Lessing's attitude toward the ancient classics
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- Lessing's attitude toward the ancient classics Metzger, Belle Agnes https://iro.uiowa.edu/discovery/delivery/01IOWA_INST:ResearchRepository/12730536840002771?l#13730816620002771 Metzger. (2013). Lessing’s attitude toward the ancient classics [University of Iowa]. https://doi.org/10.17077/etd.ujmmu10y https://iro.uiowa.edu PDM V1.0 Material in the public domain. No restrictions on use. Downloaded on 2021/12/02 17:59:54 -0600 -
LESSING'S ATTITUDE TOWARD
THE ANCIENT CLASSICS.
A Thesis
submitted to
the Faculty of the Graduate College
of the State University of Iowa
in partial fulfillment of the requirement
for the degree of
Master of Arts .
BELLE A. METZGER.
STATE UNIVERSITY OP IOWA.
1915.1
LESSING’S ATTITUDE TOWARD
c THE ANCIENT CLASSICS.
Outline.
I Introduction.
1 Importance of Classics.
II (1) Lessing's Place in Study of Classics.
(2) Lessing as a Classical Student.
III Influence of Greek and Latin Classics upon:
1 Dramatic Works .
2 Poetical Works .
3 Critical Works .
IV Lessing’s Influence in Oreating an Interest in
the Classics as a Result of his Study.
V Summary and Conclusion
VI Bibliography.“ 2-
INTRODUCTION.
The ancient world as revealed through the classics
°ffers a very rich and very extensive field of knowledge.
It is a strange world, clearly cut off from our world in
one sense, but in another sense, most closely connected
with it in numerous ways. Antiquity forms a background
for all activities, and we recognize in it a beginning
for all our ideas, moral as well as intellectual. It has
been said that the study of antiquity promotes a healthy
and honest frame of mind and is the foundation for optim
ism and idealism. That classical education is an impor-
tant factor in promoting these conditions, is shown by the
following statements of some of the great writers.
Schiller in a letter to Christian Gottfried Korner
said; "Vieles was Du mir ehemals geschrieben, hat mich
ziemlich uberzeugt. Keiner thut mir wohl; ^eder fuhrt
mich von mir selbst ab, und die Alten geben mir ;}etzt
ft M
wahre Genusse. Zugleich bedarf ich ihrer im hochsten
Grade, um meinen eigenen Gesoack zu reinigen, der sich dirch
Spitzfundigkeit, Kunstlichkeit und Witzeley sehr von der
1
wahren Simplizitat zu entfernen anfieng."
Goethe in conversation with Eckermann said* "Man
studire nicht die Mitgeborenen und Mitstrebenden sondern
grosse Menschen der Vorzeit, deren Werke seit Johrhundert-
en gleichen Werth und gleiches Ansehen behalten haben. Eln
jf
wirlglich hochbegabten Mensch wird das Bednrfnisz dazu
ohnedies in sich ffthlen und gerade dieses Bedftrfnisz des
1 Schiller’s Briefe. Vol. II. p. 106.-3
Umgangs mit grossen Vorgängern ist das Zeichen einer höher n
Anlage. Man studire Shakespeare, aber vor allen Dingen diea> ^ .'
^ Xuu y ,
Griechen. Allein ein edler Mensch, in dessen Seele Gott
die Fähigkeit künftiger Charactergrßsse und Geisteshoheit
gelegt, wird durch die Bekanntschaft und den vertraulichen
Umgang mit den erhabenen Naturen griechischer und römischer
Vorzeit sich auf das herrlichste entwickeln und mit jedem
Tage zusehends zu ähnlicher Grßsse heranwachsen.? 1
Herder says, w Jetzt bemerke ich nur dasz wenn in
s p ä t e m Zeiten bei irgend einem Schriftsteller, er sei Ge
schäftsmann, Arzt, Theolog oder Rechtslehrer, eine feinen*,
ich mochte sagen, classischen Boden, in der Schule der
Griechen und Römer erworben, der Sprössling ihres Geistes
gewesen, Wie die Griechesche Kunst unübertroffen und in
Absicht der Reinheit ihrer Umrisse, des Grossen, Schonen
o
und Edln ihrer Gestalten, allen Zeiten das Mustergeblieben.rt
1 Goethes Gespräche Vol. VI.p. 89.
2 Herders Briefe zu Beförderung der Humanität, p.130
D.N.L.- 4 -
LESSING* S PLACE IN STUDY OP CLASSICS.
"There have been periods in the history of literature
when Antiquity was held to be a model for the life of the
age. There have been others when it was— not perhaps held
to be, but actually was a seed. But, we count the really
creative periods of literature those when the classics
were not so much a model as a seed,"- 5-
u
ical. It waE here that Lessing acquired his taste for
the ancients. Here he read Cicero’s letters, Nepos,
Phaedrus' Fables, Ovids Tristien and letters from Pontus
as well as Virgil and others. He also began his trans
lations of Euclid, of Homer, the Anacreons, the character
izations of Theophrast and the comedies of Plautus and
Terrence. He says, "Theophrast, Plautus ard Terenz
waren meine Welt, die ich in dem Engen Bezirke einer
klostermässigen Schule mit aller Bequemlichkeit studirte."1
At the age of seventeen, he entered the University
of Leipzig where he attended lectures on ancient art and
on Plautus and Terence, given by J. F. Christ. In 1749,
Lessirg began his career as a critic and in this year pro
duced three plays, ore of which DER SCHATZ is based on
the TRINUMMUB of Plautus. During his stay at Wittenberg,
he studied the Roman poets especially Martial and Horace,
whose manner is reflected in his Latin and German epigrams.
At Berlin, he became interested in the drama which
led him to write a dissertation on the life and works of
Platitus, a translation of CAPTIVI and an essay on the
tragedies of Seneca. In November 1756, Lessing writes
Mendelssohn, "Lassen Sie uns hier bei den Alten in die
Schule gehen. Was kßnnen wir nach der Natur für bessere
2
Lehrer wählen." .
A more important influence on his career as a critic
may be traced to his fetudy of Aristotle's POLITICS, RHET^
ORIC and POETICS, and the masterpieces of Greek tragedy,
especially the plays of Sophocles.
1 Schmidt E. Lessing. Chapt.I p. 21.
2 Briefe. Mendelssohn Nov. 28, 1756- 6
-
And so on during the greater part of his life, his
interest was centered in the classics*
After nearly three years at Leipzig, he published
at Berlin, his TREATISES on the FABLE, which rank among
the best of his essays on criticism. During his stay
at Breslau, he began the best known of his critical works,
LAOKOON, to be followed a few years later by the HAMBURG-
ISCHE DRAM&TURGIE.
As librarian at Wolfenbttttel, Lessing published a fte
fragments on Epigrams and on some of the most important
epigrammatists, Catullus, Martial and Greek Anthology,
also on "Paulus Silentarius" and on arithmetical problems
of Greek Anthology.
His continued Interest in the classics is verified
by his NOTES OK ANCIENT WRITINGS and by his COLLECTANEA.
