Goethe's early historical dramas

Schweissinger, Marc J. 2024. Goethe's early historical dramas. Humanities 13 (3) , 67. 10.3390/h13030067

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Abstract

Abstract In this essay, Goethe’s early historical plays, Götz von Berlichingen, published in 1773, and Egmont, published only in 1787, are compared. So far, scholarly work has not recognized enough of the differences between both works. Goethe’s intellectual development from the young Storm and Stress writer of Götz to the publication of Egmont fourteen years later has not been considered sufficiently. Goethe’s development is clearly reflected in his protagonists’ deeds and intentions. Goethe’s Götz fights predominantly for his own rights and his family. Egmont aims higher; he is more concerned with the welfare state of society and reflects on political issues Götz is unable to consider. Moreover, Goethe takes, in both cases, poetic license to create a different picture of his protagonists’ failures than historical sources provide. This finally leads to the introduction of the term preclassic to differentiate between Götz and Egmont.

Item Type:	Article
Date Type:	Publication
Status:	Published
Schools:	Modern Languages
Publisher:	MDPI
ISSN:	2076-0787
Funders:	Goethe Society Weimar, School of Modern Languages
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	29 April 2024
Date of Acceptance:	19 April 2024
Last Modified:	10 May 2024 08:45
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/168372

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