König Ottokars Glück und Ende Trauerspiel in fünf Aufzügen

by Franz Grillparzer

"König Ottokars Glück und Ende" by Franz Grillparzer is a tragedy written in 1823. Based on the historical King Ottokar II of Bohemia, the play chronicles a powerful monarch's dramatic fall from greatness. Through his own flawed decisions—divorcing his wife, alienating supporters, and losing the Holy Roman Emperor crown to a rival—Ottokar descends from the height of power toward ruin. Grillparzer originally planned to write about Napoleon but chose this medieval king instead, finding striking parallels between the two figures.