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The four plays presented here, two newly translated for this edition, are The Broken Pitcher, Amphitryon, Penthesilea, and Prince Frederick of Homburg. As E.L. Docotorow says, 'a Kleist play may be set in ancient Greece, in Holland, or in seventeenth century Prussia, but the fortress of consciousness is where the action occurs.'
640 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1962
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About the author
Heinrich von Kleist
1,022 books354 followersThe dramatist, writer, lyricist, and publicist Heinrich von Kleist was born in Frankfurt an der Oder in 1777. Upon his father's early death in 1788 when he was ten, he was sent to the house of the preacher S. Cartel and attended the French Gymnasium. In 1792, Kleist entered the guard regiment in Potsdam and took part in the Rhein campaign against France in 1796. Kleist voluntarily resigned from army service in 1799 and until 1800 studied philosophy, physics, mathematics, and political science at Viadrina University in Frankfurt an der Oder. He went to Berlin early in the year 1800 and penned his drama "Die Familie Ghonorez". Kleist, who tended to irrationalism and was often tormented by a longing for death, then lit out restlessly through Germany, France, and Switzerland.
After several physical and nervous breakdowns, in which he even burned the manuscript of one of his dramas, Heinrich von Kleist reentered the Prussian army in 1804, working in Berlin and Königsberg. There he wrote "Amphitryon" and "Penthesilea."
After being discharged in 1807, Kleist was apprehended on suspicion of being a spy. After this he went to Dresden, where he edited the art journal "Phoebus" with Adam Müller and completed the comedy "The Broken Pitcher" ("Der zerbrochene Krug") and the folk play "Katchen von Heilbronn" ("Das Käthchen von Heilbronn").
Back in Berlin, the one time Rousseau devotee had become a bitter opponent of Napoleon. In 1811, he finished "Prinz Friedrich von Homburg." Finding himself again in financial and personal difficulties, Heinrich von Kleist, together with his lover, the terminally ill Henriette Vogel, committed suicide near the Wannsee in Berlin in 1811.
[From http://www.heinrich-von-kleist.com/]
After several physical and nervous breakdowns, in which he even burned the manuscript of one of his dramas, Heinrich von Kleist reentered the Prussian army in 1804, working in Berlin and Königsberg. There he wrote "Amphitryon" and "Penthesilea."
After being discharged in 1807, Kleist was apprehended on suspicion of being a spy. After this he went to Dresden, where he edited the art journal "Phoebus" with Adam Müller and completed the comedy "The Broken Pitcher" ("Der zerbrochene Krug") and the folk play "Katchen von Heilbronn" ("Das Käthchen von Heilbronn").
Back in Berlin, the one time Rousseau devotee had become a bitter opponent of Napoleon. In 1811, he finished "Prinz Friedrich von Homburg." Finding himself again in financial and personal difficulties, Heinrich von Kleist, together with his lover, the terminally ill Henriette Vogel, committed suicide near the Wannsee in Berlin in 1811.
[From http://www.heinrich-von-kleist.com/]
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
July 17, 2016
The Broken Pitcher **** – This is a wonderful play. I don’t know if this fits the definition of a farce, but it comes close. Justice Adams is a delightfully prevaricating character, and the other characters -- Walter, Link, Mrs. Martha – are well drawn.
As others have pointed out, this is an interesting mirror image of Oedipus – the protagonist knows his guilt before everyone else. It also has the flavor of Gogol’s The Inspector General.
In addition to the characterization, the verse features entertaining wordplay, excellent dialogue, a skillfully constructed plot and, of course, much humor. I highly recommend this play.
Prince Frederick of Homburg ** – This is a strange play. The outline of the plot (particularly the ending) is rather ingenious and interesting, but in its development and writing it seems to fail. The Prince is not believable or likeable. The vacillation between absurd self-pity and excessive self-aggrandizement is rather hard to take. I don’t mind that he desperately wants to save his life – but he loses me when he tells Natalie to marry someone else, then he declares she’s too in love with him and she should join a nunnery. Huh?
