Part Two is (here)
Herbert plays an important role in
considering Krolock and Alfred’s dynamic because of his status as Krolock’s son.
He’s Krolock’s direct and I’m assuming only offspring, as well as his heir, and
most definitely the closest un-living person Krolock has in his life. He knows
Krolock’s tells and habits inside and out, and undoubtedly Krolock knows his as
well, certainly brought closer by the loss of Herbert’s mother and Krolock’s
wife. This is a very tight-knit family dynamic, and leaves little room for any
misinterpretation between them.
For instance, in “Wenn Liebe in dir ist”,
Herbert begins by telling Alfred that his father is “ganz begeistert” with him.
The word “begeistert” can be used in a number of contexts and it can mean a
number of different roughly similar things, but in this case it most likely
means that Herbert perceived that Krolock was pleased or even excited by
Alfred’s arrival. The word itself is fairly common, but given Krolock’s
somewhat secretive nature, I’m inclined to believe it’s quite meaningful here.
Krolock’s son, certainly, would know when he’s shown an exaggerated interest in
someone or something.
Of course, we don’t know much about
Krolock and Herbert’s backstory as a family aside from the possible mention of
Herbert’s mother as Krolock’s first victim. As such, Herbert seemingly hasn’t
had influence very far outside of his father’s alone, and judging by the
striking similarities in personality, they’re a close family. That being now
established, there are clear connections between Herbert’s more playful,
flirtatious moments and Krolock’s. It isn’t often that Krolock tries to
instigate a laugh, but when he does, he seems to enjoy the result (See: The
group laugh in “Vor dem Schloss”). Plainly, un-life must be a bleak place
without at even a little bit of dark or self-deprecating humor, and I don’t’
think Krolock would have stuck out the many lonely centuries without at least a
touch of warmth within him.
Alfred becomes attuned to that warmth and
emotional depth during both the course of “Wohl dem Mann” and “Die Unstillbare
Gier” (though it’s my understanding that Alfred is not a bystander for every
production during “Die Unstillbare”, and so I’ll limit my discussion on that
one). “Wohl dem Mann” is most simply summed up as a seduction, a true attempt
at lulling Alfred into a sense of safety and intimacy, because as stated
before, Krolock knows it’s what he wants. He uses very specific, choice words
for this, and the lines that are most direct are:
Krolock
Lern von mir, was es heist zu
lieben, (Learn from me what it means to love)
Lös die Fesseln der Moral (Loose
the fetters/chains of morality)
Folge deinen verborgenen Trieben (Follow your
hidden urges)
If you
were unsure before of whether he recognizes Alfred’s sexual anxiety or not,
those lines will indicate that he most certainly does. For Alfred, love and
sexual attraction are directly linked, which is exactly why he labels his first
interaction with Sarah as love at first sight. Krolock, on the other hand, has
been around the block a bit more and likely knows that the easiest way to
access Alfred’s sexual insecurity is through the mention of “love”. Alfred
desires both sexual satisfaction and romantic love, and via the conflicted imagery
of Carpe Noctem that I discussed earlier on, he doesn’t believe those things
can occur with the same person at that juncture. He feels an overwhelming
physical inclination to Krolock, and he believes that the innocent affection he
feels for Sarah can’t be found there specifically because of Krolock’s
vampirism.
This is
where “Die Unstillbare Gier” becomes relevant.
If we’re looking at a version of Tanz
that includes Alfred’s presence during “Die Unstillbare Gier” (for example, the
2006 Hamburg pro-shot), the line Alfred uses immediately following this
monologue indicates that he’s realized something about Krolock. He’s still a
person. (This is a far more popular opinion, I know, than most other things in
this paper.) Alfred has been able to keep a certain barrier between them, to
understand himself as a different kind of being entirely, but the discovery
that vampires can feel grief I think knocks down that wall. Other
interpretations have construed this as a result of mind control, but it’s far
more appealing to me to understand it as a humanization of Krolock. It’s a
universal truth, after all, that everyone is in some sense, a vampire.
Everything that comes to you is in some way at a cost to someone else, somewhere.
It’s important that Alfred internalizes
that humanization, and is able to see Krolock as a person, because ultimately,
Krolock is a very dedicated and even somewhat kind father afflicted by a hunger
like a disease. The metaphor for mental illness sort of speaks for itself, I
think. Vampirism isn’t a daily choice, it’s the only form of life Krolock is
capable of living. It’s to live within the parameters of his illness or die.
That being said, once the peace is made
with the condition, the person you’re left with is…essentially, everything
Alfred needs. Krolock is a good listener, a family man, and very generous, and
I don’t think he only performs these things to catch prey, I truly believe
those are the purest aspects of his personality. Likewise, Alfred is a well-read,
very loving, and very patient man (you would be too if you had to travel with Abronsius), all character traits that would pair well
with Krolock’s loneliness and his constant mental and emotional struggle with his
condition.
In short: Krolock and Alfred are capable
of understanding each other, and more than that, they’re capable of caring for
each other.
Obviously, as any two people would, they
would have to spend time together and learn more about each other to create a
truly great bond. Krolock and Alfred aren’t a clean or easy meeting of the
minds, but ultimately, I think their traits would offer the most room for the
both of them to grow within a relationship, and that’s the sort of love no one
outgrows, even after centuries.
Penhales 