Der Tod - Tumblr Posts
The relationship between Elisabeth and Der Tod is textbook “enemies AND lovers.” They crave and hunger for each other so but they also hurt each other just as much. You want them to end up together because they truly understand each other, Elisabeth even comes to him to celebrate her triumph in Wenn Ich Tanzen Will and he’s happy for her. But you’re also meant to cheer for Elisabeth when she chases Der Tod away because he’s literally her depression personified.
They YEARN for each other but on their own terms. And there’s so much desperation, so much hunger. It’s almost primal and instinctual. They tear away each other’s facades and rip off each other’s defense. Elisabeth is not an elegant and beautiful Empress but an egotistical and selfish (very depressed) woman to him. He’s not an omniscient and detached deity but a jealous and possessive (almost animalistic) man to her. And they both can’t help but be attracted to each other.
Their interactions are rarely tender, they bite, they claw. What do you expect from a love affair with literal DEATH?? It’s a story you can root for because they complement each other’s toxicity but don’t necessarily want it for yourself cuz … depression sucks 🫠
In fact, reducing their relationship to an all-good all-romantic love story in a way, glorifies depression and suicidal tendencies. Because that way, Der Tod is just another suitor, portrayed as far superior to the human Franz-Joseph, of course Elisabeth SHOULD want to be with him, simple as that. The way Maya and Mate play it truly taps into the nuances of Elisabeth and Der Tod’s love affair. It’s cathartic, not happy.
Maya Hakvoort and Máté Kamarás in Elisabeth
I am thinking once again about Elisabeth das Musical and Death.
Recently Overly Sarcastic Productions' Red presented a video on the fictional depiction of Death. And I thought about my favorite assassin faery king/meow meow feral wet cat Der Tod. During my video essay, I only mentioned a few interpretations of Death without digging into it. But I realized that the interpretation where Der Tod is not an independent character - but as a personification of a troubled psyche perhaps - doesn't have to be confined to the experience of an individual.
In the musical, a lot of deaths are shown or alluded to. But what is curious about the total death toll in is that Der Tod only appears to a handful of characters.
If Der Tod is an independent psychopomp character, wouldn't it make consistent logical sense if he comes to deliver every single soul passed away? The Takarazuka Revue production definitely leans more heavily into this interpretation. Which makes him appear like a deity associated with Death but not the event of death itself.
The pre-2012 Der Tod is more nuanced combining characteristics of death itself and representation of psychological darkness to create ambiguity. But what if these 2 things overlap and he represents both?
Here's the thing!
Der Tod is only relevant in the lives and deaths of 3 characters: Elisabeth, Rudolph, and Lucheni. Old Sophie's death is a fade-to-black. Baby Sophie's death, Der Tod appears in front of - NOT SOPHIE - but ELISABETH. And this is no coincidence! These are 3 characters who contemplate Death the most. Not just in the sense that they are su*c*dal but they ponder much about lives and subsequently the concept of death.
So that brings me to the question: what does it all mean?
Death is, after all, the only universal experience every human must face. And we as humans don't just stop at knowing, but we actively think about what death means, and tell stories about the experience of living and dying. The fact that Der Tod is intimate with multiple characters can represent the collective contemplation of Death.
And his relationship with them begs the question:
Is he more powerful, the more we think of him?
Potato Tod 😭
I ship them yes i do
My tast in men is odd
I have an odd taste in men, I can like everything from handsome men to corpse-like men in appearance.
here are some examples of men i think are hot...
Death from Elisabeth das musical.
Cooper howard/ the Ghoul from Fallout
Graverobber from Repo the genetic opera
Erik or the opera ghost from the Phantom of the Opera
Peter Pan from Once upon a time
Theo Sharpe from Bridgerton
there are more men I think are hot but I can't bring myself to list them all.
Edit: I couldn’t stop adding 4 more men to this list so here they are…
Dracule Mihawk from live action One Piece
Halbrand/Sauron from rings of power
Pinehead from Hellraiser
Darkling/ Aleksander Morozova from Shadow and bone
Why I say my tast in men is odd is because ALL my friends say so especially when I talk about the Ghoul and the Pinehead.
his majesty... der Tod
Kirill Gordeev would be the perfect Der Tod in a professional Russion production of Elisabeth! For right now I’m surviving on the breadcumbs of semi-staged versions uploaded to youtube 😢
A SITUATION THAT PISSED ME OFF FOR NO REASON
