Practical Uses of Comedy at a Seventeenth-Century Court: The Political Polemic in Caspar Stieler's "Der Vermeinte Printz"
Judith P. Aikin
It is a commonplace in literary scholarship that Germans have no true comedy; if called upon to list the great German comedies, harrassed Germanist of past would usually three or four (Lessing's Minna von Barnhelm 1767, Heinrich Kleist's Der zerbrochene Krug-The Broken Jug-of 1806, and Franz Grillparzer's Weh dem, der liigtWoe him who lies 1838, perhaps Gerhart Hauptmann's Biberpelz -The Beaver Pelt 1893) before arriving at black comedies Diirrenmatt Frisch period after second world war. And even from Bliitezeit (blooming period, 1750-1850) literature, will hasten add with some embarrassment, exhibit more pathos existential anxiety than tragedies national literatures.1 As matter fact, theatre did an age comedy, but since it back often neglected seventeenth century, few think mention wonderful Peter Squentz Andreas Gryphius, Niederliindische Bauer-The Dutch Peasant-of Christian Weise, Vermeinte Printz-The Assumed Prince-of Caspar Stieler.
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