Vondel's 'Adam in Ballingschap' and its relationship to Grotius' 'Adamus Exul'

Abstract

Ch. I. Grotius and Vondel chose the dramatic form for the embodiment of their Idea because drama had the widest appeal of those art-forms claiming the dual function of edification and Instruction. Ch.II (i) The account of the Fall in Genesis contains explicitly or implicitly all the elements required of a tragedy by the Humanist philologists interpretation of Aristotle and Horace. (ii) Senecan influence in Dutch drama is mainly attributable to the preference of Latin to Greek as the language used by the scholars end to the popularity of Seneca's rhetorical style andmoralising manner among those who inherited the Rederijkers' tradition. Ch. III. *ADAMUS EXUL* The play fails to achieve the balance necessary to form an integrated impression of tragedy because the predominant power and mood is of evil. Grotius fails to co-ordinate his art and scholarship. Ch.IV. "ADAM IN BALLINGSCHAP" (i) at the Literal Level. Its greatest achievement is its flawless structure in which the power of supernatural good and evil are perfectly balanced and reach a culminating point in the spiritual conflict of one man. (ii) the Theological Level. Vondel's views on the Cosmos, the soul and body, the mind, God in nature, obedience, free will and the Redemption are considered with reference to Grotius. (iii) the Symbolic Level. There are two important symbolic allegories to which most of the individual symbols contribute: God as the Sun and Light, Lucifer as Darkness; Adam as the Soul and Eve as the Body. Ch.V. "ADAM IN BALLINGSCHAP" is of all Vondel's drama the fullest externalisation of his spiritual life for in it are the red together all the aspects of virtue and sin expressed severally in his other plays. Conclusion. There can be no question of more than a superficial influence of Grotius' play on Vondel's.