Herculio is a main protagonist in Büchstein’s unfinished tragedy Die Schweizer Heulsuse — the titular “heulsuse” (cry-baby). Herculio is personal adviser and, it is implied, consort, to the Queen of Switzerland, though as the play unfolds he becomes disillusioned with the milquetoasts in government, it slowly dawns on him that he is one, and by the end of the play he has rejected all values and embraced a philosophy of annihilism.
His sardonic exchanges with bumbling attorney Triago — relating to Triago’s disastrous handling of Privy Chamber conferences, and his frequent special pleadings and excuses as to why things must be different in all other circumstances but this one are some of the most quoted scenes in the play.