Die Jüdin von Toledo

by Franz Grillparzer

Franz Grillparzer (1791-1872) war ein österreichischer Schriftsteller, der vor allem als Dramatiker hervorgetreten ist. Grillparzer studierte an der Universität Wien Rechtswissenschaften. Ab 1821 arbeitete er im Finanzministerium, danach als Archivdirektor bei der kaiserlich-königlichen Hofkammer. Grillparzers poetische Anfänge wurden von der Romantik beeinflusst. 1817 wurde seine Schicksalstragödie Die Ahnfrau, welche alsbald über alle deutschen Bühnen ging, mit auserordentlichem Erfolg aufgeführt. Die Stärke Grillparzers lag in der Entwicklung des Liebesgefühls zu einer dramatischen Handlung, weshalb in gewissem Sinn die Tragödien Sappho (1818) und Des Meeres und der Liebe Wellen (1831) als seine vollendetsten Werke gelten. Von 1821 an, als im Wiener Hofburgtheater die Trilogie Das Goldene Vlies (1822) mit Erfolg aufgeführt wurde, zählte Grillparzer etwa ein Jahrzehnt lang zu den begünstigten Dramatikern. Zu seinen Werken zählen Das Kloster bei Sendomir (1817), Ein Treuer Diener seines Herrn (1830), Der Arme Spielmann (1848), und Die Jüdin von Toledo (1855).

Genres: Classics, Plays, German Literature

Paperback

First published January 1, 1855

About the author

Franz Seraphicus Grillparzer was an Austrian writer who emerged primarily as a playwright. Because of the identity-creating use of his works, especially after 1945, he is also referred to as the Austrian national poet.

Reviews

[Tijana]

Dok čovek čita prva dva čina "Jevrejke iz Toleda" stalno mu pada na pamet kako je Šekspir bio čovečan i lišen predrasuda prema ženama i Jevrejima, dok je Grilparcer, dvesta i nešto godina kasnije... eh.
Radnja ove tragedije je jednostavna i pravolinijska da bi i Rasin pozavideo - kralj Alfonso spazi mladu, prelepu, hirovitu i razmaženu Jevrejku, zaljubi se u nju, njegovi plemići i kraljica skuju zaveru i ubiju je da ga ne bi odvlačila od državnih poslova, kralj shvati da su bili u pravu i idemo dalje u rat protiv Mavara.
Za današnji senzibilitet je, ponavljam, prva dva čina mučno čitati, Rahela gotovo da nema iskupljujućih osobina i retko je iritantna scenska pojava, njen otac je tipična karikatura zlog lihvara,* samo sestra je pozitivan lik (doduše možda i jedini u drami). Kralj se sve vreme prenemaže kako su neke žene slabe i jadne i urođeno kvarne ali ih baš to čini privlačnim (osim kraljice koja je puna vrlina i stoga naravno neprivlačna).
Ono što Grilparcera ipak barem delimično vadi jeste dar za katkad neobično moderne stihove i to što povremeno, kad se zaboravi, i svojim do karikature stilizovanim likovima dozvoli da progovore s nekim psihološki istančanim uvidima o sebi i drugima ili makar da se izlete pred gledaocima. Tako kraljica bez oklevanja traži smrt za Rahelu jer je oskrnavila svetinju braka koji je nešto najsvetije jer, i sad prevodim što tačnije mogu, "podiže do prava ono što je inače zabranjeno, i ono što je užas svakom ispravnom čoveku prima u carstvo bogougodne dužnosti" i to je... to je jedan poseban način da se opišu bračne dužnosti, nema šta, i govori nam mnogo o odnosu kraljevskih supružnika.
Završetak je istinski tragičan i to ne samo zbog ubistva Rahele - konstelacija u kojoj kraljevski par s prestolonaslednikom i dvoranima napušta scenu predstavlja tačnu reprizu i odraz priče iz kraljevog prvog monologa i najavljuje da će se cela istorija ponoviti za koju deceniju.

*Najozbiljnije kažem, čitaocima koji se užasavaju nad Mletačkim trgovcem treba dati Grilparcera pa da vide svoga boga. Šekspir FTW!

[Czarny Pies · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Jewess of Toledo is one of those ghastly 19th Century Dramas in which the main characters commit erratic actions that are wildly inconsistent with either normal human instincts or social conventions. North American opera lovers have for the last 150 years sat dumbfounded in their seats wondering why on earth the plots of nineteenth century operas were so loopy and illogical not realizing that they were simply the fruit of the romantic world view which held that humans were very natural and acted on impulse. The stage plays of the romantic era vanished from the theatre stages by the beginning of the 20th century. The operas continue to be performed if the musical scores are sufficiently strong.
Presumably The Jewess of Toledo has great poetic values if read in German. The English translation by George and Annina Danton suggests that Grillparzer had a great natural talent for aphorisms and spritely dialogues. The problem with the work resides in the bizarre actions of the principal characters.
The protagonist is Alfonso VIII who reigned in Spain from 1158 to 1214 and who was one of the great military leaders of the Reconquista, the long military struggle to rid Spain of Islamic occupiers. Married to Eleanor, daughter of Henry II of England, Alfonso is preparing to depart for battle when he meets a Jewish teenager Rachel by chance and falls in love with her. Rachel's father will be horrified. However he is powerless to stop her. Within a matter of days, Rachel will become Alfonso's mistress and then be murdered by one of Alfonso's courtiers acting at the behest of Queen Eleanor. Alfonso departs for the front on schedule with the courtier assassin who he magnanimously forgives along with his jealous wife.
The contemporary historians make no mention of Rachel. A chronicle which was written roughly 100 years after the year of her death in 1195 states that she was the mistress of Alfonso VIII for seven years and was killed by a group of courtiers who were angry that she had obtained appointments at the court for friends and relatives.
Grillparzer's version of events is highly improbable at best. Kings did not acquire mistresses by chance. Parents generally agreed in exchange for positions and financial benefits. No medieval Queen would have ever become jealous of a mistress who was a commoner much less a Jewish commoner. War commanders have never left on campaign arm in arm with the murders of their girlfriends. None of the events described in this weird play make any sense. This was however the norm for the era.

[K · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Jewess of Toledo is a play about the love of a King of Spain for a young Jewish woman, and the (of course, it was written in the 19th century) fatal consequences of his obsession, due to this act of ignoring the rigid structures of the time built upon property and class. Interestingly, even though Rachel is portrayed as mentally unstable, and Alfonso as weak and a victim of sorcery, Grillparzer portrays each with respect--and even dares to show that a society and a relationship having different faiths is no different and no weaker than those that do not, which was quite revolutionary for Grillparzer's time.

[Francesco Iorianni · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ein Spätwerk Grillparzers, welches doch sehr stark die Regelprinzipien des klassischen Dramas befolgt. Spannend zu lesen, aber meinerseits kommt es nicht an die früheren Werke Grillparzers ran.

[Ullrich Franke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Zwischendurch ziellos, aber mit dem letzten Satz kippt alles und macht wieder Sinn

[Erlet Shaqe · Rating 4 out of 5]

historical, romantic drama and streaming your mind with your lost love ....