It is well known that in Stifter's Der Nachsommer the protagonist's education, the formation of a secluded inter-generational community, and the poetic speech of the novel itself all are to attenuate the human passions, which are conceived as dangerous and destructive. However, the depiction of the protagonist's visit to a King Lear theater production demonstrates the extent to which the non-educational and non-formational dimensions of the passions remain integral to such a moderation in Stifter's novel.