While I was reading, I kept thinking the Prince was a pale reflection of Hamlet. The “get thee to a nunnery” remark was the clincher. Hamlet is vacillating, annoying, petty, and alternately weak-willed and bombastic. But Shakespeare’s Hamlet somehow rises above these annoying traits. Perhaps it’s because of the gravity of Hamlet’s situation – the death of his father, the visit of the ghost, his mother re-marrying, his attempted murder, the death of Ophelia, etc.
The Prince of Homburg’s situation is ephemeral. His problems are strange dreams. It is these dreams (and a rather starry-eyed love) that leads him astray. It all seems rather absurd and inconsequential. And then the reaction of the Elector is highly dubious. Death for not following orders in a battle? I know a bit of military history and if every commander who disobeyed or disregarded orders were put to death, there would be peace on earth because there would be none left. The Elector’s response is hysterical. (It was much admired by the Nazis. Nuff said.)
As others have pointed out, this is an interesting mirror image of Oedipus – the protagonist knows his guilt before everyone else. It also has the flavor of Gogol’s The Inspector General.
In addition to the characterization, the verse features entertaining wordplay, excellent dialogue, a skillfully constructed plot and, of course, much humor. I highly recommend this play.
Prince Frederick of Homburg ** – This is a strange play. The outline of the plot (particularly the ending) is rather ingenious and interesting, but in its development and writing it seems to fail. The Prince is not believable or likeable. The vacillation between absurd self-pity and excessive self-aggrandizement is rather hard to take. I don’t mind that he desperately wants to save his life – but he loses me when he tells Natalie to marry someone else, then he declares she’s too in love with him and she should join a nunnery. Huh?
While I was reading, I kept thinking the Prince was a pale reflection of Hamlet. The “get thee to a nunnery” remark was the clincher. Hamlet is vacillating, annoying, petty, and alternately weak-willed and bombastic. But Shakespeare’s Hamlet somehow rises above these annoying traits. Perhaps it’s because of the gravity of Hamlet’s situation – the death of his father, the visit of the ghost, his mother re-marrying, his attempted murder, the death of Ophelia, etc.
The Prince of Homburg’s situation is ephemeral. His problems are strange dreams. It is these dreams (and a rather starry-eyed love) that leads him astray. It all seems rather absurd and inconsequential. And then the reaction of the Elector is highly dubious. Death for not following orders in a battle? I know a bit of military history and if every commander who disobeyed or disregarded orders were put to death, there would be peace on earth because there would be none left. The Elector’s response is hysterical. (It was much admired by the Nazis. Nuff said.)
May 22, 2014
I am not sure whether this has been studied in depth, but there is a remarkable parallel between the Prussian aristocracy and the Japanese samurai. Both were warrior casts that eventually turned much of their attention to the arts. The plays of Kleist, especially Prince Friedrich, remind me strongly of Kurasawa's samurai movies, with their combination of dramatic tension, philosophical probing and complex psychology.
February 16, 2022
Okay, full disclosure: I read the entirety of Prince Frederick of Homburg and Amphitryon as well as about half of Penthesilea. All of them were assigned readings, and I'd genuinely intended to finish them, as they weren't actually too bad. Alas, I did not have the time to finish Penthesilea, and now that my class is done discussing it, I'm unlikely to ever finish it. Prince Frederick was okay, and Amphitryon was genuinely funny, and Penthesilealooked like it was at least going to be an interesting one to analyse. The Broken Pitcher was not on the reading list and I do not think I will ever read it.
Watch me still count this book towards my reading challenge though. I've had to read so much Kleist this semester, I deserve it.
Watch me still count this book towards my reading challenge though. I've had to read so much Kleist this semester, I deserve it.
April 23, 2018
Penthesilea
September 11, 2010
whattaman!
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews