Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
“When we engage ourselves emotionally and intellectually
with the arts, we enter an experience which anticipates
freedom.”
His Beginnings
Born in Frankfurt on
August 28, 1748. His
father, Johann, was a
lawyer and his mother,
Katherine Elisabeth, was
the mayor’s daughter.
His grandmother gave him a puppet show to encourage
his love of theatre. His mother encouraged his
imagination and often told him stories and plays.
“One can say that anyone born ten years earlier or later
would have become …a completely different person.”
Early Years
 Goethe described his childhood as chaotic and thought
of himself as a combination of his father’s northern
rigorous intellect and morality and his mothers southern
casual style, a combination of two Germanies.
 During his childhood the French occupied Frankfurt
during the Seven Years War, a conflict over colonial
possessions and Joseph II was crowned.
 These events began his tendency toward rebellion, a
sentiment which was rarely discussed openly.
 Goethe was known as a jokester and a playboy,
constantly in and out of love. Many of his affairs
became the basis for his stories and poems.
Girls we love for what they are; young men for what
they promise to be.
Leipzig
Goethe’s father personally
supervised his education from
home until he was 16 when he
was sent to study law at the
University in Leipzig.
Although he was obviously
intelligent, he didn’t take his
studies too seriously. He
began writing and studying
the social scene more than
the books.
His later fame surprised
his professors, especially
his main teacher Körner
whose daughter also
attended the school..
We all seek direction, inspiration, what shall we do with our lives in
order to make our mark, to distinguish ourselves from the great
unnumbered mass.“
Strasbourg
In 1770 after recovering from an
illness he went to study in Strasbourg.
Here he met Johann Gottfried von
Herder, a literary critic.
Herder would prove to be a
profound influence on Goethe’s
life. He introduced him to
Shakespeare and other
Romantic influences.
He graduated with a law
degree in 1771. He became
depressed as he disliked law
and was constantly looking for
another way to support
himself. His opportunity would
come a few years later with an
invitation from a prince.
„A man can stand anything except a succession of ordinary days.
Birth of a Literary Genius
 Although he had been writing for some time, it was
really Herder’s influence that got him to write seriously
and to create his own artistic rules.
 His first major work was Gotz von Berlichingen. A
story about a robber baron, it was one of the first
works to introduce youthful protest against established
order.It also introduced the idea of intellectual
freedom to the literary world.
 He said his works were alive and finished in his head,
like Mozart’s compositions or Michelangelo's sculpture,
before ever being written down. It was with this novel
that he began his reign as the giant of German
literature, respected by even those he disliked.
Sturm und Drang
 Literally Storm and Stress, this
revolutionary protest movement in
German literature was a reaction against
the Enlightment and Rationalist
movements.
 Romanticism focused on the individual,
the imagination, the subjective and the
transcendental.
 The movement developed a theme of
youthful genius in rebellion. Goethe’s
hero Werther who kills himself over love
becomes the movements most famous
representation.
 The ideas of Rousseau were a major
stimulus of the movement. Music such
as Mozart’s Don Giovanni also helped
define the movement.
“Man cannot contain himself for long in the conscious condition or in
consciousness;he must take refuge again in unconsciousness, for that is where his
roots grow.”
Die Leiden des Werthers
Werther falls in love with a girl engaged to marry
someone else. Werther goes away and when he
return the girl has married. Crushed by the
hopelessness of the situation, Werther kills himself.
The novel was based on one of Goethe’s affairs ,
one the left him desperate and depressed.
The novel becomes the
spark that ignited Sturm
und Drang. It became a
huge hit, turning Goethe
into the equivalent of a
pop star at the age of 23.
“Wertherfieber” hits
Germany and many
imitate Werther’s style of
dress.
Goethe was widely criticized
for “promoting suicide”. The
church also pushed for the
book to be removed from
shelves and were successful
in Leipzig, Bavaria and
Austria. Goethe later said he
despised those who would
turn poetry into reality and
he didn’t condone suicide.
But he had to kill Werther so
he could go on living.
Invitation To
Weimer
 In 1775 at the age of 26 Duke Karl August invited
Goethe to join him in Weimer. Goethe had met the
duke briefly and was impressed by him.
 Young princes often invited famous or talented men
to their towns and it was expected that the invitation
would be accepted gladly. Goethe said he would
come but wouldn’t guarantee he’d stay.
 He had disliked the legal profession and was skeptical
of the political aristocratic world he was being asked
to join.
Weimer
 At that time Weimer was insignificant although it has been
in existence since 945. The Holy Roman Empire was still
technically in control of most of Europe.
 Weimer was a small principality in the loosely defined
Germany.
 By the time of Goethe’s death, Weimer would become a
center of European literature and culture.
 Once there, Goethe found it exhilarating to be in the middle
of the social scene, interacting with all kinds of people. He
invited many of his friends to live and work.
Es bildet ein Talent sich in der Stille, Sich ein Charakter in dem Strom der
Welt. [Talent develops in quiet places, character in the full current of human
life.]
