Casper is accused by a farmer of stealing his hay and the cart and cow that went with it. He tries to bargain over the compensation and settles the matter with a stick. In court, he insults the judge and beats the policeman. The peasant asks for him to be hanged, but Casper finds out and hangs him instead. Then he beats the policeman again. The judge wants him tortured and executed, but Casper beats him to death.

Glove-puppet

Young audiences

Germany

Sonneberg

Printed

Justice

Theft

Retribution

Punishment

Gallows

Torture

Police

Jail

Judgment

Prosecution

Violence

Assassination

Embezzlement

Silliness

Wickedness

Insubordination

Farcical

Ironic

German

Kasperl

Judge

Policeman

Peasant

Address to the public

Versified passages

Flying machine

Blow-with-a-stick

Parodic trial

Stichomythia

Foul language register

Comic equivocation

Hanging scene

Murder on stage

Epilogue

Casper soll ins Gefängnis kommen

Casper must go to jail

Guignol is riddled with debts and can no longer provide for his wife and his daughter Madelon. To get him out of trouble, his friend Grinchitoux suggests that he become an “apache” – that is, a thief – like him. Madelon begs her boyfriend Pintrus to prevent it. Grinchitoux takes Guignol to the edge of the forest, where he is asked to cause accidents and rob the travellers. When Guignol refuses, Grinchitoux threatens him with a gun. Pintrus tries to take Guignol back home, but the latter drives him off. The Baron de Pierrafeu’s car crashes. His valet Trouillard (meaning “lily-livered”) flees, and the Baron is taken inside a cave. Grinchitoux tortures him, until the Baron reveals where his money is hidden and hands him the key to his castle. The Baron is then left for dead. While Grinchitoux fails to find the money, Guignol, who was keeping watch, repents. Pintrus arrives and urges Guignol to flee, as the police is on its way – led by the Baron, who is still alive. Grinchitoux kills the valet Trouillard, then the Baron. He is apprehended by the Gendarme (policeman). Guignol is safe and alive, and he has become a perfect husband. He agrees to Madelon and Pintrus’ marriage. Grinchitoux is sentenced to death. He makes an attempt at escaping, but Guignol catches him, and he is hanged. Guignol treats the policeman and the hangman to a drink.

All audiences

Debt

Bad husband

Devil

False friend

Robber

Burglar

Murderer

Accident

Ambush

Repentance

Melodramatic

Dramatic

Didactic

Cover page of Henry de Graffigny's Guignol Apache

French

Mélodrame en cinq actes

Guignol

Painter

Lover

Baron

Valet de chambre

Domestic servant

Guignol’s wife

Madelon

Daughter

Guignol’s daughter

Mrs  Gribiche

Constable

Executioner

Chase

Domestic scene

Aside

Offstage

Off-stage noise

Gunshot

Monologue

Scene of torture

Fake death

Death on stage

Guignol apache