Societal Corruption in The Broken Jug by Heinrich Von Kleist Essay

The Broken Jug is a comedy, written by Heinrich Von Kleist in the Eighteenth century, which is centered on the theme of injustices in society. The play reveals the scandalous affairs of a corrupt legal system, in which the judge, a traditional symbolic figure of peace and nobility and social equality, is instead exposed as an incarnate form of a morally corrupt and perverse society. Each of the plays major characters are therefore created as figures that serve as implicit representations of Kleist's moral and political views. In The Broken Jug, Kleist constructs a literary structure in which symbolism plays a crucial role in defining the essential nature of the play. As a result of this structure, we often see discrepancies between the "real and symbolic" themes in the play. Kleist constructs the play and its characters around superficial appearances that later reveal their symbolic or "real" nature. A consistent theme in Kleist's work is that of trust and this aspect is figured prominently throughout the comedy. Kleist maintains a strong belief that all genuine human relationships should be based upon feelings expressed in the form of unquestioning confidence. This is because feelings derived from reason and rational, serve merely to deceive and create a false sensual experience that is not real. Emotional experiences that originate from the heart, however, cannot be deceived and are therefore authentic and real. Kleist therefore uses a form of juxtaposition in the play to create an almost irreconcilable tension between the idealistic notions of emotional freedom and that of determinism, which is defined by a sense of total and rational order. His work poses a paradox between the contradicting ideas on freedom and r... ...clever human being whose imagination enables him to escape the net of lies and excuses which he has, often deliberately, constructed. Operating from the "will to power" of his individual desires, Adam is driven by his desire for the young woman and eventually finds himself caught in the determinisms of the law and society. In addition to being an ambiguous symbol of a young woman's (potentially) lost reputation, the broken jug becomes a symbol of the "vessel" of the community that is being cracked by the self-centered actions of individuals. The jug is therefore crucial to an understanding of Eve's personality and to the re-attainment of some moral balance. In the final scene, The Broken Jug resorts to the traditional conclusion of marriage. Ruprecht asks for and receives Eve's forgiveness. Kleist uses their relationship to exhibit issues of individual freedom.