Siegfried: A Play in Four ActsWe are introduced to Siegfried as the new national hero of Germany, an amnesiac survivor of WWI who sprang from unknown origins to lead the country into a new period of modernization and prosperity. Baron von Zelten opposes Siegfried's project, loving the old German folk traditions. He also is one of the only Germans to know the truth about the new leader: he is actually a French soldier and writer, Jacques Forestier. A field nurse, Eva, had nursed back to health knowing his real nationality but taking advantage of his amnesia to reeducate him as a German. In hopes of preserving the cultural heritage of his people, Zelten brings Siegfried's lover, Genevieve, to the German town of Gotha, ostensibly to give lessons in French, but really in hopes that she may restore his memory. Ironically, Zelten and Genevieve dash Siegfried's self-conception as the symbol of a new Germany precisely by revealing the soldier's true identity. A struggle ensues between the notion of identity as defined by one's birth and blood ties, and the idea that identity is something one can create in a vacuum; Eva and Genevieve take these opposing points of view, attempting to help the national hero of Germany. In the course of the political turmoil that results, Zelten is banished, but Siegfried leaves to resume his old life in France with Genevieve. --Wikipedia.com. |
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Common terms and phrases
afraid believe Canada Canadian Canadian French Councillor Siegfried Court Martial Customs Officer dead death door doubt dress everything Excellency Fate feel Fontgeloy Forestier Forgive France Frau Hoepfl French Frenchmen frontier GENEVD2VE Genevieve Oh Genevieve Prat German German national anthem gesture give goes Good-bye Gotha grizzly bear hands hare lip Herr Councillor Herr Siegfried identity disc imaginary line Jacques Jacques Forestier kill Kratz Ledinger lesson limited liability company living Lohengrin look Louis Jouvet luck Mademoiselle mean memory Meyr Muck national anthem never night Paris past Patchkoffer pause perhaps Pietri question recognise Robineau Yes Schuman Schupo Coming Schupo Number seems Sergeant Servant Siegfried Coming Siegfried Yes Siegfried's silence smiling snow someone soul speak subjunctive talk tell thing town truth voice waiting Waldorf woman word wounded Zelten
Bibliographic information
| Title | Siegfried: A Play in Four Acts |
| Author | Jean Giraudoux |
| Translated by | Philip Carr |
| Publisher | L. MacVeagh, The Dial Press, 1930 |
| Original from | the University of California |
| Digitized | Nov 13, 2007 |
| Length | 165 pages |
| Export Citation | BiBTeX EndNote RefMan |