The German classics of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries: masterpieces of German literature, trinto English . mind in any attempt to interpret the puzz-ling and paradoxical personality of the author and toarrive at an approximate understanding of the man behindhis work. , That Wedekind is not only an author, but an actor aswell, has in no small degree complicated his case. Thepose seems, so inseparably connected with the art of theactor, that his intransigent policy in sex matters and hisstriking impersonations of the characters in his plays havebeen interpreted as the unabashed bid for n
The German classics of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries: masterpieces of German literature, trinto English . mind in any attempt to interpret the puzz-ling and paradoxical personality of the author and toarrive at an approximate understanding of the man behindhis work. , That Wedekind is not only an author, but an actor aswell, has in no small degree complicated his case. Thepose seems, so inseparably connected with the art of theactor, that his intransigent policy in sex matters and hisstriking impersonations of the characters in his plays havebeen interpreted as the unabashed bid for notoriety of aclever poseur. But his acting could hardly have madepalatable to theatre audiences topics tabooed in polite con-versation and with appalling candor presented by him onthe stage. Neither his quality as actor nor his quality asauthor could account for the measure of popularity hisplays have attained. It would rather indicate that theGerman public was ready for open discussion of the problems involved and that Wedekinds frankness and honesty,his lapses into diabolical grimace and grotesque hyperbole. TM TTTT? QTTanTT LfO PlTZ THE CONTEMPOEARY GERMAN DRAMA 101 notwithstanding, met a demand of his time. Nor did herestrict himself to that one particular problem. His ironyspared no institution, no person: lese-majeste was one ofhis offenses; nor did he spare himself. Bom into a gener-ation which took itself very seriously, he created theimpression as if he at least were not taking himself tooseriously. Yet a survey of his work, regardless of thecomparisons and conclusions it may suggest, tends to sub-stantiate the claim that Frank Wedekind is not only anuncompromising destroyer of antiquated sentiment and afanatic of positive life, but a grim moralist. It is easy torecognize him in some of his characters, and these figures,like the banished king in Thus is Life, the secretary Hetmanin Eidalla, the author Lindekuh in Musik, and others, arealways the tragic moralists in an
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Keywords: ., bo, bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, booksubjectenglishliterature
