Three Plays

A compact introduction to Hofmannsthal’s dramatic work, containing Death and the Fool, Electra, and The Tower. These three plays span his entire career, from the youthful symbolist verse of the 1890s to the political allegory of the 1920s.

Why Consider This One

Death and the Fool (1893), written when Hofmannsthal was only nineteen, is a one-act verse play about an aesthete who is visited by Death and confronted with his failure to truly live. It is the perfect companion to The Lord Chandos Letter, exploring similar themes of art, experience, and the limits of beauty. If you want the dramatic side of Hofmannsthal without committing to the full Selected Plays, this is an excellent alternative.