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The Tragedy of Die Jdin von ToledoAuthor(s): Roy C. CowenSource: The German Quarterly, Vol. 37, No. 1 (Jan., 1964), pp. 39-53Published by: Wiley on behalf of the American Association of Teachers of GermanStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/402734 .Accessed: 28/09/2013 10:59

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THE TRAGEDY OF DIE JUDIN VON TOLEDO

Roy C. Cowen

Of all the plays Grillparzer wrote, Die Jiidin von Toledo hasproved to be one of the most difficult to understand.1 A review of thecritical history of this drama indicates that the main difficulty liesin the determination of the central figure, the nature of his tragicexperience and, in some cases where the designation of "tragedy" isquestioned, the genre of the work.

In the years immediately following its emergence from Grill-

parzer'sNachla3, the Jiidin was understood as the

tragedyof the

title-heroine. In 1888, however, Johannes Volkelt introduced a new

perspective which made the King the central figure.2 For the next

fifty years the interpretation of the play as an Erziehungsdrama por-traying Alfonso's education by experience as well as theory to hisroyal station and mission remained virtually unquestioned.3 AlthoughRahel continued to excite the imagination of many critics, her nameas the title of the drama was interpreted in the sense of "The Episodeof the Jewess of Toledo".

The first major break with Volkelt's interpretation came in 1938,when Harold F. H. Lenz published Franz Grillparzer's Political Ideasand "Die Jiidin von Toledo".4 The second part of the book consistsof a detailed examination of the Jiidin, which concentrates on showinghow untenable Volkelt's position is, if Grillparzer's representation ofthe court and the King is examined carefully. It might be noted here,however, that the interpretation of the Jiidin as Erziehungsdramacontinued to occupy a place of honor even in such modern treatments

as Benno von Wiese's Deutsche Tragodie von Lessing bis Hebbel.5 In

1All textual references are from Franz Grillparzer: S

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THE GERMAN QUARTERLY

some cases, the persistence of Volkelt's interpretation may simply bedue to unfamiliarity with Lenz's work, which was published privatelyand does not appear, for example, in von Wiese's copious biblio-graphical references.

By means of a detailed, convincing analysis of its representatives,Lenz demonstrates that the court is marked by hypocrisy and spiritualemptiness. If its moral standards are presented by the playwright insuch consistently bad light as Grillparzer has done here, such a court,and the political order represented by it, Lenz contends, can scarcelyserve as a positive value or desirable goal in an Erziehungsdrama.

Human understanding is totally lacking in the Queen, Manrique andGarceran, who, for example, is "nothing but an opportunist, drawn

by the poet with delightful and devastating irony" as well as a "thor-

ough hypocrite" (Lenz, p. 60).In this atmosphere of hypocrisy and conformity, only Alfonso

appears as an individual with tolerance and human understanding.In Lenz's opinion, the tragedy is constructed on the loss of Alfonso's

individualism, for, when Alfonso acquiesces in Act V to the action of

the nobles, he becomes a part of the court and its convention. Theend of the drama is a triumph of the state at the cost of all individual

feelings for humanity.In light of the overwhelming evidence presented against it, the

concept of a desirable and laudible order can no longer be appliedto the court around Alfonso. Lenz is admittedly concerned mainlywith "Grillparzer's Political Ideas", and he does a thorough job of

interpreting them. But the Jiidin bears the designation of a "tragedy"and, as such, is not

completelyunderstandable by Lenz's interpreta-

tion alone.Although he never really goes into the question of the genre.

