The poet meets Kasperl in the street. He proposes to him to attend his puppet theatre, leaving him alone in front of the puppet booth. The first character to emerge is Hanswurst, but he fails to amuse Kasperl, who kills him by hitting him with a stick. Next, an allegory portraying Art enters the stage and offers him fruits. Kasperl does not find them to his liking and spills the garbage can on the poor woman's head. Finally, Death comes for him, and Kasperl knocks his head off with a stick. The furious poet returns to chastise him, but Kasperl has had enough and beats him to death.

Glove-puppet

Not specified

Blümel Otto

Germany

Munich

Printed

Poetry

Beer

Gluttony

Bavaria

Radish

Sausage

Beauty

Symbolism

George, Stefan Anton

Burlesque

Parodistic

German

Poet

Kasperl

Hanswurst

Arts

Death

Monologue

Versified passages

Comical regional accent

Parody of formal language

Talking at cross-purposes

Song

Puppet theatre within the theatre

Metadiscourse on puppet theatre

Blow-with-a-stick

Murder on stage

Chorus

Allegory

Der Dichter

The poet

The protagonist, Franz, is a young Viennese scientist who, during a hypnosis session conducted by Mesmer, learns that his cousin Angèlica, with whom he is in love, is in great danger. He decides to go to her rescue and, after many adventures, arrives in Budapest to find that she has just died. Convinced that she has been hypnotised by the alchemist Adam Le Fay, he keeps her body in ice, brings her back to his laboratory and tries various experiments to resurrect her. He fails and is accused of her murder by Napoleonic troops who have just entered Vienna. Sentenced to death, he is saved at the last moment by Le Fay who explains to him that if one of them dies, the other also perishes. They duel, Franz throws himself on Le Fay's sword, and both die at the same time. It is clear that they are two sides of the same personality, symbolising the conflict between rationalism and superstition.

Shadow theatre

Automaton

Adults

Sirera Rodolf

Spain

Valencia

Rationalism

Science

Religion

Superstition

Adventure

Alchemy

Hypnotism

Spiritisme

Double

Divination

Supernatural

Love

Dramatic

Fantastic

Melodramatic

Philosophical tale

Catalan

Obra per a titelles i actors

Savant

Alchemist

Old man

Doctor

Franz-Anton Mesmer

Homes I Dones Espectadors de la sessió d'hipnotisme

Coachman

Horserider

Lady

Innkeeper

Maid

Hangman

Corpse snatcher

Prison guard

Priest

Neighbour (female)

Funfair Traveller

Bookseller

Servant

Valet

Carpenter

Soldier

Executioner

Officer

Narrator

Magic act

Throws

Projected shadows

Surprise effect

Hypnosis session

Masked characters

Sword fight

Analepsis (Flash-back)

Prolepsis (Flash-forward)

Imbroglio

La mirada de l'alquimista

The alchemist's gaze