''Demetrius'' () is an incomplete drama by the German playwright

Friedrich Schiller Johann Christoph Friedrich von Schiller (, short: ; 10 November 17599 May 1805) was a German playwright, poet, philosopher and historian. Schiller is considered by most Germans to be Germany's most important classical playwright. He was born i ...

based on the life of

Demetrius Demetrius is the Latinization of names, Latinized form of the Ancient Greek male name, male Greek given names, given name ''Dēmḗtrios'' (), meaning "devoted to goddess Demeter". Alternate forms include Demetrios, Dimitrios, Dimitris, Dmytro, ...

, briefly Russian czar between 1604 and 1605. It is a reflection on the individual's responsibility in history and on the rule of

Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led Military career ...

. Schiller worked on the play from 1804 to 1805, but it was left unfinished on his death and was only premiered on 15 February 1857 at the

Hoftheater in Weimar The (DNT), or German National Theater and Weimar State Orchestra, is the most significant arts organization in Weimar. The institution unites the (German National Theater) with the (Weimar State Orchestra). It plays on a total of six stages ...

Dramatis personae

Sigismund Sigismund (variants: Sigmund, Siegmund) is a German proper name, meaning "protection through victory", from Old High German ''sigu'' "victory" + ''munt'' "hand, protection". Tacitus latinises it ''Segimundus''. There appears to be an older form of ...

, King of Poland * Archbishop of Gniezno, Primus of the Empire * Prince Leo Sapieha *

, false son of Czar Ivan * Mnischek, Prince of Sendomir *

Marina A marina (from Spanish , Portuguese and Italian : "related to the sea") is a dock or basin with moorings and supplies for yachts and small boats. A marina differs from a port in that a marina does not handle large passenger ships or cargo ...

, Mnischek's daughter * Marfa, widow of Czar Ivan

Plot

Dmitry Pretender of the Emperor of Russia

In a speech before the Polish diet, Demetrius asserts his claim to the throne of the czars. He hopes for assistance from Poland. He declares that he is the son of

Ivan the Terrible Ivan IV Vasilyevich (; – ), commonly known as Ivan the Terrible,; ; monastic name: Jonah. was Grand Prince of Moscow, Grand Prince of Moscow and all Russia from 1533 to 1547, and the first Tsar of all Russia, Tsar and Grand Prince of all R ...

and was not, as reputed, murdered in 1591 as a child, but raised in a cloister and that he afterward was in the service of the Prince of Sendomir. He asserts that he is Czar Demetrius. His impressive speech convinces both the diet and the king. Although a formal resolution is not passed by the diet because of a veto by Prince Sapiehas, Poland goes into battle against Moscow. The Poles desire to oust

Boris Godunov Boris Feodorovich Godunov (; ; ) was the ''de facto'' regent of Russia from 1585 to 1598 and then tsar from 1598 to 1605 following the death of Feodor I, the last of the Rurik dynasty. After the end of Feodor's reign, Russia descended into t ...

with the help of the upstart Demetrius. The forceful spirit behind the attempt is Demetrius' fiancée Marina, Mnischek's daughter, and Czar Ivan's widow. The latter has been banned to a cloister by Godunov and has for years been grieving for her allegedly murdered son when she receives the news that Demetrius is alive, after all. Schiller only indicated the course of the further action. Boris hears about the successes of Demetrius and commits suicide with poison. The new czar is a benevolent ruler until he discovers that his claim to the throne is not legitimate. He is not Ivan's son, but was merely used as a tool by the faction of Godunov opponents. When his mother Marfa is supposed to provide identification, she does not recognize him. Despite the lacking legitimation, Demetrius requests her to recognize him as her son. But Marfa follows her conscience and refuses.

Schiller's work on ''Demetrius''

According to his diary, his efforts can be divided into four phases: ''First phase, 10 March to 21 April 1804'': Schiller makes a note of the cast of ''Demetrius'' and his plans for developing the roles of Marfa and Marina. ''Second phase, 22 May to 22 July 1804'': Schiller collects information on the historical context of the play and continues to work on the exposition of the drama. An originally planned Sambor act was later rejected and replaced with the scene at the diet. On 22 July 1804, Schiller interrupted his work on ''Demetrius'' to begin writing ''The Princess of Zelle''. Also because of illness he only continued working on ''Demetrius'' in mid-November 1804. ''Third phase, Mid-November to 10 December 1804'': Schiller debates whether to work on the “Demetrius drama” or “Warbeck” and decides in favor of the former. Before that time he had, off and on, worked on both dramatic fragments. He settled on a precise arrangement of scenes for ''Demetrius''. ''Fourth phase, 20 January to 1 May 1805'': Schiller completes the first act. There are only rough outlines for the further course of the drama.

References

External links

{{Authority control 1805 plays Plays by Friedrich Schiller Plays based on actual events Biographical plays Cultural depictions of Russian monarchs Unfinished plays Plays set in Russia Plays set in Poland Cultural depictions of Boris Godunov Plays set in the 17th century Fiction set in 1604 Fiction set in 1605