Lenz seems to see the "tragedy" in the "broken" figure of the King,who has lost his individuality and succumbed to the morality of thecourt. But in speaking of Alfonso's individuality, Lenz says: "It islost because a conscious understanding of and catharsis from, hiserror does not occur." (p. 68). Alfonso does not even realize thathe is losing his individuality, the one quality which raises him above

the members of his court. The King may, from the standpoint ofthe audience, seem pitiable or pathetic, but the very qualities he is

missing, "conscious understanding"and "catharsis", are necessary fora tragic figure. That is to say, experience must be of enduring quality,

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THE TRAGEDY OF DIE JuDIN VON TOLEDO

if a character is to be called a "tragic hero". If Lenz's observationis correct, namely that the King does not really feel remorse or trueguilt, then Alfonso's attitude toward his experience with Rahel pro-hibits his being considered tragic. Volkelt avoids any problems of

tragedy by suggesting in a footnote that the play should be called

just that, a "Schauspiel", because the designation "tragedy" is not

applicable (p. 200 f.). It must be noted, however, that Lope de Vegadesignated his Las Paces de los Reyes, Grillparzer's main source forthe Jiidin, as a "Comedia", a designation which would perhaps bestbe reproduced with "Schauspiel"; yet Grillparzer decided against

using any form of "Comedia" or "Schauspiel" for his drama. It ismy contention that the original designation, "Historisches Trauerspiel",cannot be discarded until the drama has been examined thoroughlyas a "tragedy".

Until now, however, I have concentrated on Alfonso, as havemost of the critics of the Jiidin since Volkelt. It has already beennoted that the first criticism centered around Rahel. Since Alfonsois obviously not a tragic figure, it now becomes apparent that a closer

examination of Rahel as the central figure must be made. BecauseVolkelt was the first one to dismiss her as the heroine of the piece,his reasons should be reviewed:

Wenn auf das Tragische in der Jiidin niiher eingegangen wer-den soll, so muB zunichst dariiber Klarheit herrschen, dabfnicht, wie der Titel vermuten liiat, Rahel, sondern der KonigAlfonso Mittelpunkt und Held des Dramas ist. Nicht nur be-stimmt der K6nig weit mehr als Rahel den Fortgang der Hand-lung und bildet mehr als sie den Beziehungspunkt fur alles,

was im Stiick geschieht; sondern es tritt auch sein Wollen,Kiimpfen und Leiden, seine Schuld und Siihne mit ganz anderminneren Gewicht auf, als dies bei Rahel der Fall ist. So sehrauch diese durch ihr auffallendes Wesen das Interesse desLesers in den ersten Akten fesselt und insofern den Konigverdunkelt, so kann doch das spielerische Kind, an dem allesOberfiiche ist, den tiefsinnenden und klarbewuBt handelndenKonig nicht aus dem Einheitspunkt der Handlung verdriingen.(p. 25 f.)

Volkeltrejects

Rahel as the heroinemainly

because of her"lightness"and "childishness"; she seems to him to be too "superficial". It is,

however, equally apparent that Alfonso, by succumbing to convention,fails to attain the depth of character which an assertion of his indi-

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viduality would have brought about. Any depth in his character isfurthermore belied by the fact that he never manifests any emotionof sustained intensity, such as love, hate, ambition or religious fervor.

Volkelt, in the above quotation, contrasts with Rahel "den tief-sinnenden und klarbewu3t handelnden K6nig", but Alfonso is any-thing but consistent and contemplative in his actions. Alfonso's attrac-tion to Rahel and his later revulsion are the results of seeing her;while the attraction to her on the basis of one glimpse of her beautyis understandable, the repudiation of her upon seeing her corpse is an

impulsive action which takes place without any inner conflict. Like-

wise, his decision to abdicate and go on the crusade comes as asudden reversal of his previous action; although the end of the playis anticipated by several allusions to and discussions of the impendingwar against the Moors, there is no evidence that Alfonso arrives athis decision to go on the crusade because of inner conviction. Heseems to be reaching for a quick way out of his situation, an easyway to avoid the tragic dilemma of punishing the nobles or himself.As a matter of fact, his doing penance by the crusade is put in a

questionable light by Esther in lines 1921-1942:Siehst du, sie sind schon heiter und vergniigtUnd stiften Ehen fur die Zukunft schon.Sie sind die GroBen, haben zum VersihnungsfestEin Opfer sich geschlachtet aus den KleinenUnd reichen sich die annoch blut'ge Hand. (1921-25)

