Gotthold Ephraim Lessing: His Life, Works, and ThoughtGotthold Ephraim Lessing (1729-1781) is the most eminent literary figure of the German Enlightenment and a writer of European significance. His range of interest as dramatist, poet, critic, philosopher, theologian, philologist and much else besides was comparable to that of Voltaire, Diderot, and Rousseau, with all of whose ideas he engaged. He contributed decisively to the emergence of German as a literary language and was the founder of modern German literature, urging his compatriots to look to England rather than France for literary inspiration. His major plays (including the classic drama on religious tolerance, Nathan the Wise) are still regularly performed. He was a brilliant controversialist, and his philosophical and religious writings profoundly shook traditional assumptions. This book sets his life and work in the context of the intellectual, social, and cultural background of eighteenth-century Europe. It is the first comprehensive account of Lessing's life for over a century, and it serves as a reference work on all aspects of Lessing's life, work, and thought. The German edition, published in 2008, is now regarded as definitive; it was awarded the Hamann Research Prize of the University and city of Münster and the Einhard Prize for Biography of the Einhard Foundation in Seligenstadt. The present English edition has been revised and updated in the light of relevant publications since 2008. |
Contents
| 1 | |
| 7 | |
2 Early Dramas and Poetry | 43 |
Society Journalism Didactic Poetry | 79 |
History of Scholarship Philosophy Theology and Religion Classical Philology Epigrams | 113 |
the Academy Quarrel Translations and Collected Writings Social Circle and the Death of Mylius Mendelssohn Nicolai and Other New Friendships Po... | 149 |
the Theatrical Library Samuel Henzi Miss Sara Sampson Correspondence with Mendelssohn and Nicolai on Tragedy | 183 |
Travels Translations and Journalism Kleist Gleim and the Seven Years War Philotas | 221 |
17701782 | 457 |
17701775 | 479 |
17761778 | 507 |
17761779 | 537 |
19 The Education of the Human Race and Ernst and Falk | 571 |
20 Nathan the Wise | 601 |
Declining Health Conversations on Spinoza Last Illness and Death Memorials and Monuments Lessings Estate | 625 |
an Outline | 655 |
Letters on Literature Logau Edition Fables and Essays on the Fable Translations of Diderot Sophocles | 249 |
War and Peace in Breslau 17601765 | 279 |
10 Laocoön Last Years in Berlin 17651766 | 303 |
11 Minna von Barnhelm | 335 |
12 Hamburg and the National Theatre | 359 |
Hamburg Dramaturgy Dramatic Fragments Antiquarian Letters How the Ancients Portrayed Death | 391 |
17701776 | 423 |
Conclusion | 667 |
| 673 | |
| 713 | |
| 725 | |
| 728 | |
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Common terms and phrases
admiration already Berlin Breslau Brunswick century characters Christian classical comedy criticism Danzel/Guhrauer death declares defended dialogue Diderot drama Dramaturgy Duke earlier early edition Emilia Galotti emotions Enlightenment epigrams essay Eva König example fables father fragment Frederick Freemasonry French Friedrich German Gleim Goeze Gottsched Gottsched’s Guthke Hamburg Hamburg Dramaturgy Henzi Herder hero human Ibid ing’s J. G. Lessing Jacobi Jews Johann Kamenz Karl Lessing Kleist Klopstock Klotz Laocoön later least Leibniz Leipzig Lessing’s Letters on Literature literary LM VIII LM XIV Lutheran Mendelssohn ment Minna Miss Sara Sampson moral Moses Mendelssohn Mylius Nathan the Wise natural Nicolai original passim philosophical Philotas pity Plautus play play’s poems poet poetic poetry polemical prince Prussian published Ramler rational reason Reimarus religion religious satire Seven Years War Sophocles Spinoza talers Tellheim theatre theory tion tragedy translation truth Voltaire Voltaire’s Winckelmann Wittenberg Wolfenbüttel writings