The human being in his limits and possibilities is a central theme in Heinrich von Kleist's writings. Time and again, it is the tension between the individual and the norm that is at the center of Kleist's work. This book pursues the thesis that the Western conception of sovereignty is a possible key to Kleist's poetic anthropology. Kleist turns the traditional idea of ​​sovereignty and develops an alternative image of man: It is precisely through his own shortcomings, through his non-sovereignty, that people experience themselves as their own beyond the norm. For Kleist, the special quality of people lies in the potential to draw from one's own inclinations, drives and moods. This individualism anchors the power to change again in people. With a sideways glance at contemporary models of sovereignty, this new approach to Kleist's work is shown using case studies as examples and in its topicality.