Von Gebler, in a letter to Nicolai, describes
Lessing as "that rare comtination, a truly great and a*i-
- 1
able scholar.
1 Zimmeru, jessing 321.- 7-
Influence of Greek and Latin
upon
I. Dramatic Works.
Lowell, in his Literary Essays, says that "Lessing
was the first German critic whose profound knowledge of
'\ the Greek drama and apprehension of its principles gave
weight to his judgment, who recognized in what the true
greatness of the poet consisted, and found him to be real
ly nearer the Greeks than any other modern. This was
because Lessing looked always more to the life than the
form,--because he knew the classics and did not merely
_ 1
cant about them."
And these Greek dramas to which Lowell refers, wBre
those particularly of Sophocles, as well as Euripedes and
Aeschylus.
Lessing's great respect for the dramatic ideas of
the Greeks, is shown by his words. "Was mich versichert,
dasz ich das Wesen der dramatischen Kunst nicht verkenre,
ist dieses, dasz ich es vollkommen so erkenne, wie es
Aristoteles aud den unzHhligen Meisterstucken der griech-
ft
ischen Buhne abstrahiert hat»----Ich stehe nicht an zp
bekennen, dasz ich seine Dichtkunst fur ein ebenso unfeh3-
bares Werk halte, als die Ele^ente des Euklids nur immer
n
sind. Ihre Grundsatze sind ebenso wahr und gewiss, als
alles, was dieBe enthalten. Besonders getraue ich mir
1 Lowell's Literary Essays Vol.II p. 34.-8-
von der Tragödie-- unwidersprächlich zu beweisen, dasz sie
sich von der Richtschnur des Aristotles keinen Schritt ent
fernen kann, ohne sich ebenso weit von der Vollkommenheit
zu entfernen.1* 1
The writers of the Sturm and Drang period accuse
Lessirg of being a slavish imitator of the Greek drama.
He followed these principles, not because they seemed to '
contain the true principles necessary for the development
of the drama,-
/ x - -•* /
Lessing’s acquaintance with the Romans, particularly
with Plautus and Terence,-gave him a thorough knowledge of
human nature. In a letter to his mother, he says, "Ich
lernte daraus eine artige und gezwungene, eine grobe und
natürliche Aufführung unterscheiden. Ich lernte wahre
und falsche Tugenden daraus kennen und die Laster ebenso
sehr wegen ihres Lächerlichen als wegen ihrer Schändlich
keit fliehen. Habe ich aber alles dieses nur in eine
schwache Ausubung gebracht so hat es gewiss mehr an
ändern Umstande^ als an aeinem Willen gefehlt. Doch
bald hätte ich den vornehmsten Nutzen, den die Lustspiele
rei mir gehabt hafen, vergessen. Ich lernte mich selbst
ii 2
kennen."
In his youthful works, Lessing owes much to Plautus.
The fact that he chose Plautus rather than Terence is
evidence of his superior Judgment.
1 Hamburgisbhe Dramaturgie— 101
2 Briefe. Vol. I pp. 7,8,- 9-
Plautus, though not as polished in his speech as
Terence, is the more original. "He held a high place
in the estimation of Romans; indirect references eiatend-
ing from Terence, Varro and Cicero down to the Christian •
writers are proof of this, as well as the fact that his
plays continued to be so popular upon the stage."
"Varroppraises him for his dialogue: Cicero calls
his wit elegans, urbanum, ingeniosum, facfetumt Gellius
says that h6 verborum Latinorum elegantissirauss Macro-
bius ranks him with Cicero as duos, quos elequentissimus
antiqua aetas tuiit and Jerome depriving himself of most
of the comforts of life, still retained his Cicero and his
„ 1
Plautus.
Plautus served as a model for Lessing's fragments
JUSTIN (Psetjdolus), WEIBER SIND WEIBER (Stichus), DER
SCHATZ (Trinummus) and DIE GEFANGENEN (Captivi).
WEIBER SIND WEIBER is fashioned after the comedy of
Plautus. It is the story of Antipho, a wealthy citizen
of Athens who wishes his two daughters, Philttmena and Pam-
phila, to give up their respective husbands, Epignomus ard
PamphilXippus. The latter because of financial embarrass
ment have left their homes to seek their fortunes and have
not been heard from for more than two years. The father,
thinking them faithless, wants his daughters to consent
to marry rich men. The comedy takes its name from Sti
chus, a slave of Epignomus, who plays an important role.
1 Captives - Trinummus of Plautus-E. P. Morris-10
Lessing*s comedy DER SCHATZ written in 1750, takes
Trinummus as a model.
In den BEITRÄGEN ZUR HISTORIE und AUFNAHME DES THE
ATERS, Lessing says, "Nach den Gefangenen des Plautus ist
dieses (Der Dreiling) aein vortreffliches Stück. Er hat
äs aus dem Griechischen des Philemo erborgt, bei dem es
»i
einen weit anständigeren Titel hat, nämlich Der Schatz."
I
In order to see to just what extent Lessing is indebt
ed to Plautus for his comedy, a comparison of the two fofe
lows.
The Trinummus takes its name from the three pieces o f
money (tres *jummi) which in the course of the drama, are
paid the sycop Vfeanta or professional imposter, for the ser
vices he renders. Charmides is an Athenian citizen who
has suffered great losses in his financial affairs be
cause of the extravagant ideas of his son Lesbonicus.
Before he leaves his home, he entrusts his son and daughter
to the care cf Callicles to whom he intimates that a sum
of money is secreted within the house.
During Callicles’ absence from Athens, Lesbonicus,
heavily burdened by debt, offers the house for sale, © n
Callicles’ return, he buys the house and thus saves the
treasure. He, although.the neighbors think that he has
taken advantage of Charmides, is very loyal to his trust.
The play opens here with a monologue of Megaronides
who comes to Callicles for the purpose of reproving him
because of his treachery to Charmides. But when he learns
1 Beiträgen zur Historie und Aufnahme des Theaters,
p. 132.-11-
the facts of the case, he lauds his friend’s conduct and
is disgusted at the scandalous reports he has heard.
In the meantime, Lysiteles, son of Philto has fallen
in love with the daughter of Charmides. But she has no
dowry. Philto appeals to her brother Lesbonicus to give
his sister in marriage without a dowry but he consents to
the marriage on the condition that Lysiteles must take a
piece of land in front of his door as a dowry. This report
arouses Stasinus, the faithful slave and he seeks to fright
en Philto by telling him that the possession of that piece
of land was considered unlucky and that upon it, rested the
curse of the gods.
Meanwhile Callicles has learned from Stasinus what
is going on and he discusses the affair with Megaronidee
and they plan to give the girl a dowry from the treasure
buried in the house, ffor three mu^mi, they hire an im
poster whose duty it is to carry a letter to Lesbonicras,
telling him that Charmides is sending money to Callicles,
to be used for a dowry.
