Leander is in love with Leontine, the daughter of the rich Gebhard. Leander’s footman, Hanswurst, is in love with the maid, Katharinchen. Old Gebhard spends his time reading two books from the "Das Reich der Todten" (The Empire of the Dead) series, which collects imaginary conversations between dead people. He is against his daughter’s wedding. Leander only has a chance at marrying her if he learns the books by heart. The lovers decide to give a sleeping pill to Gebhard, to take him to the garden, and to make him believe that he died. They dress up to stage the chaos happening in The Empire of the Dead. Leontine, Leander, Katharinchen, and Hanswurst go to meet the old man one by one. They explain to him that they too died and that it was his fault. Gebhard thus ends up giving his consent for the wedding. Ernst, a cereal merchant from whom Leander sought advice, enters the stage to expose the trickery to Gebhard, who learns that none of them is dead.

String marionette

Not specified

Hofmann Anton

Germany

Augsburg

Manuscript

Hell

Death

Reading

Illusion

Deception

Wedding prevented

Father

Dialogue of the dead

Comical

Farcical

Poster from Joseph Peter Seelig, Augsburg, circa 1820 (Stephan Oettermann: Ankündigungs-Zettel von Kunstreitern, Akrobaten, Tänzern, Taschenspielern, Feuerwerkern, Luftballons und dergleichen, Wiesbaden 1993, no. 1683)

German

Die bestrafte Einbildung, oder: Das Reich der Todten mitten im Reich, der Lebendigen

Rentier

Fiancée

Chambermaid

Merchant (man)

Fiancé

Leandre

Hanswurst

Servant

Disguise

Illusory world

Final wedding

Monologue

Cross-dressing

Das Reich der Todten

The Empire of the Dead

Pierrot has been dead for six months when he meets Arlequin in the Underworld. Arlequin has just arrived and tells Pierrot that Colombine quickly forgot all about him after he died. First, she went with Valère, then with Arlequin himself, after he and Martine divorced. After having met Platon (Plato) and Socrate (Socrates) and spied on their conversations, Pierrot and Arlequin begin philosophising about women. When they meet Pluton (Pluto), they ask him to bring Martine and Colombine, whom they yearn to see. The two women are taken alive to the Underworld, but they reject Arlequin and Pierrot as they refuse to live with dead men. To keep them away, Martine sends them both on a mission with Pluton and Caron (Charon). The young women meet Platon and Socrate too, who are both affected by the women’s living flesh. Arlequin is jealous and ready to fight Socrate. However, Pluton comes back and tells Martine and Colombine that Valère has already replaced them both. They ask to be brought back to earth, and Pluton grants their wish. After they are gone, Pluton and Arlequin declare that no woman is trustworthy, but Diotime (Diotima) appears and reminds them of the transfiguring power of love.