His action simply does not seem convincing either from the perspectiveof his own personality or from the situation. Because of his apparentintentions, he is "Alfonso der Edle", but his ignorance of the proble-matic aspects of his actions deprives him of the title "Alfonso derGroBe". The lack of solitary greatness is not in itself prohibitive ofa tragic figure. But when it is combined with a lack of intense emo-tional bonds and an inability to judge oneself and one's companions,e.g., his unjustified confidence in Garceran's judgment, this lack ofinner greatness becomes synonymous with lack of tragic stature. Al-

though it may put an unjust demand on the poet, there is usually a

feeling in the viewers of a tragedy that, when the tragic hero is a

King, his suffering must manifest greater breadth and intensity thanthat of any other tragic hero. In any case, Alfonso is pitiable - butnot tragic.

The preceding argument has, I believe, demonstrated that the

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very "superficiality" which Volkelt used as a criterion to excludeRahel as a tragic figure is characteristic of Alfonso. But the correct-ness of Volkelt's analysis of the Jewess still remains to be examined.

First of all, I must point out that some scholars who follow themain lines of Volkelt's interpretation may also concede the tragicstature of Rahel.6 There is, of course, one notable circumstance which

seems, at first glance, to argue against Rahel as the central figure,namely, that she only appears in the first three acts.7 Beside the factthat her murder does not take place until the beginning of Act V(v. the opening lines spoken off stage), one must above all note that

she dominates the first three acts by force of her personality. Shedominates them so completely that the success or failure of a per-formance can depend on the actress playing her role; as a matterof fact, one of the main objections to the first production of the playwas the miscasting of Frl. Wolter as Rahel.8 This attention to the

casting of the role of Rahel, however, is not surprising in light ofthe obvious and lavish care of the poet in the development of thischaracter (Grillparzer himself called her his "Rose von Toledo"). In

terms of stage effect, Rahel is one of Grillparzer's most successfulcreations.Then what kind of person is Rahel? Most critical descriptions of

her have the following terms in common: "kindisch", "kokett", "ver-buhlt", "spielerisch", "sinnlich", "amoralisch". Yet these adjectivesdo not accompany a direct moral evaluation of her, because almost

6 For example, Emil Reich, Grillparzers dramatisches Werk (Vienna,1938): "Durch ihre Liebe zu Alfonso wird Rahel zur tragischenGestalt, durch ihre schillernd unberechenbare Naturhaftigkeitinteressiert und gewinnt sie, wo egoistische Gemeinheit nur anekelnkonnte" (264). Cf., however, "'Die Jiidin von Toledo' ist ein Er-ziehungsdrama" (276).

7 This argument is used by Dorothy Lasher-Schlitt in Grillparzer'sAttitude toward the Jews (New York, 1936) to prove that Rahelis only a "foil to the unfolding of the story of King Alphons" (p.80).

8 For example, Ludwig Speidel in his review for the Neue FreiePresse

(Morgenblatt)of January 23, 1873 (reprinted n the Apparat,

1. Abteilung, 21. Band), not only criticizes the choice of Frl. Wolter;he also asks the decisive question: "Aber diese Rolle, aus der diesesStiick besteht, wer soil sie spielen in Wien?" For him, the playexisted only in the role of Rahel.

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all critics agree that she is not to be judged by ordinary moral stand-ards. Certainly in the beginning she recognizes virtually no moralityherself, nor is she condemned by anyone whose word is impartial.Because the Queen is selfrighteous, narrow-minded, intolerant and

jealous, and Garceran can only recognize one side of Rahel, their

opinions about her have only the limited value in keeping with their

personalities and interests. The King, on the other hand, is supposedto be objective in his judgments. He calls her an "albern spielend,toricht-weises Kind" (1029), the personification of all the "Fehlerdieser weiten Erde, die Torheit und die Eitelkeit, die Schwache, die

List, den Trost, Gefallsucht, ja die Habsucht" (1456-58), and hedescribes her appearance as "Ein b6ser Zug um Wange, Kinn und

