make out the mimetic bent itself, since that bent is chiefly to be understood as an almost daemonic passion for self-divestment (Hang zur Selbstentaeusserung). The question then would be, in whose favour, and for what profit, does the act of this self-divestment, so singular per se, take place? And here we stand before an utter [P. 216] marvel, at the brink of an abyss illumined by no consciousness of ours. (…)
{FEUER} Granted that a real putting-off of our Self is possible, we mustassume that our self-consciousness, and thus our consciousness in general, has first been set out of action. In truth the thoroughly gifted, perfect mime appears in that act of self-divestment to offer up his consciousness of self to such a degree, that, in a sense, he never recovers it even in daily life, or never completely.” [835W-{6-8/72} Actors and Singers: PW Vol. V, p. 215-216]
[836W-{6-8/72} Actors and Singers: PW Vol. V, p. 216-217; p. 220]
[P. 216] “ ‘What’s Hecuba to him?’ – asks Hamlet, having seen the player moved to tears by the dream-image of the poem, whereas he feels himself but ‘John-a-dreams’ in presence of the sternest call to action.
{FEUER} Manifestly, we are standing before an excess of that mother-forcefrom which springs all poetic and artistic faculty; whilst the latter’s most beneficent products, the most fruitful for the weal of man, are due to wellnigh nothing but a certain diminution, or at least a moderation, in the violence of its expression. Let us therefore conclude that we owe the highest art-creations of the human mind [P. 217] to that rarest of intellectual gifts which endows this capability of total self-divestment with the clearest perspicacity (Besonnenheit) to boot, in power whereof the state of self-divestment itself is mirrored in that very consciousness which in the case of the mime is wholly dethroned.
{FEUER} Through that capability of self-divestment in favour of a purelyvisionary image the Poet thus is ure-akin to the Mime, whereas he becomes his master through this other one, of clearest perspicacity. To the mime the poet brings his self-possession and his lucid brain, and thus their intercourse acquires that incomparable gaiety known only to great masters in their comradeship with dramatic performers … . But this gaiety is the element withal that holds the gifted mime secure above the gulf toward which he feels his supernatural trend to self-divestment impelling him in the practice of his art. Whoso can stand with him at brink of that abyss, will shudder at the peril of this playing with one’s personality, that a given moment may turn to raving madness; and here it is just that consciousness of play which saves the mime, in like manner as the consciousness of his self-divestment leads the poet to the highest creative discernment.
{FEUER} That saving consciousness of play it is, that lends the gifted mimethe childlike nature which marks him out so lovably from all his lesser-gifted colleagues, from his whole surrounding burgher-world. (…)
(…)
[P. 220] (…) {FEUER} The art of sublime Illusion, as practised by the chosen mime,comes not by any form of lying; and this is the wall that parts the genuine mimic artist from the bad comedian whom present taste delights to load with gold and laurels. (…) This wondrous playing with the Self, wherein the player clean forgets