In the fourth act, Charmides has returned, but as he
is about to enter the house, he meets the imcoster* This
particularly anusing scene ends with the story of the im
postor. Stasinius, coming out, immediately recognizes his
master and informs him of all that has taken place. At
the close, Lysiteles, repeats the proposal to the girl’s
father and Lestonicus sfcys that he, too, wishes to marry*
Naturally, much of the content of Plautus’ play was
useless to Lessing. He has eliminated everything with*12 •»
respect to the improprieties of our customs and many in
accuracies of action. DER SCHATZ takes its name from the
treasure buried in the home of Anselmus (in Trinummus,
Charmides). Custom demands a change in character of
Lesbonicus (Lelio) and his slave, ao in Lessing, we have
Raps instead of Stasimue. In T^INUYMUS, there are two
engagements. Lessing changed this, in that he has but one
pair of lovers, leaving out the engagement of Lelio and
Philto18 daughter. He adds a new feature name^lv, that
there existed an agreement between Anselmus and an old
friend of his, that Anselmus* daughter Kamilla was to ^ar-
ry the son of this friend. In the course of the drama, Le-
ander is found to be the son and so no obstacle prevents
the engagement of the young paitf. With these exceptions,
the plot of Lessing’s comedy is the same of that of Plautus.
Dftntzer says, "Lessing has won a Raschheit Folgerichtigkelt
und Einheit der Handlung, deren Vergleichunc| die platftin-
ische rohe Aneinanderreihung der Scenen recht ins Licht
setzt." 1
Lessirg’s admiration for Plautus continued to in
crease as time went on.
His next production, the translation of Captivi to
gether with a biography of Plautus and a critique of the
play is evidence enough. Lessing says of this play,
" V '' n >
Ich nemme das schonste Eust-spiel nichtdasjenige, welches
j j j r w J e if Um.
am wahrschelnlichsten udd regelmassigsten Gedanken, die XJU*'
1 Lessing als Draroatiker und Dramaturg. Dflntzer
p. 21.-13
artigsten Einfälle, die angenfthmsten Scherze, die künst
lichsten Verwicklungen und die natürlichsten Auflösungen
hat; sondern das schBnste Lustspiel nenne Ich dasjenige,
welches seiner Absicht am nächsten kömmt,zumal wenn es die
angeführten Schönheiten grösstenteile auch besitzt. Was
ist aber die Absicht des Lustspiels? Die Sitten der Zu
schauer zu bilden und zu bessern. Die Mittel, die es
dazu anwendet, sird, dasz As das Laster verhasst und die
Tugend liebenswürdig vorstellt. Weil aber viele allsu
verderbt sind, als dasz dieses Mittel bei ihnen auschlag-
en sollte, so hat es noch ein kräftigere, wenn es nämlich
das Laster allezeit unglücklich und die Tugend am Ende
glücklich sein lässt: denn Furcht und Hoffnung thut bei
den verderbten Menschen allezeit mehr als Scham und Ehr-
liefce. Wahr ist es, die meisten komischen Dichte haben
gemeiniglich nur das erste Mittel angewendet'; allein daher
kömmt es auch, dasz ihre Stücke mehr ergötzen als fruchten.
Plautus sah es ein, er bestrebte sich also in den
"j&efangenen" ein Stück zu liefen ubi boni meliores fiant,
da er seine übrigen Spiele den Zuschauern nur durch eine
ridicula res est anpreisen konnte.
Iah bleibe also dabei, das "Die Gefangnen" das schön
ste Stuck sind, das jemals auf die Bühne gekommen ist, und
zwar aus keiner ändern Ursache, welche ich nochmals wieder
holen will, als weil es der Absicht der Lustspiele am
nächsten kömmt und auch mit den übrigen zufälligen Schön-
1
heiten redlich versehen ist."
1 Deutsche National Lit. Vol. 64 p p. 235.-14-
Lessing, the translator, imposed most severe rules
upon himself, which he likewise applied in the works of
others. According to Lessing a translator must nece
ssarily be a scholars he must have the ability to discrim
inate and must know his own language thoroughly. It is
then and only then that he can succeed in transferring the
spirit of the ancients into German.
He once said to Heine after the latter had trans
lated Appolonius.cRhodes, "Diese Arbeit ist ebenso wenig
über Ihre Kräfte als unter Ihrer Wurde. Der Kritiker, der
die Schönheiten eines Alten aufklSrt, und littet hat meiner?
Dank: der aber von ihnen so durchdrungen, so ganz ihrem Bs-
sitze ist, dasz er sie seiner eignen Zunge vertrauen darf,
hat meinen Bank und meine Bewunderung zugleich. Ich er-
1
blicke ihn neben seinem Alten."
We need only to look into the translation of CAPTIVT
to see how very exact and accurate Lessing was and with what
poetic feeling he rendered the play.
Prom this time, the classics are no longer a "model"
but "seed". He uses them as the foundation upon which his
imagination plays and at the close produces something that
is entirely his own.
Closely connected with his study of Sophocles, is
Lessing's one act tragedy called in the austere Greek man
ner PKILOTAS. The motive of the play is the same as that
of the CAPTIVI of Plautus except that the issue of PHILOTAS
is tragic.
1 Lessing's Briefe Vol. I p. 231-15-
The prince Philotas has been taken prisoner of war
by the king Arid§.us, whose son, in turn, has been captured
by the prince’s father. Philotas greatly laments his de
plorable condition, but is told by the king that his fate
is not so cnuel. He proposes sending Parmenio,a soldier,
to the prince's father, with the plan that the prisoners
be exchanged. But to Philotas, it appears cowardly andaoo
he takes his own life. Philotas repeats after the Sopho-
clean heroes, "SchBn zu leben oder schBn zu sterben geziemt
dem Edlen." Sophocles too, in hia Ajax thought that sui
cide because of fear of shame was justifiable.
One notices Lessing's fondness for Sophoclean verse
and the angry Ajax of homeric Nekit^ia appears with the
words of Philotas, M Wann ich denn vor Scham sterbe und un16
Marwood ia the new Medea. She save "Sieh in mir
e4ne neue Medea." Mellefont is the faithless wavering
Jason, Sara the gentle rival Creusa and Sampson a very
mild Creon. Medea, too, has given up all for Jason and
she reproaches him.
In the eighth scene of Act.2, the conversation be
tween Marwood and Mellefont corresponds to Euripides' scene
between Medea and Creon and to the scene of Medea and Jason
in Seneca.
Lessing makes reference to ther of Euripides'
tragedies, but one in particular is noticeable because iti
is found in his religious discussions with Goeze. "The
beautiful motto from "Ion" which with the change of "Phoe
bus to Christ", he prefixed to an unfinished writing on
BIBLIOLATRY describes the part which he supposed he played,
1 M
and the spirit in which he played it.
"How lovely is Thy service, Christ,
Wherewith before Thy temple doors
2
I honor the prophetic seat."
The foundation of leasing's next tragedy s the story
of the Ron an Virginia taken from Livy.
