Male Heroes, Female Victims. Joseph August von Törring's Dramas from Bavarian Regional History: Kaspar der Thorringer (1779/1785) and Agnes Bernauerinn (1780)

Abstract

The chivalric dramas "Kaspar der Thorringer" and "Agnes Bernauerinn", very popular at their time, were written by the Bavarian nobleman and statesman Joseph August von Törring (1753-1826). They are based upon subjects taken from 15th-century Bavarian history and combine the medieval setting of a chivalric drama in the style of Storm and Stress with values derived from the world of thought of enlightened absolutism. In both plays, the male protagonist goes through a development from an egoistic power figure to one who acts altruistically in the interest of the community, a process of purification, however, to which the female protagonist falls victim, insofar as the loss of her life provides a decisive impetus for his behavior change.