Mund, ein lauernd Etwas in dem Feuerblick vergiftete, entstellte ihreSchbnheit" (1849-51). But Alfonso also contradicts himself when he

praises her beauty (1478-83), calls her "die Wahrheit, ob verzerrt"and says "All was sie tat, ging aus ihrem Selbst, urplotzlich, unver-hofft und ohne Beispiel" (1685-87). Even Esther says to Alfonso:"Ihr schlagt zu hoch sie an" (1676). After so many contradictory and

distorted evaluations and descriptions of Rahel, what should onebelieve?Most studies which do not conveniently avoid the question con-

cede that Rahel really falls in love with the King. Yet the "childish",self-indulgent girl described by Volkelt and others would almost

necessarily be incapable of true love for the King - unless she under-went a basic change. Rahel's entire character seems to be marked bychange, from one mood to another, from one pose to another, and

certainlyin the first two acts there does not appear to be any solid

foundation underlying this constant flux. The continued attempt todescribe her basic nature as demonic, in my opinion, considers im-

pressive actions as expressive. Rahel, like Medea, is constantly asso-ciated with magic, yet unlike Medea, Rahel never seriously "prac-tices" magic or indulges in any ritual before our eyes; the one scene,lines 586 ff., which could be seen in terms of witchcraft belies by its

levity any serious implications of magic. For the characters on the

stage, Rahel's words and actions seem, as if by magic, to producethe impression of a seductive demon, but such words and actions areself-contradictory. They are too self-contradictory to be viewed as

expressions of any one quality, let alone one of demonic proportions.In the first two acts she is truly a child of nature whose actions seem

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frivolous because there is no single motivation or principle determin-

ing them. She is the picture of life, which loves action for its ownsake. Rahel cannot be restrained from doing something, even if thelater action contradicts an earlier one completely.

Almost all previous descriptions of her character also implyvalidity for all stages of her life, as if there were no development inthe three acts in which she appears.9 Obviously, Rahel still demon-strates in Act III many of the characteristics she showed in I and II.But no one would maintain that an inner change in a person mustbe immediately recognizable to those around him (it has alreadybeen shown that the remarks of the other characters about her donot produce any definite pattern).

An often overlooked possibility for the playwright to show changeis the meaningful contrast of similar events and actions. The recentresearch on Grillparzer has done much on the visual aspects of hisdramas, particularly the use of gesture, but the research on theJiidin has generally been limited to the use of stage symbols.10 Itmust not be forgotten, however, that one is dealing here with a playof great complexity. For example, Mettin, in characterizing the ex-position, speaks of "Durchdachtheit, die durch eine natiirliche Lebens-fiille verhiillt wird".11 The emphasis on "Durchdachtheit" is, more-over, only an echo from the first reviews of the play which often

regretted the intellectualism of the work.l2 Yet surprisingly enough,

9 One notable exception s Francis Wolf-Cirian n Grillparzers Frauen-gestalten (Stuttgart and Berlin, 1907), who discusses Rahel'scharacter and its changes act

byact.

Unfortunately, however,Wolf-

Cirian is not able to coordinate several good observations into apenetrating analysis; he never deviates greatly from his originalinterpretation of Rahel as a "Dime".

10 One outstanding contribution to our understanding of the visualaspects of Grillparzer's dramas is Walter Naumann's "Die Formdes Dramas bei Grillparzer und Hofmannsthal" DVLG XXXIII(1959), 20-38, in which Naumann speaks of a "Konfiguration derGestalten". It is hoped that the present investigation will help toestablish the Jiidin in the framework of the modern approach to

Grillparzer as exemplified by Naumann.11 Hermann Christian Mettin, Grillparzer: Dramaturgische Essays(Berlin, 1943), p. 147.

12 For example, H. Gr. in Die Presse of November 24, 1872 (reprintedas No. 53 in the Apparat, p. 329 ff.).

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virtually all of the criticism of the Jiidin has been psychological, notstructural (even the stage symbols have been interpreted psychological-ly). Since the psychological approach has obviously produced inade-quate results, an attempt will now be made to answer some of the

previously unanswered questions by studying the structural implica-tions of Rahel's actions.

