Apollo has fled the wretchedness of German literature for the land of Utopia. Mercury relates how German poets have turned the Parnassus into a brothel and reminds Apollo of his responsibilities. They go to the Parnassus and find that Minerva has been raped and is on the verge of hanging herself. Then, Apollo dispenses justice and punishes muses and the members of their cult: he transforms them into pigs, donkeys, dung beetles, spittoons and dustbins, and serves the rest up to journalists. Once their work is complete, they will be hung by their feet.

Not specified

Schink Johann Friedrich

Germany

Berlin

Printed

Greek mythology

Gods

Poetry

Wonderland

Friedrich Gottlieb Klopstock

Gottfried August Bürger

Popular literature

Sturm und Drang

Preromantic

Triviality

Scatology

Rousseauism

Germanic mythology

Philosophy

Stench

Satirical

Burlesque

Engraving from the original publication of Marionettentheater (1778)

German

Apoll

Eine dramatsche Fantasei

Fantaisie

Apollo

Mercury

Minerva

Muse

Grâce

Prologue

Allegory

Song

Allusion to current literary events

Hanging scene

Chorus

Sung scenes

Versified passages

Foul language register

Parodic trial

Defecation on stage

Metamorphosis

Epilogue

Der Staupbesen

The Broom

Two hungry lawyers are looking for clients by all means. One would like to urge Pierrot, the other Mme Bégriche to sue anyone under any pretext. But they refuse, flee and then hit the lawyers. The two lawyers join forces to create a dispute: one kills Pierrot's cat and accuses Mme Bégriche of the crime, while the other kills Mme Bégriche's parrot and blames the cat. Dragged to court by their lawyers, the two plaintiffs, victims of the Commissaire's stupidity, were sentenced to be hanged. But they escape without paying any fees and beat up the lawyers who are chasing them. The two lawyers blame each other for this failure and fight to death.

Glove-puppet

All audiences

France

Paris

Duranty Louis Émile Edmond

Hunger

Lawyer

Trial

Judgment

Speech for the defense

Parrot

Injustice

Crime

Latin

False testimony

Discord

Comical

Parodistic

Farcical

French

Pierrot

Police Superintendant

Animal

Misunderstanding

Blow-with-a-stick

Chase

Fight to the death

Court scene

Les Plaideurs malgré eux

The Plaintiffs in spite of themselves

Kasperl leaves his wife Grete and resigns from his job at Stoffelbauer’s farm to explore the world. On the road, he meets the genius of the mountains, Cuivre Curpus. The latter is dressed as an old man and Kasperl gives him three of his copper coins. Cuprus thanks him and gifts him a magic violin in turn. Kasperl uses it to make the Jew Mauschl dance until he faints, after discovering that he was embezzling money. Two robbers – Fangauf and Schnapper – take advantage of the opportunity to steal Mauschl’s purse. Kasperl is then introduced to Duke Richard’s court as the violinist Spagatini, and he seduces the Duke’s daughter, Princess Amalie, as well as her lady-in-waiting. One day he is caught serenading them by night, but he makes the guards, the whole court, the princess and the lady-in-waiting dance. However, he is brought to justice and accused by Mauschl of having stolen the purse. As a result, he is sentenced to death. At the gallows, he asks to play one last tune on his violin, in the hope of making everyone dance and escaping. But Cuprus appears with Grete. He takes away the magic of the violin but promises to save Kasperl’s life, on condition that he goes back to his wife.

String marionette

Young audiences

Pocci Franz von

Munich

Beer

Sausage

Laziness

Money

Mines

Nature

Copper

Music

Concert

Genie

People and history

Magic

Love

Impossible love

Romanticism

Seduction

Serenade

Justice

Musician

Aristocracy

Princely court

Scaffold

Gallows

Tralala

Faust

Fantasy

Lyrical

Title page illustrated by the author in the original edition of the play

Kasperl

Madame Kasperl

Duke

Lady in waiting

Marshal

Judge

Clerk

Waiter

Guard

Valet

Domestic scene

Board

Dance

Caricature

Word for another

Macaronism

Deus ex machina

Metatheatre

Apparition

Die Zaubergeige

The enchanted violin

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.