Johann Goethe Criticism
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832) is revered as one of Germany's most significant literary figures, excelling across various genres such as poetry, novels, dramaturgy, and essays. Beyond literature, Goethe made notable contributions as a botanist, physicist, artist, and philosopher. His magnum opus, Faust, epitomizes nineteenth-century Romanticism and stands alongside the works of Dante and Shakespeare. Goethe's early life in Frankfurt was marked by a precocious talent for languages, leading to a profound literary journey influenced by mentors like Johann Gottfried von Herder, who introduced him to the works of Shakespeare and Rousseau.
Goethe's diverse oeuvre includes the landmark novel Die Leiden des jungen Werthers, which sparked the Sturm und Drang movement. His dramatic works, such as Götz von Berlichingen, Iphigenie auf Tauris, Egmont, and Torquato Tasso, showcase his range and depth. Iphigenie auf Tauris is noted for transcending its source material's darkness, emphasizing integrity and harmony, as explored by Martin Swales. Similarly, Egmont addresses themes of political revolution and transformation, as discussed by Edward T. Larkin. Torquato Tasso delves into psychological drama, the reconciliation fitting into an "atavistic cosmography," as noted by Regina Hewitt.
Despite a decline in his posthumous reputation, Goethe's works, especially Faust, remain central to literary studies. His exploration of dramatic irony, as seen in John N. Hritzu's analysis of Iphigenie auf Tauris, and his stage designs for Faust, reflecting his concern with poetic imagination and mimetic reality as discussed by Frederick Burwick, continue to inspire scholarly engagement. Moreover, John Gearey examines the influence of Goethe's scientific pursuits on Faust II. Despite some criticism of his works being remote or flawed, Goethe's genius and the philosophical depth of his literature endure in academic circles.
Contents
- Principal Works
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The German Stage-Image of Goethe, 1969-1981
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In the following essay, Crosby considers some contemporary interpretations of Tasso, Iphigenie, and Faust on the German stage in order to provide at least an outline of the current stage image of Goethe.
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Wolves, Sheep, and the Shepherd: Legality, Legitimacy, and Hobbesian Political Theory in Goethe's Götz von Berlichingen
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In the following essay, Lange provides a historical reading of Götz von Berlichingen and asserts that “the play is to a large extent a reflection upon the difficulties Enlightenment social contract theory faced in accounting for the legitimacy of the modern state.”
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Criticism: Iphigenie Auf Tauris
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Dramatic Irony in Goethe's Iphigenie auf Tauris
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In the following essay, Hritzu commends Goethe's development of dramatic irony in his Iphigenie auf Tauris.
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‘Die neue sitte’ and Metaphors of Secular Existence: Reflections on Goethe's Iphigenie.
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In the following essay, Swales surveys the major thematic concerns in Iphigenie auf Tauris, discussing how Goethe's play transcends the darkness of its original material and offers a serene reinterpretation, focusing on the protagonist's integrity and truthfulness as agents of conciliation and harmony.
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Dramatic Irony in Goethe's Iphigenie auf Tauris
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Criticism: Egmont: Ein Trauerspiel In FüNf AufzüGen
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Goethe's Egmont: Political Revolution and Personal Transformation
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In the following essay, Larkin explores the significance of political revolution in Egmont, deeming it a “means toward societal transformation and political self-determination.”
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Margarete von Parma in Goethe's Egmont: Text and Performance
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In the following essay, John examines the role of cross-dressing in Egmont, asserting that it is “not always a matter of gender crossing, but can be a political transfer even within one sex.”
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Goethe's Egmont: Political Revolution and Personal Transformation
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Criticism: Torquato Tasso
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Tasso's Place in the Courtly Universe: The Atavistic Cosmography of Goethe's Torquato Tasso
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In the following essay, Hewitt offers an interpretation of the outcome of Torquato Tasso, contending that the reconciliation of Tasso and Antonio fits the “atavistic cosmography at the heart of Goethe's play.”
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Goethe's Classicism: The Paradox of Irrationality in Torquato Tasso
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In the following essay, Burwick explores Goethe's utilization of dramatic tension between the rational and the irrational in Torquato Tasso.
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Tasso's Place in the Courtly Universe: The Atavistic Cosmography of Goethe's Torquato Tasso
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‘Don't See, Don't Tell’: Gender Transgression and Repetition Compulsion in Goethe's Die natürliche Tochter
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In the following essay, Gustafson views Die natürliche Tochter as a play about gender transgression and the protection of the status quo.
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Criticism: Faust
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Stage Illusion and the Stage Designs of Goethe and Hugo
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In the following essay, Burwick examines Goethe's stage designs for Faust in order to trace his concern with “poetic imagination” and “mimetic reality.”
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Goethe's Faust: A Cautionary Tale?
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In the following essay, Lamport investigates the role of guilt and redemption in Faust.
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Stage Illusion and the Stage Designs of Goethe and Hugo
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Faust II and the Darwinian Revolution
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In the following essay, Gearey considers the ways in which Goethe's scientific interests and ideas shaped the structure of Faust II.
- Further Reading