Abstract
The aim of this paper is to present some thought on Heinrich von Kleist’s “Marionettentheatre-Essay”, a very strange dialogue in which the German author presents some reflection on Grace and destiny of mankind. After a brief introduction, I will discuss Kleist’s philosophical background, by mentioning influences by Rousseau and Kant, in order to show why he loosed hope and faith and why, at a certain point, he changed his mind in favor of nihilism. The dilemmatic situation presented in his “Marionettentheatre-Essay” is the result of such evolution of thought, in which man is depicted with his desire to search for Heaven but damned to live his life by knowing that it is impossible to gain Grace again. We live in a place between earth and sky, pure material world and God and even technique cannot save us