Poetic Realism

Abstract

Friedrich Hebbel, the first of the Poetic Realists treated here, was not averse to middle-class tragedy. This is understandable considering his appreciation for that which is reasonable or explainable, a quality typical of the Realists. For Hebbel, one of the tasks of a great dramatist is to insure clear motivation and to avoid coincidence or arbitrariness which spoils strict dramatic necessity. His criticisms of Emilia Galotti, covering a time span of twenty-one years, are based on these principles.