Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
The supreme figure of German literature, Goethe wrote Faust, the greatest drama in the German language and one of the masterworks of world literature. He was also novelist, poet, scientist, and statesman. His career of over sixty years defined the classical and romantic periods in German culture.
Works
- The Sorrows of Young WertherEpistolary novel depicting a young man's passionate but tragic unrequited love
- Wilhelm Meister's ApprenticeshipBildungsroman following a young artist's apprenticeship and formation through life experiences
- Elective AffinitiesNovel of passion and moral consequence among married couples and relationships
- Italian JourneyTravel narrative and prose poem reflecting on Italian art, culture, and beauty
- Wilhelm Meister's Journeyman YearsNovel of spiritual development and wandering following Wilhelm through various encounters
- FaustDramatic poem about a scholar who sells his soul to gain forbidden knowledge
- EgmontTragedy of a warrior whose moral inflexibility leads to personal and political downfall
- Iphigenie auf TaurisVerse play depicting priestess restored to her family despite long exile
- Torquato TassoVerse tragedy of a poet torn between passion and artistic duty
- Götz von BerlichingenHistorical drama celebrating a rebellious knight's struggle against imperial authority