Peter Mersch
Luther bis Lessing
Teil I.
Biography or the life of a barock playwright
-Born in 1616, died 1664 in Glogau, Silesia
-Was Lutheran!
-Moved to Danzig in 1634, where he was introduced to a “German Poetry” and met several contemporary thinkers and scientists; Crüger-Opitz
-1636 he became tutor to the family Schönborner, the head of which (Georg gest. 1637) was a wealthy and well know scholar throughout the Hapsburg Empire as well as Hofpfalzgraf, a title he was awarded. Schönborner awarded Gryphius title of Master of Philosphy.
-Traveled to France,Italy and in between.
-Settled in 1647 in Freystadt, Bayern
-1650 he received a post back in his hometown where he remained until death
30 Years War or that big mess over religion
From 1618-1648, Gryphius lived the largest part of his life within this time-span, a fact which left a lasting impression on his outlook, his experiences and his works. Impacted the lives of his family and Friends; father was forced to leave Silesia and attained a position in Prussia. Death of friends, first-hand view of destruction of cities, through war and fire (Freystadt & Glogau)
Werke or Andre’s selected writings
Gedicthe
-1639 Son- und Feyrtags-Sonnete
-1650 Teutsche Reim-Gedichte
-1657 Deutscher Gedichte Erster Theil
-u.a.
Trauerspiele
-1650 Leo Armenius. Fürsten Mord
-1657 Cardenio und Celinde. Oder Unglückliche Verliebte
-1657 Catharina von Georgien. Oder Bewehrete Beständigkeit
-1657 Ermordete Majestät. Carolus Stuardus.
-1659 Papinian. Großmütiger Rechts-Gelehter......
Lustspiele
-1658 Absurda Comica oder Herr Peter Squentz
-1661 Verlibtes Gespenste & Die gelibte Dornrose
-1663 Horribilicribrifax Teutsch
Teil II.
Leo Armenius
-In fünf “Abhandlungen” geschrieben; 9th-10th century Constantinople
-Auf einer “wahren” Geschichte gebast; has many similarities to the story of Byzantine Emporer Leo Armenius (from Armenia, then a part of the East Roman/Byzantine Empire); Originally told by the Byzantine Historians Cedrenus and Zonaras.
-Byzantine Emperor: the king of 17th century Europe
-Italienische Reisen; he supposedly first encountered the story while in Italy on vacation
-In Paarreim, Kreuzreim geschrieben. Linguistically interesting due to being one of the first Tragedies to be written in FNHD, which therefore embodies many of the linguistic imperfections of the new language.
-Like most of his Trauerspiele, deals with the act of Regicide and the troubles which ensue thereof. From Spahr; “This first drama of Grypius is also perhaps his greatest. Here he has illustrated the most heinous crime of his era, a theme which will engage him again in that most famous case (Carolus Stuardus).” King Charles I was executed at the height of the Interregnum1649-1660.
-In her Book, The Construction of Gryphius Historical Tragedies, Stackhouse explores in detail these similarities and differences. The Major departure occurs with Gryphius’ artistic interpretation and reworking of the historical tragedies.
-Several different publications; A-1650, B-1657, C-1663
-Stackhouse; “Like the division of characters, the plot structure and course of action follow a zig-zag course between “good” and “evil” throughout all five acts.”
Themes,Receptions and Opinions or die verschiedenen Schichten von Leo
-Religion; Language/Reason; Gerechtigkeit; Vanitas
-Jesus! Theme. Leo goes from blasphemy to martyrdom. When taken into account with the original (historical) recording of the Regicide, Religion is criticized. Cedrenus, “Leo was frightened at the thought of insulting God and he postponed the execution.” With Gryphius this changes.
-Martydom; visions & dreams, the divine, Blut des Herrns, place of his death & the cross. The symbols and scenes that bind the story to a religious context.
