Cosima's Diaries

Diary Entry of July 3, 1870

Overview

Cosima feels unwell but handles Lucca correspondence and translation work for Wagner before a town trip. Macbeth’s force overwhelms them again, leading Wagner to describe the play as the destruction of an honored character by fate and demonic possession. Weimar’s silver laurel wreath and Frantz’s grief-stricken letter add public tribute and private desolation to the same day.

Content

Sunday, July 3:

I am unwell; write to Lucca on R.’s behalf, R. himself writes Härtel’s a letter which I translate for Lucca. To town after family lunch. In the evening Macbeth, the impact of which is again a crushing one. “As with Antony, Hamlet, Othello, Shakespeare shows us in Macbeth a character entirely destroyed by Fate. Of the Macbeth as he is described to us and honored in the beginning there is no trace left, the demonic element takes control, and the individual ceases entirely to exist. That is the play’s greatness and tragedy.” At lunch during dessert Jakob brings us the silver laurel wreath from Weimar. It is truly handsome.

Letter from poor C. Frantz enclosing his Naturlehre des Staats; he had wanted to dedicate it to R. and asked if he might, but since R. did not reply he had not dared! The death of his son has robbed him forever of his joy in life.