Schillers Don Karlos und die Suche nach der dramatischen Einheit
Abstract
Since its premiere in 1787, this voluminous drama has always been present on stages. Classifying it historically proves rather difficult; for neither is it one of Schiller’s early Storm and Stress-period plays, nor may we undisputedly declare it one of his later classical dramas. It was this difficult state of flux that weighed heavily on the author throughout many years of concepts, drafts, and modifications. Later generations believed to have identified the author’s harsh criticism of early Spanish absolutism as the drama’s central thread; but then new and seemingly compelling aspects used to come to the fore that had already fascinated the author while he was researching his historical subject, the fast-paced story of the Spanish royal dynasty. Confronted with the dramatic complexity of the plot’s conflicts and characters, Schiller actually felt tempted to give up – just like many a scholar of German literature in their perpetual quest for the dramatic unity of that play. The essay attempts to capture the tension in this changeful course and lead up to the current state of the discussion. Two proposals, under a structural and a dramaturgic aspect, will finally reveal a new insight into the hidden dramatic unity of this drama.Downloads
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