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Friedrich von Schiller |
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Friedrich Schiller: The virgin of Orleans (1801) drama, a romantic representation of history Johannas of Orléans, which fought in the hundred-year war against the Englishmen.
Friedrich Schillers version contradicts however in some points the historical facts. Thus its Johanna on the battleground and not, like the historical model, as a witch on the heap of failure dies.
A very special place in Schiller's life's work belongs to his Johanna von Orleans [Die Jungfrau von Orleans]. To write this "Romantic Tragedy," which is what he calls it, which portrays in Johanna, the most beautiful image of man, ("Das edle Antlitz der Menschheit"), was a direct attack on Voltaire, who has pulled exactly this beautiful image into the mud with his "La Pucelle d'Orléans" ["The Maid of Orleans"].
The Duke of Weimar didn't dare to perform Schiller's play at first, because the entire nobility use to recite "La Pucelle" by heart, because it was this dirty, half-pornographic thing, and the Duke feared to be ridiculed, if he would all of a sudden have the noble play by Schiller performed.
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German dramatist Friedrich von Schiller (1759-1805)
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Schiller identified more with this play than any other.
To Körner, he wrote that he was "in it with his whole heart, and much more flows from the heart, than with previous plays, where the mind had to fight with the material." And, to his publisher he wrote, "This piece flowed out of the heart, and to the heart it is supposed to speak. But for this it is necessary, that one have a heart, and this is unfortunately not always the case."
In his beautiful poem, "The Maiden of Orleans," he says: "Dich schuf das Herz! Du wirst unendlich leben!" ("You were created by the heart! You will live forever!") Jeanne d'Arc, who was actually an historical figure, took the mission from God to save France from English occupation.
The weak Dauphin, whom Schiller gives all the characteristics of Romanticism, is unable to defend the country, but Johanna, a simple shepherdess, takes the responsibility. Nobody in her environment understands her, because people are not up to this level.
She accepts the condition, that she never will be allowed to feel an earthly love for a man, if she wants to fulfill her Divine task (Prologue, Scene IV).
Johanna leads the battle against the English. She is a true Warrior Angel, who also ruthlessly kills the enemy. Schiller emphasizes, that she is not victorious because of her physical strength, but she wins because of her supernatural powers. He writes to Iffland, that in Johanna the female, the heroic and the divine are united. She also develops the highest talents of a military commander, and under her leadership, large parts of France are liberated.
But then she feels suddenly love for Lionel, the only remaining English commander, who is still alive, and whom she is supposed to kill. The shock, that she was capable of breaking her oath, totally destabilizes her, she doubts herself and she loses her supernatural powers - (Act IV, Scene I).
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Overview
