This study examines the late plays Rosamunde Floris und Alain und Elise by the playwright Georg Kaiser (1878-1945). The childhood of Georg Kaiser was very traumatic and the recurring motive of "longing for Paradise" and the archetype of the orphan had their roots in this childhood. Examination of his letters shows that the "God is dead" philosophy became part of his beliefs at an early stage of his literary production.
The main findings of this study are: (1) To replace the loss of belief in the Judaeo-Christian tradition, the poet returns to mythological structures and symbols. In Rosamunde Floris, Rosamunde is firmly placed in the matriarchal epoch of human history within the historical scheme of Bachofen. There is a clear progression from the initial aphroditic hetairism of Rosamunde to her final transfiguration as dionysian guardian of mysteries. Her death as Amazon signifies the highest degree of spiritual development within the demetrian epoch of humanity. (2) In Alain und Elise, the poet transcends this demetrian realm by the step from gynaicocracy to patriarchy and the inherent victory of enlightenment over chthonic darkness. The central court trial and its proclaimed search for truth is supported by literary allusions to the work of Novalis where the return to childhood and the finding of Paradise are central motives. In the final scene God is dead both in the sense of the Christian tradition and as metaphysical being. Final truth is to be found only within each human being, and the suffering of separation and exile prepares for a new transcendent found only in oneself. (3) The victory of the forces of light over the chthonic is carried to the conclusion in the Hellenic plays by Kaiser. In the last drama Bellerophon, Bellerophon is an orphan raised by the Light-God Apollo. For his unerring adherence to truth, Bellerophon is ultimately transposed into the stars, not only because truth has no place on earth, but also because the universe is so desolate that even the Gods are lonely.
This re-evaluation of these late plays by Kaiser does not only prove that they constitute an integral part of the poet's literary development, but it necessitates also a re-assessment of Kaiser's entire literary oeuvre. (Abstract shortened with permission of author.)
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:RICE/oai:scholarship.rice.edu:1911/16074 |
| Date | January 1987 |
| Creators | JUSTEN, WOLFGANG HEINRICH |
| Source Sets | Rice University |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis, Text |
| Format | application/pdf |
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