vrî – Freedom of Choice, Counsel, and Narrative Closure in Hartmann von Aue’s ›Der arme Heinrich‹

Abstract

This article explores the function of counsel and deliberation in the works of Hartmann von Aue and their relation to individual decision-making and responsibility. It starts from the observation that the semantic field of rât appears both in explicitly narrated scenes of consultation and on a metaphorical level. A close reading of ›Der arme Heinrich‹ shows how the protagonists’ decisions are structured by the interplay of counsel, conscience, and metaphorical imagery. Taking into account the textual variants of the ending, the article argues that scenes of deliberation play a key role in negotiating responsibility and in shaping models of female agency within Hartmann’s narrative poetics.