The Son (Hasenclever play)
1914 German play by Walter Hasenclever
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The Son (German: Der Sohn) is a five-act Expressionist play by the German playwright Walter Hasenclever.[1] It was the first self-proclaimed, full-length Expressionist play to be produced, though its dramatic structure is more or less realistic.[2] It takes as its subject the conflict between the generations and a rejection of the world in general by the young.[3] It is a semi-autobiographical work.[4]
The Tutor
The Friend
The Fräulein
The Father
Cherubim
Von Tuchmeyer
Prince Scheitel
Adrienne
Police Inspector
| The Son | |
|---|---|
| Written by | Walter Hasenclever |
| Characters | The Son The Tutor The Friend The Fräulein The Father Cherubim Von Tuchmeyer Prince Scheitel Adrienne Police Inspector |
| Date premiered | 1916 |
| Place premiered | Dresden |
| Original language | German |
| Subject | Intergenerational conflict |
| Genre | Expressionism |
| Setting | The present (1914), over 3 days |
It was written in 1912, first published in 1914, and first performed in 1916 at the Albert-Theater in Dresden, although Hasenclever had read the play at the literary cabaret Das Gnu in early 1914.[5] Ernst Deutsch played the Son to great acclaim.[6]
The play ends with the Son killing his father. He then "strides triumphantly over his father's corpse into a future full of glorious potential".[7]