Agnes Bernauer (German)
Hebbel
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Description
A bathhouse keeper's daughter marries Duke Albrecht of Bavaria in secret, and his father orders her drowned as a witch. Hebbel's Agnes Bernauer, given here in German, builds its tragedy on a true fifteenth-century story. Love stands against reason of state, and the state wins by murder.
Agnes herself barely resists; the horror lies in the calm logic that condemns her. Counselors argue necessity, and necessity grinds pity to dust. Hebbel called such collisions the real subject of tragedy, and this play proves his theory. It remains his most moving work for many readers. The drowning at Straubing still echoes through German memory and drama.
Catalog record
| CREATOR | Hebbel |
|---|---|
| COLLECTION | BOOKS |
| FORMAT | TXT |
| FILE SIZE | 162618 |
| LICENSE | Public Domain |
| RIGHTS | PUBLIC DOMAIN |
| SOURCE | Project Gutenberg |