Nathan the Wise

E54473
dramatic work play

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.

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All labels observed (4)

Label Occurrences
Nathan the Wise canonical 8
Nathan der Weise 3
Lessings "Nathan der Weise" 1

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 ⓘ
surface form: 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 ⓘ
Knights Templar ⓘ
surface form: 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 the Wise self-linksurface differs ⓘ
surface form: Nathan der Weise
yearOfCompletion 1779 ⓘ

Referenced by (13)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

German Enlightenment → hasKeyWork → Nathan the Wise ⓘ
Nathan the Wise → titleInGerman → Nathan the Wise self-linksurface differs ⓘ
this entity surface form: Nathan der Weise
Deutsche Aufklärung → keyText → Nathan the Wise ⓘ
this entity surface form: Lessings "Nathan der Weise"
Gotthold Ephraim Lessing → notableWork → Nathan the Wise ⓘ
this entity surface form: Nathan der Weise
Ring Parable → partOf → Nathan the Wise ⓘ
Ring Parable → toldByCharacter → Nathan the Wise ⓘ
Recha → appearsIn → Nathan the Wise ⓘ
Recha → fictionalUniverse → Nathan the Wise ⓘ
The Templar is Christian → appearsIn → Nathan the Wise ⓘ
The Templar is Christian → interactsWith → Nathan the Wise ⓘ
this entity surface form: Nathan the Wise (character)
The Templar is Christian → firstAppearanceWork → Nathan the Wise ⓘ
Nathan → nameInOriginalLanguage → Nathan the Wise ⓘ
this entity surface form: Nathan der Weise
Nathan → characterInWork → Nathan the Wise ⓘ