The scene is laid in an Italian court. The prince
of Buastella loves Emilia who is about to be married to Ap -
piani. The prince's chamberlain Marinelli forms a plot
by which he will put an end to this marriage. The carriage
containing the young count Appiani, Emilia and her mother
is detained near a country villa of the prince's. The
1 Lessing by Colleston.
2Euripides"Ion".SpokenbyIonashesweepsthethresholdofApollo'stemple.- 17-
count is shot, and Emilia is taken to the home of the
prince. Her gather Odoardo learns of the awful designs
of the prince and rather than let his daughter fall into
the hands of so wicked a iran, he stabs her like a second
Virginia.
In other words, EMILIA GALOTTI is the "Das Schick
sal einer Tochter, die von ihrem Vater uragebracht wird,
dem ihre Tugend werth?r ist, als ihr Leben.
... 1
This play , perhaps more than any other, says
Rolleston, profits, as the Greeks profited, "by the con
straint of the unities in letting them intensify the pas
sion and concentrate the interest of the piece. Another
feature of the Greek drama crops out in the simplicity
of the plot, its rapid action and its very close connec-
„2
tion of all parts."
Lessing's greatest comedy, MIH2ÜA VON BARNHELM, has
one trait in common with CAPTIVI.ofPlautus and the come
dies of Terence, namely the pathetic generosity of the
main characters, Minna and Tellheim. Some critics
think that the scenes which are most touching, are in
fluenced by the French comedies, but this seems rather
doubtful since the writer thoroughly appreciated the touch
ing scenes in the Latin comedies.
1 Lessing Danzel & Guhrauer Vol. 2 p. 30$(.
2 Rollertons-Lessing p. 141.-18
POETICAL WORKS.
Lessing’s self criticism disclaimed the title of
poet. He says, "It is true, men have sometimes done
me the honor to rank me in that class, but they have mis
conceived me. I do not feel springing within me the
living fountain w M c h struggles forth of its own force,
and by its own force shoots up in rich, fresh and pure
1
streams."
Lowell says, "His best things are not poetically
delicate, but have the tougher fibre of proverbs. Is it
not enough, then, to be a great prose writer? They are
as rare as great poets and if Lessing have the gift to
dilate that something deeper than the mind which genius
only can reach, what matter if it be not done to music?
Lessing’s minor poems are free imitations of Anacreon
and treat mostly of love and wine. Along with these early
poems, we find his RETTUNGEN DES HORAZ. Here again, his
love for the ancients asserts itself. He attempts to
refute the statements of Lange, which wer© directed a-
gainst the moral character of Horace, With his philo
logical knowledge and his sharp criticism, Lessing enters
the controversy. His main argument is that we must not
accept everything that the poet says as the plain truth:
we see too many illusions and try to explain them.
"Je gelehrter die Commentatores sind, je weniger
Witz H e s s e n sie dem Schriftsteller den sie erklären
1 P. 1. Hedge "Hours with German classics.(Taken
from Dramaturgie 101 Stück.)
2 Lowell's Literary Essays Vol. II p. 344-19
wollen. Itzo will ich hinzusetzen. Je gelehrter die Com-
raentatores über unsern komischen Dichter sein wollen, je
ff
mehr austössige Stellen finden »ie bei ihm. Zwei Orter
aus gegenwärtigem Stücke, worinne sie mir allesamt mehr ^
sehen scheinen, als aie sehen sollten, mögen es beweisen."^
He considers that it is necessary for one to put hi»-
self in the place of the ancientB, and to comment on them
otherwise we substitute our own modern ideas and take the
wrong path.
Lessing saw too clearly that he fell short of hiB
ideal and from his mistake, he gained the wisdom which
made him so great a critic.
1 Kritik über Dig Gefangnen des Plautus, p.223.- 20-
FABLES.
Perhaps no other one subject had so long held Lessing's
interest as the Fable. In treating this subject, he forms
a clear and definite idea of the fable before he attempts
to discuss it. He discusses the ideas and definitions
of the fablewriters of the French and Germans, but not
one of these fulfills the requirements eo he turns to
the ancients, the Greeks and Romans.
Lessing says, "Aristotle saems to have been acquaint
ed with the force of the real, but he has drawn them from
an incorrect source, so he could not fail to make a false
1
application of them."
Then he enters into the discussion of the two kinds
of fables which Aristotle defined. He refutes Arittotle's
statements’ when he says that the historical examples have
more power to convince than the fables, because the past
is similar to the future.
He finally arrives at his definition of the fable
which is, "When we apply a common moral idea to a special
ca3e, imparting reality to this and composing a story out
of it, in which we intuitively recognize the common idea,
2
then this composition is a fable."
Now the question is, Is Phaedrus, Aesop, or La Fon
taine the real master?
1 Abhandlung der Fabiln.
2 Abhandlung der Fabeln.- 21-
To Aesop has been attributed the most beautiful fables
in all the various Greek collections. His presentation ö f
the Bable ia precise to the utmost degree; he never stops
for descriptions, he comes to the point immediately and
hastens on with every word: He knew no means, no medium
between the necessary and unnecessary. This precision
and brevity of which he was so great a master, was found
so
by the ancients, to b^/suitable to the nature of the fable ,
that they formed a common rule and insisted upon it with
the greatest explicitness.
It was Phaedrus, who took upon himself the versi
fication of Aesop’s fables. He held fast to the law
laid down by the ancients and never departed from it ex
cept where the poetic style and meter demanded it.
Lessing gives two distinct reasons why he did not
follow Phaedrus. In the first place, he says, "Ich habe
die Versefikation nie so in meiner Gewalt gehabt, dasz
ich auf keine Weise besorgen dürfen, das Sflbenmasz und
und der Reim werde hier und da den Meister über mich
spielen. Geschähe das, so wäre es ja um die Kürze ge-r'
than und vielleicht noch um mehr wesentliche Eigenschaften
1
der guten Fabel."
And in the second place* "loh musz 38 nur gestehen,! ch
2
bin mit dem Phaedrus nicht so recht sufrleäfsnv"
1 Abhandlung der Fabeln. P. 13
2 " " " P. 13- 22-
The reason for the latter is, that Phaedrus too often
deviates a step from the simplicity of the Greeks and com
mits an error. For example, Fable 4, Liber I says,
Canis per flumen, camera dum ferret, suum.
jessing considers it to be impossible because in
swimming, the dog would have disturbed the water about him,
so that he could not see his image.
Many of Lessing’s fables have their foundations in Ihe
dreams and superstitious ideas with which the book of Aeli -
anus is filled* For example, Lessing’s fable of wasps 3»
modelled after fable 28 de Nat. Animal Book I reads as
follows:
DIE WESPEN.
"Fäulnis und Verwesung zerstörten das stolze Ge-
(i
bau eines kriegerischen Rosses, das unter seinem kühnen Rei
ter erschossen worden. Die Ruinen des einen braucht die
allzeit wirksame Natur zu dem i/eben des ändern. Und so
floh auch ein Schwarm junger Wespen aus dem beschmiessten
Aase hervor. 0, riefen die Wespen was für eines göttlich
en Ursprungs sind wir! Das prächtige Rosz, der Liebling
Neptune ist unser Erzeuger?"
