Analysis of the Characters in Emilia Galotti by Lessing and Die Rauber by Schiller - Essay Example

Generally, the subject of good and evil has been covered extensively by the world of theatre and literature were several eminent and noble minds have contributed immensely to the discussion and review of the issue. Several notable productions such as ‘Jackyll and Hyde’ and the Apollo Victoria Theatre in Australia have made an attempt to highlight a comparison between these two virtues. However, the subject has been a case for discussion since times immemorial and has become the subject of intense scrutiny in theatrical works over the past 300 years.

German theatrical works have played an immense role in this area by helping produce some of the most magnificent works that deal with the good and the evil things in this world. Among them, the plays Emilia Galotti by Lessing and ‘Die Rauber’ by Schiller have stood out in terms of their intricacy in projecting the subject that has worked wonders over the years in highlighting the issue. The current paper is an attempt at highlighting the same by discussing the subject in several perspectives of good and evil wherein each shall be discussed in separate sections.

Lessing has always been one of the most famous playwrights in contemporary German literature. His 1771 play titled ‘Emilia Galotti’ has been the subject of intense scholarly debates for several centuries. There have been several interpretations of Emilia Galotti, which fall into three basic categories namely the traditional, scholarly association with the Roman legend of Virginia and as a father’s dilemma over securing and convincing the innocence of his daughter. There has been some opinion among a few scholars who view the play as a mere testimony of the struggle of the bourgeoisie (middle classes) against emancipation.

However, the play is further very interesting to examine given that it provides a deeper insight into the life of Eighteenth-century women of the bourgeois who had to take extreme care in negotiating the exterior and interior spaces of society.