Robert Guiskard

work by Kleist

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Last updated

July 13, 2026

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Heinrich von Kleist's unfinished play, Robert Guiskard, was an ambitious attempt to merge ancient Greek tragedy with Shakespearean character drama. The play, which Kleist burned in Paris and later partially rewrote, explores themes of human perception's fallibility and the intellect's limitations in grasping truth. This work, along with his other writings, reflects Kleist's internal conflict between reason and emotion, a central theme in his literary output. Kleist was a significant German dramatist of the 19th century, whose work is seen as a precursor to modern literary concerns.1

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Heinrich von Kleist
…also working on the play Robert Guiskard, an ambitious work in which he attempted to unite ancient Sophoclean tragedy and the Shakespearean drama of character, but it would remain a fragment. He set out on a new journey and in Paris, overcome by despair, burned his manuscript of Guiskard (though…
Read More
…also working on the play Robert Guiskard, an ambitious work in which he attempted to unite ancient Sophoclean tragedy and the Shakespearean drama of character, but it would remain a fragment. He set out on a new journey and in Paris, overcome by despair, burned his manuscript of Guiskard (though…
Read More