With the ancients, the fable belongs to the realm
of philosophy and from philosophy the teachers of rhetoric
take it into their sphere.
Aristotle did not treat of this subject in his Poet
ics but in his Rhetoric.
Lessing studied Aelianus, Phaedrus and Aesop and- 23-
used all three as models, "but Aesop was his master.
Herder says, "Er (Lessing) hat den alten g r i e c h
ischen‘Aesop in seiner naiven Einfalt uns wieder herge-
steilt."
1 Schmidt, E. Lessing Vol.II- 24-
EPIGRAMS.
As with the Fable, so too Leasing's study of the
Epigram brought forth first a large number of epigrams
and afterwards his critical remarks.
We are indebted to Lessing for the best and clear
est definition of an epigram. He says "Wenn der erste
Teil des Sinngedichts, den ich die Erwartung genannt hatoe,
dem Denkmale intsprechen soll, welches die Aufschrift führ
et, so ist unstreitig, dasz er um so viel vollkomTr>ner
sein wird, je genauer er einem neuen, an Grösze oder Schal
heit besonders vorzüglichen Denkmale entspricht, Vor al
len Dingen aber musz er ihm an Einheit gleich sein, wir
müssen ihn mit einem Blicke übersehen können, unverwehrt
indes, dasz der Dichter durch Auseinandersetzung seiner
einzeln Begriffe ihm bald einen grössern, bald einen ge
r i n g e m Umfang geben darf, so wie er es seiner Absicht
1
am gemftssesten erkennet.^
Lessing in a letter to his father says "In der ?hat
ist nichts als meine Neigung mich in allen Arten des Po-
esie zu versuchen, die Ursach ihres Daseins."
And so he attempted poetry of all kijjds in order
to find his sphere and when he came to the epigram, he
chose the best of its type, Martial.
"Martial war der erste, der sich eine deutliche
feste Idee von dem Epigramme macht und dieser Idee bestän
dig treu blieb: und so wie dem Martial der Ruhm des ersten
n
1 Uber das Epigramm, p. 592, 393
2 Lessings Briefe, April 1749.- 25-
Epigrammatisten, der Zeit nach gehört, so sei er auch
1
noch bis jetzt der erste, dem Werthe nach geblieben."
Much has been said about Martial’s false wit. But
Lessing says, "What epigrammatist does not have this?
Martial knows that it is false wit and considers it noth
ing else. He very often has true wit; even,when the sub
ject is very small, very laughable, very despicable. But
he never shows false wit when the subject is great, ser
ious, and worthy. With such a subject, he can be just
2
as earnest, as sincere and as great."
Lessing considers Martial a greater epigrammatist
than his modöl Catullus. The latter, says Lessing,
wrote,"kleine giftige oder obscöne Tiraden, die weder
Erwartung erwecken, noch Erwartung befriedigen: die
mehr, um gegenwärtige, dringende Empfindungen zu äuösern,
hingetforfen, als nioht Absicht auf ejbne besondere Dicht-
3
ungsart ausgearbeitet sind."
However we find a few exapples of Lessing’s modelled
after Catullus. For example,
(Catullus) Lesbio- ml dicit semper male nec tacet
umquam.
De me: diepeream, me nisf Lesbia amat.
4
Quo signo? Quasi enim toteden mox deprecor.
Lessing: "Die Vorspiele der Versöhnung."
"Wo sie mich sieht und wo sie kann,
Fingt sie auf mich to lästern an.
1 "Aus den Zerstreuten Anmerkungen über das Epigram. Vol.X
g W M « N ft ff ff tf ft
3 Zerstreute Anmerkungen— Chapt. II Catull. p. 412 DFL.
4 Catullus Carmen 92- 26-
Doch warum thut sie das? Warum erhitzt sie sich?
1
loh wette was, noch liebt sie mich."
One of Lessing's best known epigrams "Der Stächel-
reim" is modelled after Martial, book I, 10.
Erast, der gern so neu als eigentümlich spricht,
Nennt einen Stachelreim sein leidig Sinngedicht.
Die Reime höre ich wohl, den Stachel fühl* ich nicht.
Lessing is also indebted to the Greek anthology for
some of his models. It contains many epigrams of Paul
Silentarius, who was secretary of Justinian. Kont says,
"We know that Lessing although misunderstanding the poetic
worth of the Greek Anthology, did not cease busying him
self with it: thus he was able to give the clever explan
ation of many obscure epigrams."
Lessing thinks that it is entirely possible that
many of the Greek epigrams contain much more than the cold
dry intimations of historical circumstance#.
In them, are some very fine allusions to something
entirely different than that which appears on first reading.
After a consideration of Satullus, Martial and the
Greek Anthology, he says, "Es hat unzählige Dichter vor
dem Martial, bei den Griechen sowohl als bei den Römern
gegeben, welche Epigrammen gemacht; aber einen Epigramma
tisten hat es vor ihm nicht gegeben. Ich will sagen: dasz
er der erste ist, welcher das Epigramm ais eine eigene
Gattung bearbeitet, und dieser eigenen Gattung sich ganz
1 Sinngedichte
2 Kont,Lessing & Antiquite Vol II Chapt. VII (Trans.)- 27-
1
gewictaet hat."
Lessing finds in Martial the first clear idea
of the epigram and steadfast loyalty to this idea.
For that reason, Martial continues to be his master
and his model.
1 Aus den Zerstreulen Anmerkungen. Chapt. III.- 28-
CRITICAL WORKS.
-"DIE BRIEFE ANTIQUARISCHEN INHALTS" or as they are
called in short Rantiquarische Briefe," belong to those
works of Lessing which are read more on account of the
form in which they are presented than on account of oon-
tent. The man against whom most of the antiquarischen
Briefe, as well as several other of Lessing’s antiquar
ische Schriften, WIE DIE ALTEN DEN TOD GEBILDET, ÜBER
DIE AHNENBILDER DER RÖMER are directed, is Christian
Adolf Klotz, a former friend of Lessing and professor
at Halle.
In response to these attacks of Klotz, Lessing for
tifies himself with the example of the ancients. "Vide
quam siro antiquorum hominum" he cries out with Cicero.
The ancients did not know the thing which we call
courteousness. Their urbanity was äs far from them as
it is from rudeness. The envious, the malicious, the
lover of social distinction, the exasperated one is the
/
real uncivil one: yet he may express himself courteously. "
The first four letters are occupied in answering the
disagreements raised by Klotz against numerous assertions
made by Lessing in his Laokoon.
