Abstract
The second literary trend prevalent in Germany when Emilia Galotti appeared was that of Sentimentality. The authors of this period, sharing in many of the activities and traditions which typified the age of the Enlightenment, were also avid observers and recorders of their time. To a large extent, their ideals and interests paralleled those of the Enlightenment critics. They are distinguished from their contemporaries primarily by their cult of feeling for its own sake; and, in the case of members of the Göttinger Hainbund, by the emotional tone evident in their concepts of freedom, God, country, and virtue. This tone characterizes to a certain degree the sentimental strain running through their works. Hence, their aversion to those authors (Wieland, for example) who mocked or disregarded the noble concepts which they championed.
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References
See Otto Hachtmann, Graf Heinrich von Soden als Dramatiker (Diss. Göttingen, 1902), p. 116 f.
Hachtmann, p. 120. Cf. Soden’s remark: “Unglücklicher Irrthum der größten Genies, historische Fabeln, weil sie rührend sind, für tragisch zu halten!” (Soden, p. XVII).
Soden, p. III. Cf.: “Die Waffe zu diesem [Kampf mit den Begebenheiten] ist Kraft der Seele; sie ist der Magus der Tragödie” (Soden, p. XVIII). It is interesting to note that Soden regards Hamlet, Don Carlos, Kabale und Liebe,and several other dramas as non-tragedies because of what he considers weakness in the heroes and heroines (p. XV f.).
See Briefe von Johann Heinrich Voßnebst erläuternden Beilagen, hg. von Abraham Voß, Erster Band (Halberstadt, 1829).
See Carl Kuhlmann, J. H. Voss als Kritiker u. Gelehrter in seinen Beziehungen zu Lessing (Diss. Straßburg, 1914), p. 25 f.
See Kuhlmann, p. 38, where he refers to VoB’ “Übersetzung von Shakespeares Schauspielen, Bd. I, S. XLII. Vgl. auch Anhang S. 121.”
See Chr. Hein. Schmid, Nekrolog oder Nachrichten von dem Leben und den Schriften der vornehmsten verstorbenen teutschen Dichter (Berlin, 1785), II, 782 f.
Concerning this point, see Meissner, Bodmer als Parodist,p. 123. Cf. also Herder’s views, Chapter III below.
See Aus Herders Nachlaß,hg. Heinrich Düntzer u. Ferdinand Gottfried von Herder (Frankfurt a.M.: Meidinger, 1856–57), I, 370 f.
Claudius, Werke,p. 106. Cf. Engel’s similar comment above, Chapter I, and both Grillparzer’s and Paul Heyse’s commentary below, Chapter VI, Part B, and Chapter VII respectively.
G. A. Bürger, Ästhetische Schriften,hg. Karl v. Reinhard (Berlin, 1832), pp. 53–125.
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© 1963 Martinus Nijhoff, The Hague, Netherlands
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Dvoretzky, E. (1963). Sentimentality. In: The Enigma of Emilia Galotti. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-015-0949-7_3
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