Immediate Sensation
 Goethe decided to arrive in Weimer dressed as his
character Werther. He wore a bright blue and yellow
suit causing people to whisper in the streets as he
passed.
 Weimer society was suspicious of him and resented him
from the beginning. They were shocked at a member of
the middle class from another town serving in their
government.
 Goethe enjoyed ruffling people’s feathers and making
them confront their social traditions. He acted without
regard to his reputation, something they were not used
to.
 Some would call him crazy, some would call him
immoral, but all were fascinated by him.
Charlotte von Stein
She took Goethe under her wing
after his arrival and encouraged
him to give politics a try by
telling him it would benefit his
writing career.
Charlotte von
Stein was a well
respected
member of
Weimar society.
She often admonished him for
addressing her with the du form
in public. She was concerned
people would get the wrong
idea.
They were close friends until his
return from Italy when he took
up with Christiane Vulpius.
The Climb up the Court Ladder
 His first public responsibility was for the roads and
waterways.
 With Charlotte’s help and influence he was promoted through
elections to handle the town’s financial matters.
 He slowly became a respected member of society and people
looked to him as a strange, but intellectual authority.
 His proudest accomplishment was opening and running The
Weimar Theatre with Schiller from 1791-1817, which sparked
a dramatic renaissance in Germany.
 He was eventually raised to nobility all the way to second in
command behind the prince. He received the particle “von” in
his name and the titles of “Geheimrat” (councilor) and
“Excellency.
One ought, everyday, to hear a song, read a fine poem, and, if possible, to speak
a few reasonable words.
Schiller
Goethe met Schiller in 1794. Also a major
contributor to Sturm und Drang, Schiller was
influenced by Kant and greatly admired
Goethe.
They became extremely close friends and
Schiller moved to Weimar in 1799. Goethe
often contributed to Schiller’s journals and
publications and it was often Schiller who
motivated him to write.
Schiller was a disciplined writer, carefully
researching and then writing and rewriting,
while Goethe would just frantically write his
thoughts. Schiller brought a sense of
discipline to Goethe’s work.
His health began to fail and he died
on May 9, 1805. Goethe was
criticized for not wanting to attend
Schiller’s wake.
Conversation
 Goethe loved conversation even more than the
written word. In Weimer he had the opportunity to
mingle with the Duke’s frequent guests of state and
society.
 If he was alone he was known to simply imagine
guests were present and carry on a conversation,
guessing their responses.
 He began dictating his work and found it a liberating
process. He saw this method as a sign of his
transition from the Sturm und Drang style to what
was termed Weimer Classicism.
“The deepest concerns of the mind and heart, our most
important observations and reflections, should only be
discussed by word of mouth.”
Italy
 In an attempt at intellectual self liberation from the
uptight and proper court life in Weimer, he traveled
to Italy in 1786 to gain a new perspective.
 He settled in Rome and studied ancient history, art
and literature.
 His writing began to stress a calmness and dignity
reflecting a classical style.
 This new direction ushered in another phase of
German literature, the Classical period.
“In Rome I have found myself for the first time.”
Another Literary Revolution
 When Goethe returned from Italy he caused another
sensation when he made demands on his publisher
before allowing his works to appear in print.
 In those days a writer simply handed his material
over to the publisher and that was it. Goethe’s
insistence on controlling his words from conception to
the printed page was a revolutionary concept.
 He also negotiated his payment. This was the
beginning and foundation of the modern relationship
between authors and publishers today.
Scientific Discoveries
 Goethe, like many of his characters, loved nature.
He viewed nature as a separate personality, as a
living, breathing entity.
 His research in morphology is seen as the foundation
for Darwin’s theory of evolution.
 He also published The Theory of Color which stated
that the visual was not concrete, but rather a
subjective interpretation by the individual. His ideas
on these matters were sometimes compared to the
ideas of Kant.
Nature! We are surrounded and embraced by her:
powerless to separate ourselves from her, and powerless to penetrate beyond her
Without asking, or warning, she snatches us up into her circling dance, and whirls us
on until we are tired, and drop from her arms."
Christiane Vulpius
Goethe met Christiane
in 1787 and invited
her to live with him in
1788. This caused a
scandal in Weimer
society. Not only was
he living with a
woman he wasn’t
married to, but she
worked at the paper
factory and was seen
as an unsuitable
companion for
someone of his
position.
He lived with
her for 18
years until he
married her in
1806. They
would only
have ten more
years. She
died in 1816
leaving only
one surviving
child, August.
Love is an ideal thing, marriage a real thing; a confusion of the real with the
ideal never goes unpunished.
The French Revolution
1789
 Both Goethe and Schiller embraced the ideals of the
French Revolution at first. For the first time in many
parts of Europe, the political power was taken from
the state and put it into the hands of the people
following the path of the American Revolution.. Once
the Reign of Terror began they began to distance
themselves and take a different stand.
 They believed there had to be a balance between
reason and the human condition. They also believed
this could and should be achieved through the arts.
