——
1
box 36/3
Panphets offbrints
588
THE NEW QUARTERLY
Schnitzler’s best-known plays, as the recent adaptation at
His Majesty’'s shows. Christine, the first of his pathetic
woman-portraits, believes Fritz Lobheimer’s passion matches
her own till he dies in a duel for another woman,
when she wakes from her dream to discover it was,
to him, only a“ Liebelei. In Freneil (1806) the sub¬
ject is military honour. Every type of officer is repre¬
sented, from the pedantic martinet or swaggering bully to
the high-minded gentleman. Paul Rönning, who refuses
Oberleutnant Karinski the chance of redeeming his honour
by a duel, stands apart from these types as the man of
character, whose judgment is unbiassed by conventional
definitions of honour or disgrace. In the foreground is
another pathetic figure, the young actress, Anna Riedel,
whom Paul wishes to protect, and finally offers to marry.
She is the“ Freiwild,'’ the sport and quarry of manager,
actors and officers. The motive of the play, considered
as a duel-problem, has no immediate relevance for us, but,
excellent comedy apart, it suggests, like most of Schnitzler’s
work, more than lies on the surface. It is a contest of
two obstinate temperaments, as well as of opposite moral
standards. The gambler and pleasure-secker, Karinski, is
determined to include Anna among his conquests more
from pride than passion. Paul, on the other hand, persists
in his right to go or stay where he likes, to“ live his own
life' even at the risk of life. He lets Karinski shoot him
in cold blood, as a sportsman shoots big game (the idea of
Freiwild' again), and only retaliates by uttering one word,
* Lump! (Chlthy oaf!*) as he falls. Paul’s relations with
Anna are in every sense honourable, and the author does
justice to his qualities; but he shows, too, how inevitably
his Puritanism makes him appear wooden and unsympathetic
to the common ruck of men.
Like every playwright of his generation, Schnitzler
is infected to some extent by the lbsen bacillus. His
next two plays show this, though Norwegian influence
1
box 36/3
Panphets offbrints
588
THE NEW QUARTERLY
Schnitzler’s best-known plays, as the recent adaptation at
His Majesty’'s shows. Christine, the first of his pathetic
woman-portraits, believes Fritz Lobheimer’s passion matches
her own till he dies in a duel for another woman,
when she wakes from her dream to discover it was,
to him, only a“ Liebelei. In Freneil (1806) the sub¬
ject is military honour. Every type of officer is repre¬
sented, from the pedantic martinet or swaggering bully to
the high-minded gentleman. Paul Rönning, who refuses
Oberleutnant Karinski the chance of redeeming his honour
by a duel, stands apart from these types as the man of
character, whose judgment is unbiassed by conventional
definitions of honour or disgrace. In the foreground is
another pathetic figure, the young actress, Anna Riedel,
whom Paul wishes to protect, and finally offers to marry.
She is the“ Freiwild,'’ the sport and quarry of manager,
actors and officers. The motive of the play, considered
as a duel-problem, has no immediate relevance for us, but,
excellent comedy apart, it suggests, like most of Schnitzler’s
work, more than lies on the surface. It is a contest of
two obstinate temperaments, as well as of opposite moral
standards. The gambler and pleasure-secker, Karinski, is
determined to include Anna among his conquests more
from pride than passion. Paul, on the other hand, persists
in his right to go or stay where he likes, to“ live his own
life' even at the risk of life. He lets Karinski shoot him
in cold blood, as a sportsman shoots big game (the idea of
Freiwild' again), and only retaliates by uttering one word,
* Lump! (Chlthy oaf!*) as he falls. Paul’s relations with
Anna are in every sense honourable, and the author does
justice to his qualities; but he shows, too, how inevitably
his Puritanism makes him appear wooden and unsympathetic
to the common ruck of men.
Like every playwright of his generation, Schnitzler
is infected to some extent by the lbsen bacillus. His
next two plays show this, though Norwegian influence