Nathan the Wise
E54473
Nathan the Wise is a seminal 1779 play by Gotthold Ephraim Lessing that champions religious tolerance and humanism through the famous "Ring Parable" set in Crusades-era Jerusalem.
Aliases (2)
Statements (46)
| Predicate | Object |
|---|---|
| instanceOf |
dramatic work
→
play → |
| adaptationForm |
has been adapted for film
→
has been adapted for stage → |
| author |
Gotthold Ephraim Lessing
→
|
| canonicalStatus |
key work of German Enlightenment literature
→
|
| censorshipStatusAtTime |
sensitive due to criticism of religious fanaticism
→
|
| centralMotif |
Ring Parable
→
|
| characterReligion |
Nathan is Jewish
→
Saladin is Muslim → The Templar is Christian → |
| coreMessage |
no single revealed religion can be proven superior
→
true value lies in moral action and love of neighbor → |
| countryOfOrigin |
Germany
→
|
| dramaticMode |
verse drama
→
|
| dramaticStructure |
five-act play
→
|
| educationalUse |
frequently taught in German schools
→
|
| featuresParable |
Ring Parable
→
|
| firstPerformanceApproxDate |
1783
→
|
| firstPerformancePlace |
Berlin
→
|
| firstPublicationDate |
1779
→
|
| genre |
Enlightenment drama
→
philosophical drama → |
| historicalContext |
written during debates on religious tolerance in 18th-century Europe
→
|
| influenced |
discourse on religious tolerance in German literature
→
|
| influencedBy |
Enlightenment ideals
→
|
| literaryMovement |
Age of Enlightenment
→
|
| mainTheme |
humanism
→
interfaith dialogue → rationalism → religious tolerance → |
| majorCharacter |
Patriarch of Jerusalem
→
Recha → Saladin → The Templar → |
| notableFeature |
blend of drama and philosophical argument
→
didactic dialogue → |
| originalLanguage |
German
→
|
| philosophicalFocus |
equality of religions
→
ethical conduct over dogma → |
| protagonist |
Nathan
→
|
| protagonistDescription |
a wise Jewish merchant
→
|
| setInPlace |
Jerusalem
→
|
| setInTimePeriod |
Crusades
→
|
| titleInGerman |
Nathan der Weise
→
|
| yearOfCompletion |
1779
→
|
Referenced by (4)
| Subject (surface form when different) | Predicate |
|---|---|
|
German Enlightenment
→
|
hasKeyWork |
|
Deutsche Aufklärung
("Lessings "Nathan der Weise"")
→
|
keyText |
|
Gotthold Ephraim Lessing
("Nathan der Weise")
→
|
notableWork |
|
Nathan the Wise
("Nathan der Weise")
→
|
titleInGerman |