Wotan

What Dominique Pagani says

Dominique Pagani presents Wotan as the "German Zeus" and derives his name from Wut, rage, which marks the pagan return to brute force1. He dwells above all on the pacts carved in runes on his spear: as guardian of the laws, Wotan promises Freia to the giants, goes back on his word, then steals the gold. Pagani sees in this male spinelessness and cowardice, which consist in wanting everything right away and putting off trouble until later2. Yet because of his contradictions he considers him the true hero of the Ring, which is Wotan's tragedy3. Wotan, who does not do what he wants, punishes his daughter for having done what he himself would have wanted to do4. His monologue ends in the wish for "das Ende", which Pagani links to the Freudian death drive5. He repeatedly takes up Nietzsche's phrase about the "god of bad weather". He also comes back to the spear broken by Siegfried, to the farewell in which the orchestra conveys the renunciation of love, and to the mutilated world ash tree.

1. 19 #12 Comment des sciences de l'histoire peuvent-elles être réelles?14 Jan 2021 · 52:35
2. 29 #15 Comment des sciences de l'histoire peuvent-elles être réelles?18 Feb 2021 · 16:04
3. 39 #15 Comment des sciences de l'histoire peuvent-elles être réelles?18 Feb 2021 · 37:52
4. 4#6.1-1/2 - Prélude • D.Pagani / Lacan : Fonction et champs de la parole et du langage10 Nov 2019 · 1:07
5. 510#6 Guerre et Paix : "Les pulsions de mort progressent en silence..." (Freud)8 Dec 2021 · 16:49

Summary produced automatically from 38 of the passages below, to be reviewed; the numbers link to the moment in the session.