Die Schlüssel des Himmelreichs; oder, Sankt Peters Wanderung auf Erden

A surreal tableau opens in a medieval smithy, where a mourning blacksmith confronts a cold‑hearted doctor while Saint Peter watches from the shadows. The blacksmith’s anguished monologue, riddled with loss and yearning for his vanished children, sets a tone of raw humanity against a backdrop of strange, symbolic objects—keys, locks, and biblical frescoes that hint at deeper mysteries.

The play unfolds in five myth‑laden acts, each transporting the audience from the cramped forge to the fantastical realms of Don Quixote’s chivalric fantasies, a bustling land of plenty, and finally a stark, tower‑filled vision of Babel and the Calvary. Familiar figures such as the ever‑searching Quixote, the cunning Narzissus, and an array of nymphs and dwarfs mingle with holy icons, creating a vivid tapestry where comedy, tragedy, and philosophical inquiry intersect.

In this first act, Strindberg weaves grief, faith, and the longing for redemption into a strikingly visual dialogue, inviting listeners to contemplate the fragile balance between earthly suffering and the promise of celestial keys.