Die Familie Schroffenstein

novel by Kleist

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July 13, 2026

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Die Familie Schroffenstein is a tragedy written by Heinrich von Kleist in 1803. This play is notable for its ruthless depiction of pathological states and explores Kleist's recurring theme of the fallibility of human perception and the intellect's inability to grasp truth. The drama is characterized by its underlying error and highlights the challenges individuals face in understanding reality.1

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Heinrich von Kleist
…his first work, the tragedy Die Familie Schroffenstein (1803; “The Schroffenstein Family”), which depicts pathological states with ruthless clarity. Underlying this drama of error is Kleist’s recurring theme, the fallibility of human perception and the inability of the human intellect by itself to apprehend truth. At this time he was…
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…his first work, the tragedy Die Familie Schroffenstein (1803; “The Schroffenstein Family”), which depicts pathological states with ruthless clarity. Underlying this drama of error is Kleist’s recurring theme, the fallibility of human perception and the inability of the human intellect by itself to apprehend truth. At this time he was…
Read More