One of the most debated plays in the German literary canon, Lessing’s

is the tragedy of a young woman who chooses to die rather than to engage in a love affair with the alluring but ruthless ruler of the small principality in which she resides. With its straightforward action, linguistic economy, limited cast of characters, and cohesiveness of design (its “dramatic algebra”, as Friedrich Schlegel called it), the play would seem to invite some measure of unity in its interpretations. Therefore, the greatest mystery about

is perhaps the immense volume of critical contestation it has produced (M. Fick). First staged on the occasion of the Duchess of Braunschweig’s birthday on 13 March 1772 and published by Christian Friedrich Voss in the same year, the…

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Citation: von Schwerin-High, Friederike. "Emilia Galotti. Ein Trauerspiel in fünf Aufzügen". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 13 June 2008 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=16336, accessed 23 November 2024.]

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