Franz Grillparzer, König Ottokars Glück und Ende [King Ottokar, His Rise and Fall]

Dagmar C. G. Lorenz (University of Illinois at Chicago)

Ed. by Gerhard P. Knapp, University of Utah
The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 1.4.2: German-language Writing and Culture: Austria, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Liechtenstein, 800-present.
Vol. editors: Gerhard P. Knapp (University of Utah), Jennifer Marston William (Purdue University), Herbert Rowland (Purdue University), Jill E. Twark (East Carolina University)

Dates

First circulation or publication 1825

Places

Austria (Country of Origin)

Genres and Modes

Play
Tragedy

Resources

Franz Grillparzer’s most famous and from the outset most controversial historical tragedy, König Ottokars Glück und Ende [King Ottokar, His Rise and Fall], was inspired by the meteoric rise of Otakar II Premysl (1253-1278) of Bohemia, who after the death of his brother had become heir apparent and been declared “younger king” during a rebellion against his father. Critics have observed parallels between Grillparzer’s Ottokar and Napoleon Bonaparte, whom the author in his younger years both hated and admired. The drama was also interpreted as a critique of the Hapsburg dynasty, since Rudolf I, who defeated Otakar, was the first of the long line of Austrian Hapsburg monarchs. Otakar had …

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1717 words

Citation: Lorenz, Dagmar C. G.. "König Ottokars Glück und Ende". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 03 May 2006 [https://staging.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=14743, accessed 19 April 2024.]

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