An examination of the progression of time in Die Jiidin vonToledo shows that Act II follows almost without interruption Act I,and Acts III, IV and V also take place on the same day. It is, onthe other hand, quite obvious at the beginning of Act III that a

considerable span of time has transpired since the end of Act II.Isaak has, by the beginning of Act III, thoroughly embedded himselfin the system of the state and is exploiting his position to the fullest.The explanation for his position of favoritism is given by Isaak him-self: "Mein Rahelchen steigt taglich in der Gunst" (850). But thisremark seems, when examined closely, to imply that Rahel has not

yet reached the zenith of her influence; Isaak says that she "steigttaglich", not, for example, "steht schon fest". For Isaak her star is

still in ascent. A promise of even greater things is implied in his smile:Hort ihr? Da kommen sie mit Zimbeln und PosaunenWie Ahasverus mit dem Weibe Esther,Die unser Volk zu Glanz und Ruhm erh6ht. (873-75)

Although there is the pun on Rahel's sister's name, the primaryallusion is to Esther of the Bible, who is commonly a symbol of awoman who becomes the power behind the throne as well as a

symbol for the Jews of a deliverer.

But the arrival of Alfonso and Rahel presentsa

sharp contrastto Isaak's picture of the situation. Instead of a passionate or obsessed

lover, Alfonso seems to be a man who has already grown tired ofhis mistress. He still uses aphoristic expressions typical of "Schulweis-heiten" and lacking emotional intensity: "Die Furcht ist Weiberrecht,doch ihr mil3braucht's" (888). And he seems short-tempered: "Legteinen Teppich ihr und macht ein Ende" (893). If Isaak's remarkabout her still climbing in the King's favor is accepted at face value- and there is no reason to doubt the honesty of Isaak's opinion -then it can be assumed that the present situation in no way signifiesa regression in the affair, and that there has never been a maturefeeling of love by the King in the intervening time. Rahel has beenhis mistress, but there has been no intensification of the emotional

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bond between them - at least, as far as the King is concerned.The reason that Grillparzer does not show any love scenes is not, as

manycritics have

suggested,that he is reluctant to

presentintense

emotions on the stage; there is simply no deep-seated, mutual loveto be shown, and a display of passion or mere sexual attraction wouldbe superfluous and even misleading.

The effect of the events during the time between II and IIIis reflected primarily in the language of the two main characters.It has already been noted that the language of Alfonso has remainedthe same in Act III. But a new tone comes into Rahel's speech,when she says:

Ich habe nie geliebt. Doch konnt' ich lieben.Wenn ich in einer Brust den Wahnsinn trafeDer mich erfiillte, wair' mein Herz beriihrt.Bis dahin mach' ich die Gebriiuche mit,Die hergebracht im Gotzendienst der Liebe,Wie man in fremden Tempeln etwa kniet. (957-62)

Nowhere in her previous speeches can comparable imagery be found.Even in such extended and colorful speeches as, for example, 571 ff.,

Rahel speaks only of the things at hand or of things about whichshe has been told. The image in 960-962 is, on the other hand, theresult of a self-evaluation that has been unknown in her up to now;although she has spoken of her life, ambition and beauty, she hasnever evaluated her own actions or situation. The note of resignationin her speech is likewise totally new. As if to underline this changein herself, Rahel says in conclusion: "Ich will indes nur schlafen bissie kommt, / Bin ich doch selbst ein Traum nur einer Nacht." (978-

79) Thereis

no image in any ofher

previous speecheswhich even

approaches this one in depth and sobriety. The importance of thisimage is further emphasized by the fact that the life-as-dream motif

plays a significant role in most of Grillparzer's dramas. And it isRahel herself who brings out this motif here.

If the change in her language and thought has been established,the subsequent episode with the armor can be interpreted in itsproper light.13 It is remarkable that no one has attributed any im-

13Wolf-Cirian (see footnote 9) makes the following observation aboutthe scene with the helmet: "So setzt sie denn, in ihrem Spiele fort-fahrend, den Helm auf. und ihre Phantasie, die spielerische Phan-tasie eines mit einem Tropfen Kiinstlertum bernadeten Naturells,bemaichtigt ich sofort der neuen Rolle" (p. 300). The conclusionsdrawn from this observation remain, however, superficial,

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portance to two facts: that Rahel dons a "costume" in two scenes,558 ff. and 999 ff.; that there is, however, an inherent differencebetween the two "masquerades".