“In the building of true political freedom we must indeed, if we are to
solve the political problem in practice, follow the path of aesthetics, since
it is through Beauty that we arrive at Freedom.”
Schiller 1795
Political Beliefs
 He didn’t become particularly interested in participating in or following
politics until after the French Revolution. Before that he said he would
leave the thinking on these matters to men like Schiller and Kant.
 He felt that mass democracy was impossible. In 1832 he said,
“Legislators and revolutionaries who promote equality and liberty at the
same time are either psychopaths or mountebanks.”
 He was strongly against political centralization and many think he would
be appalled at the state of the world and Europe in particular today. He
felt that states and cities had to have their own authority, traditions and
unique sense or culture would be lost.
 He believed that a country should be united by things like patriotism,
transportation, common money and language among other things, not
by a central authority.
Goethe's Religious Beliefs
 Goethe did have a strong belief in a supreme God, but he
dismissed religious opinion and theory.
 He embraced the idea presented in the French Revolution
that there should be religious freedom. He believed people
should be able to find their own way to God.
 He often struggled in his life with the idea of sin and
righteousness. He sometimes saw wrongdoing as part of
the means to an end, and if the end was good, then in his
view the wrong was justified.
 He spent a good deal of time pondering whether God
agreed with this or not, and the struggle was expressed in
many of his works.
 It wasn’t until Charlotte von Stein’s influence that he
accepted himself as a good person.
Man is made by his belief. As he believes, so he is.
Faust
 Faust was Goethe’s crowning achievement, his greatest work. It
took him 57 years to complete. He was 81 when he finished.
 The legend of Faust dates back to early Christianity. Before
Goethe it’s most famous version was a play by Christopher
Marlowe.
 Goethe’s version, which in many ways is a reflection of his own
life and ideas, ends with Faust escaping his doomed fate as his
soul is taken to heaven. While Marlowe’s version was a
statement about the punishment of sin, Goethe’s was about
redemption.
"I've read, alas! through philosophy,
Medicine and jurisprudence too,
And, to my grief, theology
With ardent labour studied through.
And here I stand with all my lore,
Poor fool no wiser then before!"
Themes of Faust
 The possibility of contentment
– Faust’s unquenchable thirst for knowledge and the lengths he goes to get
it are a reflection of the constant struggle we are in to both exist and
become.
 Good vs. Evil
– In Goethe’s version it is stressed that Mephistopheles is not always the
villain and Faust is not always the hero. We are not all good or all evil.
 Superficial Blindness
– Faust had acted greedily, taking from the poor and weak to further his
wealth. Even with all his wealth and power he did not have any joy. Only
after Faust has lost his sight at the end of life does he truly see what is
really important and he returned all that he taken.
 God’s Judgment of Man
– When Faust dies and Mephistopheles is rejoicing over his victory, the
angels come and take his soul to heaven, despite his the wrongs he had
committed. God cared more about the intent than the action. Although
Faust had committed sin he had struggled to grow and become better.
His Later Years
 His son August and daughter in law
Ottilie lived above him and took care
of him. Ottilie often served as
hostess for his parties.
 From 1806-1823 he spent summers in
either Carlsbad or Marienbad, spa
towns, for health reasons.
 Here he socialized with the rich and
famous of the day including
Beethoven.
 In 1823 he wrote one of his greatest
poems Elegy about Ulirike von
Lezetzow. He chased her around
from town to town until she tired of
him and became disinterested. He
was 73, she was 19.
It's not that age brings childhood back again, Age merely shows what children we remain.
His Death
 He spent the few days before his death fully dressed and in
his chair having conversations. As he became worse, he
often was heard mumbling Schiller’s name.
 Goethe died on March 22, 1832, holding his daughter in
law’s hand, at the age of 83 of pneumonia. His dying
words were “more light.”
 By the end of his life he had managed to revolutionize the
literary world more than once, and his lifetime would come
to be known as the age of Goethe.
 He is buried in the grand ducal vault along side Schiller in
Weimar.
Sources
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http://freemasonry.bcy.ca/biography/goethe_j/goethe_j.html
http://www.bartleby.com/19/3/1001.html
http://www.tyska.lu.se/one/kurser/tys035humrel/intro/Intro.htm
http://www.quotationspage.com/quotes/Johann_Wolfgang_von_Goethe/11
http://lettersfromthedustbowl.com/Page33.html#Goethe
http://www.cartage.org.lb/en/themes/Biographies/MainBiographies/G/goethejohannwolfgang/1.html
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http://fajardo-acosta.com/worldlit/goethe/
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http://www.odysseetheater.com/goethe/goethe_05.htm
http://www.uni-leipzig.de/~jura/info/geschichte.html
http://www.seminarlehrer.de/hilfen/prometh/prometh.htm
 Unseld, Siegfried Goethe and His Publishers. Translated by Kenneth J. Northcott. x, 372 p.
1996
 Johann Wolfgang Goethe Liselotte Dieckmann 1974
 From Goethe to Hauptmann Camillo von Klenze 1926
 Conversations and Encounters