The latter's assertion, that the ancient artists did
not frequently present acts taken from Homer, had been
considered by Klotz as unfounded.- 29-
Leesing presents the true meaning of his sentence«
The old artists used Homer yet they did not use him in
the way that Caylus did, or in the way that our artists
are said to have used him. Their paintings were Homeric
paintings, because they borrowed their material from Homer,
which they treated according to the needs of their own art,
not after the example of a stranger: "aber es waren keine
1
Gemälde zum Homer,"
In the following letters, six to eight, the subject,
the conception of the Furies which Lessing denied ancient
art, is discussed. Here again he defends himself from
the view point of the artist and mythologist. "The myth-
ologist," he says, "had noticed long before me that, one
finds few or no representations of the Juries on ancient
monuments," The artist is said to Imitate the beautiful
onlys consequently the ancient artist, who remained so v ^ y
true to the beautiful has not chosen to portray the Furies•
In conclusion he says, "Nur der Antiquar, der nichts
als Antiquar ist, dem es an jedem Funken von Philosophie
fehlet, kann mich so verstehen,"
In letters,nine to twelve, the perspective of the
ancients is discussed as this was denied them by Lessing,
As prof?f,he cites the two great paintings of Polyg-
notus at Delphi, which did not have the perspective,
Lessing goes to Pliny for his proof in the use of
1 Antiquarischen BriefetfE- 30-
precious stones, jewelry etc. among the ancients.
The ring of PolycrateS and the precious stone con
tained therein, seems to have been a point of dispute. He
says, "Und doch halte ich es lieber mit dem Plinius.cNicht
zwar deswegen, weil Plinius sagfe, dasz dieser Stein des Poly
crates, welcher ein Sardonyx gewesen, noch bei seiner Zeit
zu Rom, in dem Tempel der Concordia, gesetzt worden, und
er sich also mit seinen eigenen Augen belehren könne
denn er selbst sagt das, weil er es sagen hören, nicht
auf
weil er 4s wirklich glaubt sondern ich gründe mtch/etwas
anders. ^Auf dem Künstler nämlich, der ihn geschnitten
1
haben 8011."
He then goes back to the ancient Greeks and finds
in Aristophanes a trace of custom of wearing jewels for
adornment.
Letters twenty-foufc and twenty-five are arguments
on the precious stones of the ancients, namely the em
erald and sapphire. Lessing gives a very able discus
sion of the origin of the two stones: comparison of the
sapphire of the ancients and of today.
Again Pliny is his proof. He say§, "How could
Pliny have allowed such things to be in his mind, if they
were not truet"
This shows his entire dependence upon the ancient
writers and what seems to Lessing a thoroughly reliable
source.
1 Briefe Antiquarischen 22 pp* 102-103 D. N* L.- 31-
The remaining letters of the firat part, letters
27-34 are on the use of the diamond, the wheel and emery.
And again Pliny proves his point.
The second part of the "Antiquarische Briefe" is
concerned with the famoua episode, Borghesischen Fechter.
In chapter 28 of Laokoon, Lessing boldly declares, "Mit
einem Worte, die Statue ist Chabrias" the great Athen
ian commander of the Greek War. Lessing had been mis
lead by a bit of the biography of Cornelius Nepos about
the monument which the Athenians had set up in his honor.
He had exchanged it with a Florentine statue, the socal-
led "Miles veles.* Lessing did not stammer nor stumble
about it: his noble character asserted itself with "Wer
vom Himmel fiel, das war ich! Du hast nicht recht ge
lesen sagte ich nur. Ich las nochmals und nochmals:
und JJd Sfter ich las, desto betrübter ward ich. Noch
itzt weisz ich nicht, was ich anders aus der letzten
Hälfte dieser Stelle machen soll, als ein Christliches
Präservativ, über den (bittersöz komplimentierenden)
1
Anfang derselben nicht allzu stolz zu werden."
Lessing continued his remarks about the form of
the anciently carved stones, their use in cutting and
thenr turns to Klotz*s remark upon the use of many
colored stones, which leads to a learned digression upon
the meaning and etymology of the worä 'Kamee.*
At this point, he branches off into the study of
philology and archaeology. He says,"It is not enough
1 Borinsky Vol.II p. 7432-
for me to know an object and what it is called. Often
I wish to know why such or such an object is thus named.
In brief, I am one of the most resolute,etjimologists, and
as ridiculous as this study seems to many people, as
pretty as it seems to me in comparison with the objects
themselves, I am nevertheless infatuated with it. The
mind, when it is applied to this, is in such an ac+ive dul-
ness, it is so occupied and at the same time so tranquil
that I can not imagine a work more agreeable for a non
chalant curiosity. One flatters Himself with the re
search without thinking of the value of the object for
which he is locking. One rejoices in the work without
being sorry that he has found nothing after so much
1
trouble."
When an explanation of a worS or work of this
nature presents itself, Lessing immediately had recourse
to the ancient originals. SFhus he had the opportunity
to select and arrange his arguments ao well that he
sould always triumph over his opponent.
It was without doubt, the reason that prompted
Herder to say, "Da kommen mir eben Lessing's ANTIQUA
RISCHE BRIEFE, die ich gern gehabt hfttte. ^
Welch ein hinreissender Strom!
1
Welche Kenntnis des Alterthums!"
1 .
AntiquarscheBfo.47 Schmidt.
.
2 Vol II p. 159.- 33-
The "Antiquarian Letters" were followed by WIE
DIE ALTEH DEN TOD GEBILDET in tehich he shows that the
ancients personified Death not as a ghastly skeleton
but as a beautiful "Genius".
The passage in the Iliad in which the body of
Sarpedon was delivered to Sleep and Death is suggested
as a subject for pictorial representation by Count Cay-
lus. He expresses however his doubt as to whether the
figure of Sleep could be harmonized with the hideous
skeleton which he thought, as all then did, to have been
the usual representation of Death among the ancients.
Lessing argues from a number of sculptures, which
he was the first to enterpret correctly that this view
of the representation of Death was wholly mistaken*
The ancients pictured Death under no horrible aspect,
but as the beautiful twin-bfcother of Sleep— a Genius
leaning on the reversed torch and often accompanied
by a butterfly, the emblem of the soul.
Skeletons certainly were sculptured in antiquity
but they, as Lessing judges from a passage of Seneca
"Nemo tarn puer est, ut Cerberum timeat, et tenebras,
1
et Larvarum habitutn nudis ossibus cohaerentium,"
were the larvae or ghosts of wicked men condemned to
haunt the earth and never a representation of the gen
eral conception of death.
1 Seneca's Epistle No. 24- 34-
Rolleston says, "it was an authentic ray from Hellas ,
and before it the foul apparitions which had symbolized
death vanished from art, and images of calm and beauty
took their place.
This essay was received with great delight by the
young Goethe at Leipzig who said "Am meisten entzückte
uns^ die Alten den Tod als den Bruder des Schlafes aner
kannt und beide, wie es Menächmen geziemt zum Verwechseln
gleich gebildet. Hier konnten wir nun erst den Triumph
des SchSnen höchlich fieren und das Hässliche jeder Art,
da es doch einmal aus der Welt nicht zu vertrieben ist,
im Reich der Kunst nur in den niedrigen Kreis des Läch-
1
erlichen verweisen."
Schiller responden to Goethe*s joy in "Gods of
Greece.”
Damals trat kein grässliches Gerippe
Vor das Bett des Sterbenden; ein Kusz
Nahm das letzte Leben von der Lippe
Seine Fackel senk't ein Genius.
