The
wife of Wotan does not have a very good reputation. The first
words are rough: " Wotan, husband, wake up! ". Beyond
the already indicated symbolism she appears as a " trouble
maker ". She misses no occasion to harass and make her
husband feel guilty, as if she herself had not contributed
to the first malpractice: the trade with the Giants.
She
pretends not to know the price of the ransom, Freia, but when
comes a question of freeing her, she urges Wotan to keep some
gold, knowing pertinently well that she damages the chances
of her own sister.
Some people claim that Wagner found his source of inspiration
for to description of the goddess in his own wife Minna. However,
the portrait is not totally negative. Beyond the aridity of
the retorts, many musical motives, which accompany them, are
really attractive.
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