrerseits diesen Forderungen zu gehorchen."

 

 

BIBLIOGRAPHY

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1965.

 

Secondary Literature

 

BlOcker, Gfinter. Heinrich von Kleist oder Das absolute Ich.
Berlin, 1960.

 

BOckmann, Paul. "Kleists Aufsatz 'Uber das Marionetten—
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Bodensohn, Anneliese. Heinrich von Kleists Begegnung mit
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Collin, Josef. "Heinrich von Kleist, der Dichter des
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"Notizen fiber den Dichter ohne Gesellschaft,"
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Dabcovich, Elena. "Die Marionette: Die LOsung eines kfinst—
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Ellis, J. M. "Der Herr lasst regnen fiber Gerechte und
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Holz, Hans Heinz. Macht und Ohnmacht der Sprache: Unter—
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Ibel, Rudolf. Heinrich von Kleist: Schicksal und Botschaft.
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199

Ide, Heinz. "Kleist im Niemandsland?" Kleist und die
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Kayser, Wolfgang. Das sprachliche Kunstwerk: Eine
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Kohrs, Ingrid. Das Wesen des Tragischen im Drama
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Kommerell, Max. Geist und Buchstabe der Dichtung.
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Kreutzer, Hans Joachim. Die dichterische Entwicklung
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Maass, Joachim. Kleist, die Fackel Preussens: Eine Lebens-
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200

Muschg, Walter. Tragische Literaturgeschichte. Bern, 1948.

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