Zwischen den Knien der Autorität

For “Das Käthchen von Heilbronn” it is possible to consult the divine, love and madness as motives for the suicide. In this regard, “Das Käthchen von Heilbronn” can be entangled with Plato’s dialogue “Phaidros”, which gives an insightful answer to the question, why the girl commits suicide. To ensure that the above themes can be decisive for actions of an individual, a system of power dynamics must be given. The function and the performing of power in “Das Käthchen von Heilbronn” are the core issues of this work. It is a combination of myths and coding of love. Both myth and love are used in the discourse of power to establish itself as a system and to be able to act. The gender matters insofar as the system of power refers to this and the male is preferred in comparison to the female, so the latter is even deliberately excluded. The figure of the father takes a prominent position in that respect, as well as the system of the deputy. The function of the deputy pulls itself in many shades, starting with God, like a red thread through the drama. “Das Käthchen von Heilbronn” can thus be seen as a reflection of contemporary society and makes their dynamic features obvious.