This essay along with the ANTIQUARISCHE BRIEFE
belong to that sphere,which in the past century would
be termed antiquarisch but more precisely archäologisch.
In this; he gives us a definition or rather a distinction.
The antiquarian has inherited the fragments, the archae
ologist the spirit of antiquity: the former scarcely
thinks with his eyes, the latter even sees with his
1 Wahrheit und Dichtung II c.VIII p. 165- 35-
thoughts: before the former can say ’thus it was',
the latter already knows what it could be.
And so we class Lessing as the latter, because
he saw "mit seines Geistes Auge.”
LAOKOON and DIE HAMBURGISCHE DRAMATURGIE form
the cliraaR of Lessing's work on antiquity. A great
knowledge of ancient and modern languages is shown by
cbuntless references and illustrations.
Adolph Stahr in his life of Lessing says,"Zu
derselben Zeit vertiefte er sich durch das Studium des
Homer und des Sophokles in die eigentliche Lebensquelle
der ewigen Schönheit und in die Erkenntnisz ihrer höch
sten Gesetze, und es ist nicht zuviel gesagt, daaz aus
dem Studium dieser beiden Dichter im Wesentlichen sein
1
Laokoon hervorgegangen ist."
Lessing himself says, "Ich wörde in diese trock
ene Schlusskette weniger Vertrauen setzen, wenn ich sie
nicht durch die Praxis des Homers vollkommen bestätiget
fände, oder wenn es nicht vielmehr die Praxis des Homers
selbst wäre, die mich darauf gebracht hätte. Nur aus
diesen Grundsätzen lässet sich die grosse Manier des
Griechen bestimmen und erklären, so wie der entgegen
gesetzten Manier so vieler neuern Dichter ihr Recht
ertheilen, die in einem Stöcke mit dem Maler wett
eifern wollen, in welchen sie nothwendig von ihm ßberT
wunden müssen.*1
1 Stahr, Adolf. Lessing,Sein Leben & Seine Werke,
p. 245.
2 Loakoon Chapter XVI.— 36—
Danzel says "Sonst hielt Lessing den Homer nicht
für den einzigen Dichter, der sich durch progressive
oder successive Gemälde auszeichnfete. Unter den Alten
rühmt er Ovid. Selbst bei dem Ovid sind die success-
iven Gemälde die häufigsten und schönsten: und gerade
dasjenige, was nie gemalt worden und nie gemalt werden
1
kann."
Lessing's knowledge of literature was much greater
than of art. Then the question arises, What was his
authority for art? His authority was the practice of
the ancients. His first source was the picture of
ancient art gained from his continued study of the
ancient writers upon art, particularly Pliny. His se
cond source, was found in Winckelnann,his adversary in
Laokoon.
The story of Laokoon was used, merely to furnish
him with an occasion to express some of hie many prin
ciples. However he did not intend to limit himself
to this one study: he preferred the inductive method
of reasoning, from the particular to the general and
necessarily had to choose an example.
Lessing was very fortunate in his choice, because
poetry and sculpture had both produced wonders from this
subject.
Karl Hillebrand in German Thought sums up briefly
the main argument in the first fifteen chapters as fol
lows :
1 Danzel Vol. II.- 37-
"Fine Arts have to show things in space and to the eyes,
Poetry in time and through the ears to the intellect* the
inference is that the subject of the Fine Arts must be
circumscribed objects, or at least, lasting situations
as extended in space and capable of böing embraced in
one glance, whereas the subjects of poetry must be actions
accomplished in time and conveyed to the intellect in
their successive stages. When consequently the poet wants
to treat the same subject as the artist, he must first
transform it into action."
These conclusions are confirmed by the practice of
Homer. He represents nothing but continued actions.
When he describes, he describes with a single epithet,
using that which is most suggestive or instead of a de
scription, he gives us a history of development. A h one
example, Lessing cites from the Iliad, Agamemnon's gar
ments. He says, "Will uns Homer zeigen, wie Agememnon
bekleidet gewesen, so musz sich der König vor unsern
Augen seine vÖll^ige Kleidung Stück vor Stück umthun:
das weiche Unterkleid, den grossen Mantel, die schönen
Halbstiefel, den Degen: und so ist er fertig und ergreigt
das Scepter. Wir sehen die Kleider, indem der Dichter
die Handlung des Bekleidens malet: ein anderer würde die
Kleider bis auf die geringste Franze gemalet haven und
1
von d6r Handlung bitten wir nichts zu sehen bekommen."
1 Laokoon XVI-38
In the eighteenth chapter, the argument is that tho
artist is limited to a moment of time; the poet is not.
In poetry, several descriptive epithets follow one another
so rapidly that we imagine that we hear 4* all at once.
In this respect, Lessing says that Homer has a great ad
vantage over irodern poets owing to the peculiar construc
tion of the Greek language.
The point in this argument is illustrated from Ho
mer's vivid story of the shield of Achilles. In L e s s i n g s
words, "Homer malet nämlich das Schild nicht als ein fer
tiges Vollendetes, sondern als ein werdendes Schild,"no
exception to the general rule is formed. He does not de
scribe the shield when completed, but in the process of
completion. Homer’s description, according to Lessing,
is far more poetic than Virgil's description of the shield
of Aeaeas. "In Homer, the great work grows under our very
eyesj scene after scene starts into life which Vergil
toils in vain by tediously drawing our attention to a ser-
1
ies of coexistent images."
Another argument, namely, that instead of accurately
describing a beautiful object, the poet arouses our imag
ination by showing the effect produced upon others, As il
lustrated by Hoirer in the example of Helen’s beauty. Sappho
and Ovid use the same means. Anacreon, too, follows the same
device.
1 History of Classical Scholarship. Lessing p.39-
And so on through this lengthy article, we find
Lessing making continued references to the ancients.
"His knowledge of the writings of the ancients was pro
found and syirpathetici of their art he had only such
knowledge as he could gather from books, engravings
and descriptions, with occasional casts. Even the
group of the Laokoon, he as yet only knew frorr an en
graving when he wrote this treatise. Thus when he
speaks of ancient poetry, we feel that he is speaking
of what he knows: his conclusions are at once applied
and tested by great examples. When he speaks of art,
we feel that he is looking at it through the medium
of text-books; he reasons but does not point us to vis-
1
itle illustrations of his reasoning."
In many cases, the truth was not reached in the
LAOKOON, but every sentence shows how eagerly he strove
for truth and this effort,,no doubt, was considered by
Lessing the greatest success. "Not the truth," he said,
"of which a man believes himself to be the possessed,
but the sincere effort he has made to gain truth, makes
2
the worth of a man."
The LAOKOON remained a fragment. Instead of com
pleting it, Lessing left Eerlin for Hamburg, where as a
critic of plays and actors, he produced more than a hun
dred chapters of remarkably brilliant dramatic critieism.
