The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1892-05-22
TIE WORLD OF LETTERS.
corrur's ~E1rrNon9 CONSIDERED.
Iut Ilttle Connection with the hpeno' 81
Bomer's Odyssey kipling@ ''""h"k
yorso-Tbo Grand Dra'na-Notes'

ODYSSEY does not eAlehu hcf"hW '"N WV va
,hc German play. but the chief characters
heart the familiar classical names Anuope and
1,lns The ouIineof the plot0f the German
NAV as f.r as the fragment proceeds, Is
son..,,bat simpler than that presented IN
chose ancient stories The widowed queen,
Antiope. while on journey with her infant
son and attendants. has been robbed OF TINS
SON hva wcli-0reanZed band, who STAY the
attendants. and leave her helpless. Sno APP
Mics DOB her distress % her oio'nel]n-ia"'
I.kr-. who reports VAN seafch lof the
...an.r.. DuNsiting Iyhus. after some years
l.te .lansrd Anfope sees Llpenor, the
,...t.a SON of Nhls and IL strangely attract
tt. A.n ar though bee were her own enid.
ltA4.. WHO Is described 10y her as AMBITIOUS
and DESTROYS Of rule. ls persuaded 70 ehIu7t
II-son to AuuOpe during his early youth, in
return 0r Islands which She paWns 10 hln'
and her PROMISE 90 remain "a widow, ana 10
mako IIen.r her heir. At The opening v'
rn..lav. t.. fue has arrived for the iainei 10
claim his s.a. aud lykus Is hourly eAp'cltu
v.. ais company. AnuOpc. DOB paillus ',,-
f.ulew with Elpen0r reclies her N'ont'3
lm, and be- takes upon mnsth w" oren,e
l4 apparently as readily iofeeie ~ 49,
her uuon those who have robbed hri VI "''
son. Ion the second act. the ser feht ". -, 49,,
p0iymefis appears I'm ADVANCED "'7
eoulpnnv. SIC lcarn lron Duo inoH''0-'o
that crimes get uuaNeneeo "''C y~,'' -,
miffed Dy him. ElpenOr Us the son ol An,iVpo
toien fr,ui hcrut LvkUs' command. roy
lDofs further holds in cOnceaimcnt I'D Inc
mountains sea monster that can tear face 10
r5..e." and tuis can DE 40 other thah the son
oil fykus. P0iFmeus, the Vicious Instrument,
r.ty Ieprnt- oul} because he teeiS ui7 Ndlue lo
Ills master Go Doe no longer what d. was I'm the
..4troubl0us umos.' Ignorant OF his masters
motives and necessities, be feels himself
U.ncel0rn fne de.pi-eI AGENT of crimes. ana
I.pfs 90 Ii-e again in importance by creating
dire di-.eusi0ns 800 tne royal house. IDS APP
parent purpose is now 20 reveal the past 10
AuuOpc.
Tine slight results which the "Elpenor'
.ra.meut haas thus Gar yielded To- critical study
seem scarcely 60 justify the amount Of labor
bestowed. Theories are lnnumeIaD.e, bui the
most remarkable feature Of them is that no
fao ulopouuders Of continuation agree.
mis- -ltte0i Things is due, i'm the first place,
tt.. .lpp0sitlOn that Goethe would have
bowed out q plot similar 90 That OF ihe
Greek story In some one OF los forms. But
....a course is foreign To q .rthe's thought.
-l.U.renI." furnishes am example Of tragic
tl.flu winch tate IFS appeased, and complete
f..0n. is effected by purely human
r.au-.
gorfle'- "E'penOrn was similarly intended
meAu0lul % theme of reconciliation.
Ile more recent studies of the fragment
..t-ln a1.u0 progress 500 This direction. The
most humane ot them, that ol G.. hettuer,
..uaud- the death OF lyhus by his own hand.
L.neke's theory, which has profoundly M
need every subsequent study, makes out
.l .rau0r' apiece planned and written for
..0.Ir at Memer. on the occasion ot the
I..l0I I.e crown prince February q, li.5)
AGAINST TINS view there are grave oblcc-
r.U..
0..thc's art lis symboHcal. He rarely bases
bis af upon personiucatlOns OF abstract
notions (aleg0ryJ and never anticipates the
I.-.f- no experience in ms dramatic charac
t.-. his works present no auAO2les %
which should anticipate for "a newborn
r.ueeIug his arrival az the summit OF his
careIr.
An equally serious objection to Zarncke's
theory lies in The fact that Goetne's works,
especially at this period, are portrayal-in
n0re on less symbOllCal 1ashion-Of his own
uepr0Dlems.
Ffom the beginning of 1871, it was Frau
500 stein, and what the name implies, that
kept Goethe in Neimar and al his post.
Ine change I'm the tone of boetnes letters
f. npr from this time rs well known, and ln-
a ,rt-e a change il their relations. lie speaks
oi mis- n0yiuate as now closed, the Sturm aud
lang period was left behind. 6Oethes
.aanged tone, happiness and serenity aiteInat-
Hg with tender sOlcitude. the utter absence
0. q lovers impauence and petuience, mark
.r entrance into his most ideal period
l.~l-ll~G}. tho period of renunciatlOn, OF
U4u accepted aud fulfilled, of tak,ug i'm sail,
tle period during which, without binding
flen. bee considered himself bound 90 Frau
SOD stein and her tTltI. as one is bound TO
wife and son. Fritz was with him, too for "a
period ot four years (It>--llcO), dud was then
at tHe age Elpeuor may be supposed % have
reached when tine play opens. Further, the
drama was begun August -. 1881. ON the
I-.I Uf the same month. ue writes 90 Frau Won