As has already been noted, most critics have characterized Rahelas "kokett". Her coquetry is usually considered accidental: "UmAlfonso zu bezaubern, braucht sie aber der Kiinste nicht viele. Grill-

parzers Rahel ist ein kokettes Wesen, eine Art Philine; die Koketterieist aber natiirlich, angeboren."14 Farinelli's observation is, by andlarge, correct. The Rahel of the first two acts behaves impulsively andoften without motivation, yet her actions often convey the impressionof calculation and coquetry. In her masquerade as the Queen, Grill-parzer goes to great lengths to make it evident that her coquetry is

largely involuntary. It seems almost as if Rahel is consciously ridiculingthe Queen, her "rival", in order to make her ridiculous in the King'seyes. Since a similar scene could have been planned especially forthe King and would thereby indicate a calculating woman, Grill-

parzer strongly emphasizes the spontaneous origin of her masquerade,as well as the accidental arrival of the King. Rahel's masquerade is

intended only for herself; the effect on Alfonso shows the effect whichshe can provoke without being aware of it. "Natural coquetry"implies a virtually innocent intention which leads to a seeminglycalculated action. The first masquerade is truly the product of"natural coquetry".

But what about the "masquerade" with the helmet in Act III?Here the masquerade, like the flirtation with Garceran, is the actionof a woman calculating the effect. Rahel has come to the realizationthat

sheis "ein

Traum nur einer Nacht" and is now striving to holdonto her fleeting happiness. In Acts I and II, Rahel is the incorpora-tion of "life", which knows no ulterior motives and which remains

only partially understood by those who think in terms of effect, e.g.,Garceran or Eleonore. In Act III, however, Rahel has left the realmof "pure", unmotivated life. Her actions are now the products ofcalculation and recognition of her situation.

When the King leaves the stage in Act III, Rahel's speeches areshortened to poignant brevity: "Er liebt mich nicht, ich hab' eslingst gewuBt." (1095) - "Er war so heif und feurig im Beginn,"

14 Arturo Farinelli, Grillparzer und Lope de Vega (Berlin, 1894),p. 156,

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(1099) - "Was aber wird aus mir, die ich vertraut? / Laf uns ent-fliehn!" (1101-02) Line 1101 expresses Rahel's tragedy. In this lineshe summarizes the problematic side of her existence: she has alwaysacted with trust and confidence in everything and everybody. Shehas shown a natural trust in life which approaches childlike naivete.She has trusted love, but it has failed her. She has trusted her charm,but it has also failed her. She has trusted the King, but she feelshe has left her to an imminent death. Rahel is childlike in her abilityto trust life and people, in her naive acceptance of everything as itseems to be. The final line of Act III, "Und hab' ihn, Schwester,

wahrhaft doch geliebt", represents, at least in part, a positive solution.Her ability to feel true love is the fruition of the trust which is lead-ing to her tragic end; yet it is also the final proof of her maturity.'5

Regarding lines 1104 ff., the following comment is made inSauer's notes to the critical text: "Das sprunghafte, launenhafte WesenRahels, das von einem Gegensatz zum anderen iiberspringt, erinnertan den Charakter Kleopatras in Shakespeares 'Antonius und Kleo-patra'." (p. 201) This assertion presupposes, however, that Rahel's

attention to the amethyst is genuine. But the stage directions call forher to ask about the necklace "mit von Schluchzen unterbrochenerStimme". She does not take the necklace, but only uses it as the

subject of obvious Galgenhumor:Ich will es gar nicht sehn. Nur spaiter etwaWenn unsre Haft sich dehnt zu langrer Zeit,

