Abstract
Influenced by Johann Gottfried Herder and Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, the German "Sturm und Drang" movement regarded William Shakespeare as a model of gifted drama poets. Viewing Shakespeare as a "genius" in imagination for the possible "world history", Herder applied pantheistic philosophy to his drama theory and developed a concept of radical enlightenment. Comparing Herder's view with Gotthold Ephraim Lessing's interpretation of Shakespeare as well as his Aristotelian enlightenment dramatic idea, a great difference can be revealed: Lessing aimed to cultivate civic morality, while Herder intended to evoke the Volk's passion towards freedom and political action.
First Page
106
Last Page
113
Recommended Citation
Feng, Qing. 2018. "Shakespeare's "World History": J. G. Herder's "Sturm und Drang" Drama Theory and the Radical Enlightenment." Theoretical Studies in Literature and Art 38, (6): pp.106-113. https://tsla.researchcommons.org/journal/vol38/iss6/13