-The Transitory through the turning of the Wheel; with the case of Regicide, Gryphius portrays the ultimate form of the vanity of the worldly. “The Drama illustrates the transitorinessof all things in THIS world, as well as the inevitable turn of the wheel, and it accomplishes this purpose by the presentation of a royal tragedy,…, in which both the protagonist and the antagonist, difficult to tell apart in the cyclic course of history, both present their case on equal ground.” (Spahr)
-Gryphius and Crisis; As it is clear, Gryphius is himself engaged with the religious dialectic/conflict/criticism of his time, Küng (from his book Literature & Religion) offers us a deeper insight. “Gryphius evokes in us both agreement and distance. In reading the texts, we agree with the description of all the uncertainty of our life, all the anxiety, fear and concern. We agree with the description of the crisis of our time, with the acknowledgment of the fact that our life before God is, in the final analysis, vain and transitory. It will fade away like the smoke blown by strong winds. We agree, then, that Gryphius’ faith is tied in with the perception of crisis; it cannot be thought through or lived out while disregarding all the thousandfold threats he faced. This man is close to us because we, too, live in an “age of anxiety” (modernity?) and have come to know the apocalyptic destruction of the world as a technical possibility.”
-The true ruler? With whom to associate, to sympathize? Most would say that we would identify with Leo. Spahr (Andreas Gryphius: a Modern Perspective) suggests that it should not matter, it would make no difference. He points out; “to one schooled as Gryphius was, by that political scientist, Georg Schönborner, who taught that only those tyrants who had gained the throne by illegal means might be deposed. A legitimate ruler might be assailed only the laws and with legal methods.” From his interpretation of Gryphius’ teacher, one must analyze the background to the Leo Armenius story in relation to the actually history. This Spannung can be seen often in Gryphius’ Leowhere questions of what is just arise. “Dir wird/ was Leo trägt”
-Martyr or Usurper? With a little background of the story and with help from others, one might be more prepared to read Leo in a different light. “Leo Armenius deserves to be singled out for the framework common to all three heroes (of his tragedies). Papinianus and Carolus are unequivocally political martyr-figures with religious overtones. Leo the Armenian has a dual function. He is a martyr in relation to the new usurper Michael Balbus, but at the same time he is an iconoclast and usurper himself, an object of Divine Retribution.” (Alan Menhennet)
Teil III.
Lustspiele
Absurda Comica
-Satire/Comedy, based loosely off Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
-“Gryphius trifft…. Mit seiner Gestalt des Schulmeisters Peter Squentz genau die soziologische Schicht, die das Drama des Vorbarocks trägt, soweit es nicht Meistersingerdrama ist.”
-Is described as a „Karikatur der bürgerlichen Welt zum Amüsement der höfischen Welt zu bieten,“ by Wilhelm und Eggebert
-Shows the courtly contempt for the lower classes but also the consequence of those who allow themselves to be overtaken by there desire and loose control of themselves.
Teil IV.
Zitate
To the criticism of religion or the spiritual; (III,280)
-Leo: der himmel hat durch träum offt grosse ding entdeckt
-Exabolius: der wahn hat offt durch träum ein mdes hertz erschreckt
-Leo: der traum von Phocas hat dem maurtiz nicht gelogen
-Examolius: wer viel auf trauma baut, wird allzuviel betrogen.
Adel-kritisch? (III, 338)
-Michael: Blutdurstiger tyrann! Hat wohl die grosse welt ein dir gliech tiegerthier? Hat das verbrennte feld des wuesten Lybines so ungeheure leuen? Kan uns die hölle selbst mit mehrer mord-lust dräuen? Verfluchter fürst! Ich irr; kan der ein fürste seyn, an dem nichts fürstlichs ist?
Religious beliefs & transitory natures; (V, 208)
-Priester: man stirbt nicht, wie man wündscht, nur wie der höchste wil.
-Michael (II, 177): wer lebt, der irrt und fällt.
Gerechtigkeit & Vernünftigdenken (V, 396)
-Theodosia: Wir bitten um das leben, das du uns schuldig bist. Heiß schwerdt, heiß dolchen geben
-Theodosia (V, 402): …. Ihr menschen, schaut uns an! Ihr geister, hört uns zu! Die, als licht erblichen, der grossen welt gebot, als eine gotten pflag, die findt sich, eh die zeit nunmehr nahen tag die sonnen grüssen läst, veracht, veracht, verhöhnet, verworffen, abgestrützt, mit ach und angst gekrönet. Die lernt, wie nahe höh und fall beysammen steh, wie wenig zwischen stuhl und kercker zeit vergeh.
Language & rhetorics -> arts or speaking: (II, 549)
-Michael: Verflucht wer auf den eyd der leichten menschen baut! Verflucht wer, auf den mund und auf versprechen traut!