15 Frederic E. Coenen, in Franz Grillparzer's Portraiture of Men,University of North Carolina Studies in the Germanic Languagesand Literatures 4 (Chapel Hill, 1951), questions whether "Grill-parzer's end of Die Jiidin von Toledo represents a gloomy pessimism"(p. 99 f.), a view which he claims has been gaining ground sincethe twenties of this century. Coenen tries to refute any "pessimism"by a positive interpretation of Alfonso, Manrique and Garceran,an interpretation which seems somewhat too conventional. It isnot one of the male characters, but rather Rahel, who, by thematuration process of recognizing her love, belies complete pessim-ism. The

present investigationis not

intended,of

course,to refute

Coenen's main contention that Grillparzer was just as skilful inthe portraiture of men as women; as a matter of fact, the presentinterpretation depends on and therefore emphasizes Grillparzer'ssubtle presentation of all the characters.

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Zerstreuung heischt das ew'ge Einerlei,Versuch' ich es, und schmiicke mich zum Tod. (1112-15)

Her macabre joke is not just a Gedankensprung; it is a commentaryon her previous life and values. In Act I (lines 315 ff.) she offeredthe King her jewelry for protection, but now she has no thought of

saving her life with the jewelry. The mention of the necklace, like the

masquerade with the helmet, can only be understood by referenceto a similar event in an earlier act. In Act III, Rahel has resignedherself to her fate and does not, as in 315 ff., think of buying herlife.

The interpretation of Rahel's tragedy in terms of a lost trust,moreover, recalls a motif present even in some of Grillparzer's earliest

tragedies. Sappho makes "Undank" the worst of vices, when she says:. . Die andern Laster alleHyanen, Lowen, Tiger, Wolfe sind's,Der Undank ist die Schlange! Nicht? Die Schlange!So schon, so glatt, so bunt, so giftig! - Oh - (1294-97)

The word "Undank" occurs even more often in Das goldene VlieB,where it is descriptive of the tragedy stemming from Medea's mis-placed trust and love. Thus, Grillparzer is not only interested in the

tragedy of a person obligated by a trust, as for example Bancbanusor Hero; he also sees the implications of a trust from the side of the

person who trusts another. It is the latter, and previously neglectedside of a trust which furnishes the basis for the tragedy of the Jiidinvon Toledo.

But the tragedy of misplaced trust does not end with Rahel'sdeath. Although her question, "Was aber wird aus mir, die ich ver-traut?", has been answered, Rahel's tragic experience continues to

impress itself on the drama. The tragic theme of misplaced trust,expressed this time by Esther, closes the drama, not Alfonso's invita-tion to feast before the battle.16 In 1920-1941 Esther curses Alfonso

16 Another circumstance which has undoubtedly contributed to a mis-understanding of the Jildin can be found in the changes made by

Josef Kainz, the most famous Alfonso in the stage history of theplay: he had the play conclude with the triumphant (?) speech ofthe King. Vid., for example, Lenz, op. cit., p. 32, who even citesthe example of a critic who did not know that the play did notend at that point.

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THE TRAGEDY OF DIE JtDIN VON TOLEDO

for having slaughtered a victim "aus den Kleinen".l7 Yet she takesback the curse pronounced on the King, when her father wants tofind his gold before taking care of Rahel's body:

EstherKommt, Vater, kommt! Wir haben dort zu tun.

(Auf die Seitentiire zeigend)Isaak(wie aus dem Schlafe erwachend).

Doch such' ich erst mein Gold.Esther

Denkt ihr noch das?Im Angesicht des Jammers und der Not.Dann nehm' ich riick den Fluch, den ich gesprochen,Dann seid Ihr schuldig auch, und ich - und sie.Wir stehn gleich jenen in der Sunder Reihe;Verzeihn wir denn, damit uns Gott verzeihe.

(Die Arme gegen die Seitentiire ausgestreckt.)(1942-48)

Rahel trusted the King and he abandoned her. Now Isaak puts his

money before his paternal obligation. Esther already pronounced the- though obviously too severe - self-judgment (lines 1598-1611)that she had betrayed her sister, who had, as seen throughout the

play, trusted her for guidance and help (e.g., 972-977). It is with abelief that she herself, her father and Alfonso have all betrayed their

responsibility toward Rahel, who trusted them, that she points to theSeitentiire, when she asks forgiveness for all of them.

