The "Nature" of Acceptance

Gotterdammerung constitutes the ending of the world for the gods and the dawn of a new age in which mortal men rule. However, in the end, most of the main characters in Wagner’s story are dead and the world is left in ruins. It is almost an immediate reaction to assume winners and losers in this situation. But that question in itself holds another question, and that is, how exactly does one define “winning” or “losing?” The key to evaluating the success or failure of the characters at the end of Gotterdammerung depends on the answer to the previous question. It is possible to “win” without experiencing or receiving exactly what was expected, hoped for or planned out. Sometimes acceptance of this aspect of life yields better results than one’s original expectations. The characters that have “won” have all reached a general acceptance of fate and nature, and embraced such an acceptance to the fullest. The characters that have “lost,” however, have all struggled against fate and nature, and have their own expectations and desires that lie outside of what would naturally occur. Therefore, such characters ultimately fail or “lose” when the current world finally comes crashing down.

While Wotan did sin against fate and nature in multiple ways, he does eventually come to realize, through his mistakes, that he must renounce his desire to will things into being. He learns that taking sharp actions against the course of nature does not ultimately cause any good. He has become wiser and now has the hindsight that he once lacked. As the story comes to an end, Wotan is able to see that everything he did to organize the world, by building a system of power through treaties, has ultimately failed. It takes his system to fail him before he sees this, but he does come to the conclusion in time. Because Wotan is no longer blind to the acceptance of the natural order, his resignation can be seen as “giving in” as opposed to “giving up.” Giving up differs significantly from giving in. Giving up is still an active choice against nature, quite similar to its opposite, the ardent pursuit of one’s will or desire. Conversely, giving in is wisely taking all things into account, understanding what is no longer controllable, and aligning oneself with nature’s intentions. Giving up often leads to disappointment, while giving in often leads to inner peace. Although Valhalla goes up in flames, the flawless harmonic music portrays exactly the opposite. There has been an acceptance of the natural way. Therefore, serenity is granted to the gods and Wotan is considered a “winner.”

Much like her father, Brunnhilde can be considered a “winner” as well. At the end of Gotterdammerung, Brunnhilde makes the ultimate sacrifice, and that is herself. She rides into the flaming pyre where the lifeless Siegfried lies, and allows the Rhine to take both her and the ring. In many ways Brunnhilde still remains an embodiment of Wotan’s will. As far back as The Valkyrie, Wotan willed “the end” of the gods, and later on, the return of the ring to its rightful place in nature. However, the difference in Gotterdammerung is that by willing “the end,” Wotan has actually renounced his will. Wotan’s desire for “the end” is considered renunciation because, at this time, his will reflects the course of nature. Thus, Brunnhilde is free to establish what was bound to happen naturally and complete the task that must be done by returning the ring to the Rhinedaughters. Brunnhilde experiences many complex changes of character, as she becomes more free, and thus, more of her own person. She too is accepting fate at the end and not merely acting as puppet of Wotan’s intentions. Her embrace of destiny represents the dawning of a new age. However, the end of Brunnhilde does not constitute “losing.” She has achieved inner peace through allowing herself to forgive her father for his entanglement with power and the law, Siegfried for his “betrayal,” and herself for any guilt that she may have possessed through the processes of maturing into a free being.

Siegfried, always pure of heart, acts in the way of the new age. However, he is not wise enough to complete his destined tasks. It requires wisdom to know the difference between what is considered a virtuous or heroic act versus an act against nature or fate. This is where Siegfried ultimately fails. However, his failure does not necessarily constitute “losing.” In fact, Siegfried, like Wotan and Brunnhilde, can be considered a “winner,” despite his unfortunate death. Siegfried fails all tasks that require knowledge, wisdom or observation. And it is not until Brunnhilde “awakens” to her proper state of mind that the task of the restoration of order through returning the ring to the Rhinedaughters can be completed. It takes both heroic virtue and wisdom to undertake such a heavy task of redemption. Only together can Siegfried and Brunnhilde achieve this. Siegfried’s consistent pure heart and courageous actions ignite a vision of the truth in Brunnhilde. This understanding allows her to forgive the man who seemingly betrayed her and unite with him in an acceptance of death that cleanses the skewed system of order that the world was subjected to. In this way, Siegfried can be considered nothing less than a “winner” in the end.

Through resignation and acceptance Wotan, Brunnhilde and Siegfried can all be considered “winners.” However, there cannot be winners without losers. In this case, those who oppose nature and never come to the realization of acceptance ultimately lose; Alberich is one of these characters. Like Wotan, he took something from nature (the Rhinegold) and fashioned from it, the ring. However, unlike Wotan, he never came to an acceptance of fate or a renunciation of his desire for power. Instead, he continued to seek power in many ways, mostly through his son, Hagen. One can only lose when placed in Alberich’s position and frame of mind. This is because he holds such as narrow view of “winning” that unless he has the ring, he must go against all forces of nature to retrieve it, or he has “lost.” Hagen, yet another “loser” at the end of Gotterdammerung, demonstrates how one can plan and manipulate to no end, but that, eventually, nature will take its course. This is most clearly exemplified when the Rhinedaughters drown him in his final attempt to take the ring. Hagen prides himself on his ability to coerce and manipulate those around him, but these qualities are not in line with fate, as they are an outward gesture of one’s own will. Thus, Hagen, like Alberich, cannot control the ultimate outcome of any given situation, and he is left a “loser” if that outcome is anything other than exactly what he intended.

In the end, both Wotan and Brunnhilde learn that redemption comes through self-renunciation and love. As Wotan discovered in The Valkyrie, free will is compromised by power. But renouncing power does not necessarily cause an increase of free will. One is still subjected to fate or destiny despite an absence of power. This can be disorientating and upsetting for some, and therefore, characters such as Alberich and Hagen chose to fight nature and were ultimately brought down because of their tremendous struggle against it. Other characters, such as Wotan and Brunnhilde, came to an understanding and acceptance of fate and destiny and find, through their acceptance, a feeling of peace and redemption. The dawn of a new age where heroic virtue reigns, rather than the failed system of amoral acts, laws, treaties and free will, demonstrates the important realization of how the renunciation of the will makes one “the most free” and “the happiest of beings.”