Heinrich Kleist's Amphitryon

“The kiss and the bite are such close cousins that in the heat of love they are too readily confounded.”- Heinrich Von Kleist. In the comedy Amphitryon written by Heinrich Von Kleist, a God by the name of Jupiter is wrongfully interested in Alcmena, the wife of Amphitryon and decides he must enjoy her favors, all whilst her husband is away at battle. This act of unknowing adultery by Alcmena is greatly related to the quote above. Alcmenas love for her husband Amphitryon is so fulfilling; that Alcmena is lost in the heat of love resulting from the fake lust expressed from Jupiter, the kisses of love are acting as bits because they are not true. Furthermore, this being of another man in front of her seeming as Amphitryon is filled of love and passion for her, …show more content…
Entering the Prussian Army in 1792, he later explained after his time serving the military that it was a “waste of time” and it was not for him. The role of Amphitryon going to war in the comedy shows us that Kleist overall frowned upon the military in general for his own personal reasons. Later Kleist went into the study of Mathematics, Physics, as well as Philosophy going on to define his own version of happiness as “I call that rich and abundant enjoyment which we derive from the contemplation of our own moral beauty, happiness.” The whole person at one with himself just as Alcmena was at the beginning of Amphitryon, a happy person. Given this thought of happiness from Kleist we also see a very comical and tragic part of the story as well, in the Mercury- Sosia scene following Mercury’s description of the double impersonation. Mercury notes that Jupiter has assimilated himself into the being of Amphitryon and highlights the performing process of that accusation as well. All the while Alcmena is still the true and innocent victim of this action comically argued upon by Mercury and