Monna Vanna (acting)

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Performance of Monna Vanna on December 4, 1910 in Berlin

Monna Vanna is a play by Maurice Maeterlinck in three acts. It was premiered on May 7, 1902 in the Nouveau-Théâtre in Paris and is considered a work of symbolism .

time and place

The play takes place at the end of the 15th century in Pisa and in the Prinzivallis camp.

people

  • Guido Colonna, commandant of the Pisa garrison
  • Marco Colonna, Guido's father
  • Giovanna (Monna Vanna), Guido's wife
  • Prinzivalli, field captain in the pay of Florence
  • Trivulzio, Commissioner of the Republic of Florence
  • Borso and Torello, Guido's lieutenants
  • Vedio, Prinzivalli's secretary
  • Nobles, soldiers, peasants, men and women from the people

action

Georgette Leblanc as Monna Vanna in Paris

First elevator

  • Hall in the Palace of Guido Colonnas

Pisa is besieged by the Florentines . Guido and Borso and Torello look through a window of his palace onto the plain of Pisa and discuss the situation. It is politically hopeless, which the Signoria of Pisa herself kept from the commandant until recently. Militarily, too, it is hopeless because the defenders of Pisa have run out of powder and ammunition. Council elders have been sent to negotiate three times and have not returned. Among them was Marco, Guido Colonna's father, a sacred hostage . Suddenly Marco appears. He is unharmed and should report as soon as possible, but loses himself in aesthetic considerations relating to Prinzivalli and an old friend who has found him again. Urged to report more quickly, Marco finally brings up Prinzivalli's surrender condition: Giovanna, Guido's wife, is supposed to spend a night with Prinzivalli. Marco admits that the Signoria has already discussed this and has placed the decision in Giovanna's hands. Guido flatly rejects the condition, but at that moment Giovanna steps in. She calmly informs Marco of her decision: She will go to Prinzivalli's that same evening. Guido goes through an inner battle of love, jealousy and disgust. Apparently he is disapproving of Giovanna.

second elevator

  • In Prinzivalli's tent

While Prinzivalli waits for Giovanna, he is the victim of an attack by the Florentine Trivulzio, who tears half of his face with his dagger. Trivulzio is led away and Vedio connects Prinzivalli. Giovanna appears. She has to answer Prinzivalli questions about why she accepted the condition and whether her husband agreed. Finally, Prinzivalli asks if Giovanna doesn't know him, which she denies. He tells her a story from childhood: Giovanna played in the garden and dropped her ring into the fountain. A boy named Gianello took him out at risk of death. He, Prinzivalli, was Gianello. Giovanna doesn't recognize him now either. The night goes by without Prinzivalli touching Giovanna. At dawn she gives him a kiss on the forehead and they both rush to Pisa.

third elevator

  • State hall in the Palace of Guido Colonnas

At the behest of Prinzivalli, a large wagon train with groceries, grain, wine, fruits and vegetables arrived in Pisa. Behind them herds of sheep, herds of cattle, powder kegs and lumps of lead. Pisa is saved. Giovanna and Prinzivalli come into the palace. Giovanna reports that she has not been touched by Prinzivalli and that she is returning with honor. Guido doesn't believe her, and the more she asserts the unbelievable, the more hopeless Prinzivalli's situation becomes. He should be in chains and in the dungeon. Suddenly Giovanna is transformed: She explains that she lied. As a satisfaction, she demands that it must be she who puts Prinzivalli in chains. She puts him in chains and he is taken away. She demands that only she be allowed to have the dungeon keys in order to get revenge on him. It is promised that the keys will be brought to her immediately. She loses consciousness and says the last words in a very weak voice: “Where is he? ... Yes, I know ... But give me the key ... The key of his dungeon ... No one else should come to him urge ... I want him for myself alone, so that I know ... So that no one else ... It was a bad dream ... The beautiful one begins now ... The beautiful one begins now ... "

Explanation

The eponymous role of women is at the center of the play. The woman between two men, who had to alternate between love, deception and madness, was on the one hand a concession to the audience, who was keen on dramatic effect, on the other hand it represented a further development of two popular types of women of the 19th century - femme fragile and femme fatale - On the one hand she is the victim of inexplicable power instincts and shows herself to be weak again and again, on the other hand she overcomes the expectation of murder based on the model of Judith and Holofernes . Insofar as Monna Vanna is an active figure, she points to a new image of women. The indicated relationship with three shows her as an active, acting figure to which the men react. As in other works by Maeterlinck, this play is about hopelessness. The focus is not on the action, but on a situation.

Actresses

German first edition by  Monna Vanna

Monna Vanna became a popular pull piece for actress stars like Eleonora Duse , while Sarah Bernhardt turned down the role.

expenditure

Adaptations

swell

  • Kindler's New Literature Lexicon . Kindler Verlag GmbH. Munich 1988/1998.
  • Monty Jacobs : Maeterlinck. A critical study to introduce his works. Eugen Diederichs, Leipzig 1901.

literature

  • Kurt Eisner : Monna Vanna. In: Freie Volksbühne [Berlin]. 15th year, issue 6–7, Nov./Dec. 1910.
  • Heinrich Meyer-Benfey : The Maeterlinck book. Carl Reissner, Dresden 1923.
  • Friedrich von Oppeln-Bronikowski : The sources of Monna Vanna. In: National newspaper. Sunday supplement 44 from 1904.
  • Alberta von Puttkamer : Monna Vanna and the artistic and philosophical career of Maeterlinck. In: Supplement to the Allgemeine Zeitung, 1902, 236 f.
  • Gabriele Reuter : Rhodope and Monna Vanna. In: Day of April 5, 1903.
  • Helene Richter : The archetype of Monna Vanna. In: New Free Press of April 29, 1904.
  • Johannes Schlaf : Maurice Maeterlinck. Bard-Marquart and Co. Berlin undated [after 1905]. Series: The literature, edited by Georg Brandes.