Het Pascha

work by Vondel

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July 23, 2026

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Het Pascha is a significant early work by the Dutch poet and dramatist Joost van den Vondel, written in 1612. The title translates to "The Passover". This play dramatizes the biblical story of the Exodus of the Israelites from Egypt.1

The term "Pasch" itself can refer to either Easter or Passover. In Het Pascha, Vondel uses the Passover narrative as an allegory for the Calvinists who had fled Spanish tyranny in the southern Netherlands. The work already showcases the power and splendor of Vondel's verse, foreshadowing his later literary achievements.21

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Joost van den Vondel
Het Pascha (1612; “The Passover”), a dramatization of the Exodus of the Jews from Egypt, was his most important early work, in which the power and splendour of his verse is already apparent. This play was an allegory for the Calvinists who had fled from…
Read More
Het Pascha (1612; “The Passover”), a dramatization of the Exodus of the Jews from Egypt, was his most important early work, in which the power and splendour of his verse is already apparent. This play was an allegory for the Calvinists who had fled from…
Read More