Until the concluding act, Esther plays only a slight role, but afterRahel's

death, she represents the continuation of the theme incorpor-ated by Rahel. Esther's role corresponds to that of an antique chorus,because she sees, from the beginning, the inevitable tragedy arisingaround her sister, experiences it with her and passes the final judg-

17 Grillparzer's belief that the King's decision does not resolve all thequestions of the drama can be inferred from his observation onLope's Las Paces de los Reyes: "Ja selbst in dem Titel: las pazesde los Reyes liegt vielleicht eine versteckte Tronie. Im ersten Akte

wird der Friede des Konigreichs durch die verraterische ErmordungLope de Arenas geschlossen; im Dritten ist das Pfand des Friedensder Tod der von Allen am wenigst schuldigen Jildin" (1. Abt., 15.Bd., 157). Grillparzer even lets Esther pronounce almost the samejudgment in Die Jildin von Toledo.

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ment. Just as the chorus suffers with and through the hero, Esthersuffers with and through Rahel. Nevertheless, Esther still remains onthe periphery of events. She does not precipitate the tragedy; sheonly suffers with the true victim, Rahel.

If we are to understand the play, we must note the thematiccurve from Act I, in which Rahel appears as the embodiment of lifein its purest, most capricious form, through Act III, in which Rahelachieves a purpose in her existence, to Act V, in which Esther speaksthe fateful judgment on Alfonso. To make it clear that there is onecontinuous line here, which starts below the plane of Alfonso, crosses

it in III and transcends it in V, Grillparzer does not completely dropRahel after the third act, but rather makes her presence felt evenin the last act by using the sound of the murder to introduce thefirst scene. Her presence is also felt in the many allusions to herbody's proximity in the next room. Although Rahel does not speakin Act V, Esther becomes the expression of her new insight. Esther,who has previously remained in the background, is elevated to thesame dramatic intensity as Rahel; that is, the role of Esther in V

corresponds in thematic and dramatic importance to Rahel's in thepreceding acts.

The thematic continuation through Esther takes place for twoquite obvious reasons. Since the King's inability to grow in moralresponsibility must be shown by a reaction to Rahel's fate, he mustappear after her death; but he may not be permitted to speak thelast word, because the hollowness of his reaction must be shown withdramatic impact. Secondly, the character of Rahel would seem too

unbelievable if she spoke the final judgment on Alfonso; althoughshe demonstrates emotional and intellectual growth, the final levelshe attains cannot seem too far above her initial sphere.

Rahel is often described as "childish", but the loss of her childish-ness occurs with her tragic insight into her situation. When, at theend of Act III, Rahel says that she really loved the King, her declara-tion is the result of a long struggle against herself. With the con-clusion of this struggle, she has emerged from the realm of pure life,of action for its own sake, of a child who trusts without reason. Itis her tragic insight that not even the genuineness of her love canprotect against the fate set into motion by her "childish" actions,because no one sees the difference. Even in her last minutes she still

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seeks refuge in the room where she spent the many hours with Alfonsoand, in doing so, learned about herself:

Konig.Sie ist in jenem letzten, innern Zimmer,Wo ich so oft -?

Esther.Sie ist, sie war, sie bleibt. (1740 f.)

The room symbolizes the encounter of two people which is in viola-tion of, or isolation from all social, religious and political influences;it represents the idyllic place where one encounters the "Du", but

only for Rahel does this encounter prove significant. In the Jewess,Alfonso could have expressed his individuality, but he failed to do so.But because this room symbolizes the last stage of her maturation,Rahel will always remain there.

In her ominous final lines Esther calls attention to a basic paral-lel between this play and Libussa. In his later dramas, Grillparzershows increasing scepticism towards historical and political progress.Rahel, like Libussa, represents the personal triumph of humanity,

but their very humanity prevents both women from adjusting topolitical necessity. While Prague will flourish, however, Alfonso isdamned to defeat in the impending battle, because he was incapableof understanding this humanity.

University of Michigan

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