1 Introduction to Laokoon. Hamann & Upcott.
2 Wolfenbüttel Fragments.- 40-
"Und wie er in der Fabel den Aesop, im Epos den
Homer als untrügliches Muster an-sah: so waren auch
für das Drama die Griechen der besten Zeit seine Leit
sterne theoretisch Aristotle practisch Sophocles. Wie
er im Ldtecoon die wahre Poesie, die wahre Maler&i ge
sucht, so forschte er hier auf einem Wege, den er schon ln
den Litteratur-briefen andeutet, nach dem wahren Dra^a.
Mit der ganzen Theorie des Schauspiels franzÄsphen
Schule legte er den höchsten Werth auf die Autorität
1
des Aristotles."
Lessing's wonderful acquaintance with the literature
of the ancients and moderns together with his critical
abilities, fitted him, perhaps more than any one else,
to undertake the interpretation of the "Poetics.* His
task in the Hamburgische Dramaturgie was a two-fold one:
first was to give the real views of Aristotle, as he
interpreted them, and the second, was to show how the
French classicists and particularly Corneille had failed
in their interpretations and uses.
Arifetotle is first mentioned in the nineteenth
chapter with the words, wNun hat es Aristoteles längst
entschieden, wie weit sich der tragische Dichter um die
historische Wahrheit zu bekümmern habe: nicht weiter, als
sie einer wohleingerichteten Fabel ähnlich ist, mit der
seine Absichten verbinden kann."
In the thirty-seventh chapter, Lessing discusses
parts of Voltaires* Merope. He says that Voltaire has
1 Geschichte der Deutschen Litteratur,Wilhelm
Scherer, p. 4 5 7 .41 -
misinterpreted Aristotle. "Aristotles untersucht in dem
vierzehnten Kapitel seiner Dicht-kunst, durch was eigent
lich für Begebenheiten Schrecken und Mitleid erreget werde.n
Alle Begebenheiten, sagt er müssen entweder unter Freund«!
oder under Feinden, oder unter gleichgültigen Personen
vergehen.”
In the forty-sixth Stück, the dramatic unities are
discussed. The unity of action was the first dramatic law
of the ancients. The unities of time and place proceeded
from unity of action.
According to Lessing, the French did not observe
these laws; they found no taste for the true unity of
action.
Lessing’s understanding of fear and pity in Aris-
totles’ definition of tragedy is discussed in chapter 74-
75.
"Er (Aristotle) spricht von Mitleid and Furcht, nicht
von kitleid und Schrecken: und seine Furcht ist durchaus
nicht die Furcht, welche uns das bevorstehende Übel eines
ändern, für diesen ändern, erweckt, sondern es ist die
Furcht, welche aus unserer Ähnlichkeit mit der leidenden
Person für uns selbst entspringt. Mit einem Worte:
diese Furcht ist das auf uns selbst bezogene Mitleid.
"Alles das, sagt er, ist uns fürchterlich, was, wenn es
einem ändern begegnet w&re, oder begegnen sollte, unser
Mitleid erwecken würde: und alles das finden wir mitleids-- 42-
würdig was wir fürchten würden, wenn ee una seihst bevor-
stü'nde.---- Aus dieser Gleichheit entstehe die Furcht, de«Bz
unser Schicksal gar leicht dem seinfcgen ebenso ähnlich
werden könne, als wir ihm xu sein uns selbst fühlen: und
diese Furcht sei es, welche das Mitleid gleichsam zur
Reife bringe."
In the next few numbers, Lessing gives Aristotles’
definition of tragedy as he understands it. "Die Tra
gödie ist die Nachahnung einer Handlung, die nicht vermit
telst der Erzählung, sondern vermittelst des Mitleids und
der Furcht, die Reinigung dieser und dergleichen Leiden-
1
schäften bewirket."
According to this definition, Lessing found that the
dramas of Sophocles were in entire conformity.
And so on, Aristotle plays an important role. In
Stücke 101, Lessing summs up his convictions, in the fol
lowing words; "Indes stehe ich nicht an, zu bekennen dasz
ich sie für ein ebenso einfehlbares Werk halte, als die
Elemente des £uklides nur immer sind.— Eesonders ge
traue ich mir von der Tragödie-- sie sich von der Richt
schnur des Aristotles keinen Schritt entfernen kann, ohne
sich ebensoweit von ihrer Vollkommenheit zu entfernen."
Kont says, "The greatest merit of the work is in
having placed in the light those laws of Aristotle which
presents and will ever present the absolute laws of trag
ic art, since they are founded upon a just and complete
1 Hamburgische Dramaturgie 77 Stücke.- 43-
observation of the immutable characteristics of mankind,
of having demonstrated their exact meaning and of havinr
applied these rules to contemporary works. Thus the Po
etics become a spirit, the learning of which Lessing skil
fully makes use of against the classic French tragedy. If
Aristotle and the drama of the ancients, are the solid
foundation of the Dramaturgie it is the zeal of the strug
gle, the fire of the criticism so strong and spirited,
which have made it so fruitful for the period of Goethe
and Schiller,-two geniuses who accepted all that which
the learning of Lessing had made clear, without misunder-
1
the pelemic character of the work."
it has teeen said by various critics that Lessing’s
style in the Dramaturgie approaches Cicero’s, In some
instances, we find that rounded fulness of expression,
in others, the short but striking comparisons and again
the clear, concise and epigrammatic style is evident.
In Römische Litteraturgeschichte we find, ”Uns
genüge, dasz die ganze sogenannte Renaissance seit!
Petrarca, auf der wir stehen, auf Cicero stand und an ihm
sich läuterte, dasz endlich auch der deutsche Prosastil
ohne das Latein, d.h. ohne Cicero nicht so Zustande ge-
2
kommen wäre, kein Lessing, so wie er ist.**
1 Kont Lessing & L. Antiquite. Translation by Ferriss.
2 Römische Litteraturgeschichte, p» 67.-44-
/ V. Lessing's Influence in Creating an Interest in
the Classics as a Result of his Study,
After having considered Lessing's interest in the
ancient classics, as a student, ae a dramatist, as a
poet and as a critic, it is of next importance to see
what influence he had upon his contemporaries and upon
literature as a result of this abiding interest.
Lowell says, "It is ih the Dramaturgie that Lessirg
first properly enters as an influence in European litera
ture. He may be said to have begun the revolt from
pseudo-classicism in poetry and to have been thus un-
1
consciously the founder of Romanticism."
But his influence on his contemporaries undoubtedly
entered before this. He, in his fiorks on Plautus, threw
a clearer light on the aims of that early writer of comB-
dies , as well as on Terence.
In the VADEMECUM with Herr Lange, Lessing brought
forth the true merits of Horace. He opened a new era in
the appreciation of Homer and Sopho&les in his LAOKOON.
The influence of"Laokoon" is plain upon all the
following literature of Germany and no writer felt as
deeply indebted to Lessing as Goethe.
He says in his Autobiography, "Man musz Jüngling
*
sein, um sich zu vergegen wärtigen, welche Wirkung Les
sing's Laokoon auf uns ausübte, indem dieses Werk uftg
aus der Region eines kümmerlichen Anschauens in die
1 Lowell Literary Essays.You can also read
