While
reading this play, one thing became very apparent, and that was that the play
was not about the literal broken jug. It
was just one of many symbolisms that were used in this play to signify a deeper
meaning. The main symbolism that I saw
was with the very names of the characters within the play- Adam, Eve, and
Licht. I am sure that the majority of
people recognize the first two names from the Book of Genesis in the
bible. Licht, which I stumbled upon due
to my terrible pronouncing skills, can be viewed as the “light” within the
play.
In the
Bible, in the story of Adam and Eve, God placed the first two people on Earth
in a place of paradise in which Adam and Eve fell away from and began the cycle
of integral sin that is a part of everyone now. These two characters in the play symbolize
this as well, although the roles are reversed.
In “The Broken Jug”, Eve is the innocent character of the duo and is
corrupted by Adam. It is the idea of
temptation that is carried over from the old literature to this one. Adam was tempting Eve into sin by offering to
help get Ruprecht out of his military leave, and also tempting her to lie to
the court by threatening her as presented at the very beginning of the play,
“There’s a certificate of induction here in my pocket… or foul play” (67). Adam is also shown very clearly as a corrupt
judge due to his uneasiness and panic when being informed of the Judge Walter
coming to verify the court’s processes.
Just as in the Bible, Eve fell to this corruptness. The jug was to symbolize Eve’s innocence
which was broken along with the jug.
Frau Martha, obviously very upset about the jug, was probably more
worried about Eve’s reputation being polluted than the actual jug. It could be suggested that Kleist was hinting
that the justice system, along with the world falls into sin.
Licht
is a character within the play that seems to be truthfully honest, and conducts
himself in a conscious, honorable manner.
He is also the one who reveals the truth about the breaking of the
jug. His portrayal of genuine and pure
quality of character along with this his uncovering of the truth, can set him
apart as the “light” of the play.
Through revealing the truth can also be phrased as “shining light” on
the truth.
I don't necessarily feel that Eve was completely innocent in the story. She was going to let Judge Adam bear false witness that Ruprecht was sick so he would not be shipped off to war. Also, the story said Judge Adam made demands, but never really confirmed Eve's reaction. I do feel Judge Adam abused his power, but I also feel Eve's integrity was compromised when she tried to dishonestly save Ruprecht. Maybe the roles were not reversed. Maybe Adam's fall from grace because of Eve's temptation goes along with the original story. Maybe Ruprecht was Eve's apple.
ReplyDeleteYour post really made me think about Eve's character and the role women played in Germany during the 18th century. I also have to say that Licht is my favorite character in this play because he is one of the few individuals who is not completely corrupted.
ReplyDeleteI like Licht too, but I also feel that Walter was a funnier version of Licht. While in session, he was dead serious and followed judiciary procedure to the letter, while off court he was constantly making witty jokes at Adam.
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