This essay discusses the prominence of the consolation theme
in Christian Heinrich Postel’s biblical opera libretto Cain und
Abel Oder Der verzweifelnde Bruder=Mörder (Hamburg, 1689).
It is shown that in this drama the theme is relevant not only to
the persons in the drama, but to the audience as well. This
result stands in contrast to earlier research, which incorrectly
has pointed out different other subjects as the main themes of
the opera.
