The will (comedy)

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Data
Title: The testament
Genus: Comedy
Original language: German
Author: Luise Adelgunde Victorie Gottsched
Publishing year: 1745
Premiere: 1747?
Place of premiere: ?
Place and time of the action: The scene is in a large hall in Frau von Tiefenborn's country house. The action starts in the morning and ends in the evening.
people
  • Colonel von Tiefenborn , a rich old widow
  • Miss Karoline , her niece
  • Miss Amalie , her niece
  • Herr von Kaltenbrunn , your nephew
  • Captain von Wagehals
  • Mr. Dr Hippocras , a doctor
  • District Administrator von Ziegendorf
  • The Chamberlain von Ziegendorf (initially presented as Dr. Schlagbalsam )
  • Lord of the Cross
  • A notary
  • Heinrich , a lackey

The Testament is a comedy in five acts by Luise Adelgunde Victorie Gottsched . The first printing took place anonymously in 1745 in the sixth volume of the Deutsche Schaubühne .

content

The action takes place on a single day, June 15, 1745 (results from the penultimate scene, the date in the will), in the country house of the rich widow von Tiefenborn. Her nephew (Herr von Kaltenbrunn) and her nieces Amalie and Karoline are gathered around her. All three grew up with her.

Von Kaltenbrunn and his sister Amalie are targeting their aunt's inheritance and want to hasten its end. Von Kaltenbrunn got involved with half-silly friends and is already squandering his inheritance avant la lettre by promising his creditors to compensate them as soon as he inherits. Amalie behaves hypocritically towards her aunt and flatters her in her presence, but speaks ill of her behind her back. The sister Karoline is the opposite model and always speaks truthfully, also to her aunt.

During a conversation between Mrs. von Tiefenborn and the befriended District Administrator von Ziegendorf, the talk also comes of his brother, the Chamberlain von Ziegendorf (2nd act, 7th scene). This is not only discussed as the aunt's love interest, but is also said to be a doctor, Dr. Schlagbalsam are introduced to transfer von Kaltenbrunn and Amalie. First of all, the family doctor Dr. Hippocras put the wrong doctor into medical vocabulary (4th act, 1st scene). Then there is an encounter between Dr. Schlagbalsam and from Kaltenbrunn and Amalie. The two ask him to hasten his aunt's death and promise him a reward (4th act, 2nd scene). As a result, they are convicted and the finale can begin.

In the penultimate scene (5th act, 8th scene) the notary appears and has everyone gather to read the will. (The notary causes numerous laughs because of his pedantry.) Surprisingly, next to Karoline, only Dr. Schlagbalsam used as an inheritance, whose true identity as Chamberlain von Ziegendorf is now being revealed. Von Kaltenbrunn and Amalie are ashamed, but at least they can continue to live with their aunt. Incidentally, the two suitors present, von Wagehals and von Kreuzweg, were also exposed as greedy for money; her wooing for Amalie is stopped immediately when it becomes apparent that she will not inherit anything.

literature

expenditure