The Adventurous Simplicissimus · Chapter
How Simplicissimus Spoiled the Dance explained
Simplicissimus, newly freed from his basin, follows his lord to a dance.
What happens
Simplicissimus, newly freed from his basin, follows his lord to a dance. Mistaking the dancers' movements for madness or demonic possession, he is told by a comrade that they intend to break through the floor. In terror, he clings to a noble lady, causing a scene. His lord orders him whipped and locked up, but the grooms spare him and confine him to a goose-pen.
Themes in this chapter
Innocence and Experience
Simplicissimus's naive misinterpretation of the dance highlights his complete lack of worldly experience and the gap between his rustic upbringing and civilized society.
Folly and Wisdom
Simplicissimus's foolish fear and his comrade's deceptive explanation lead to a comedic yet humiliating outcome, illustrating the folly of ignorance.
Characters to notice
- Simplicissimus
Observes the dance with terror, believing the dancers mad; clings to a noble lady in fear.
- The Governor
Simplicissimus's lord, present at the dance; orders Simplicissimus whipped and locked up.
Key passages
“Just as I was free of my basin my lord was going forth: so I followed him to a great house, where in a room I saw gentlemen and ladies, bachelors and maidens, twisting about so quickly that everything spun round: with such stamping and noise that I deemed they were all gone mad, for I could not imagine what they could intend with this rage and fury: yea, the very sight of them was so terrible, so fearful, and so dreadful that all my hair stood on end, and I could believe nothing but that they were all bereft of reason.”
No sooner was I rid of my basin than my lord set out, and I followed him to a large house. There I saw men and women spinning and stamping so wildly that I thought they had all gone mad—the sight was so terrifying that my hair stood on end, and I was sure they had lost their minds.
Simplicissimus describes his first bewildering encounter with a dance, mistaking it for madness.
“And he, as the real truth, told me that all there present had agreed to stamp down the floor of the room. 'For how,' says he, 'canst thou otherwise suppose that they would so stamp about? Hast thou not seen how they broke all the windows for pastime? Even so will they break in this floor.'”
My companion told me, as if it were the plain truth, that everyone had agreed to stomp through the floor. 'How else could you explain their stamping? You saw them break the windows for fun—they'll do the same to the floor.'
Simplicissimus's comrade deceives him with a tall tale about the dancers' intentions.