
In this intense five‑act tragedy the audience is thrust into the bleak camps of a besieging army, where the ruthless commander Holofernes commands both worship and bloodshed. The opening scene crackles with the clatter of soldiers, ominous music, and a chilling sacrificial rite that reveals the leader’s twisted sense of divinity. Early tensions surface when a disgruntled soldier brings a personal grievance to the commander, exposing the brutal hierarchy that governs the camp.
Against this stark backdrop, the drama slowly introduces the titular heroine, a woman whose resolve will soon clash with Holofernes’s tyranny. The play probes questions of faith, honor, and the cost of obedience, all while the looming threat of war presses on the characters. Listeners will be drawn into Hebbel’s stark language and the moral ambiguities that set the stage for a confrontation that could alter the fate of an entire people.
Language
nl
Duration
~2 hours (131K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Produced by The Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net
Release date
2010-12-13
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1813–1863
Raised in poverty and largely self-taught, this German writer turned hard early struggles into powerful dramas that helped reshape 19th-century theater. His plays are known for their psychological intensity, moral conflict, and tragic force.
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