Die Mitschuldigen

Goethe, Johann Wolfgang von, 1749-1832Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.0

Word count: 66K words
Chapters: 7

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.Die Mitschuldigen by Johann Wolfgang von GoetheAuthor: Goethe, Johann Wolfgang von, 1749-1832,Language: German, Class: PT: Language and Literatures: Germanic, Scandinavian, and Icelandic literatures, Release Date: May 1, 2004

Editor's review

Die Mitschuldigen is an early comedy by Goethe, written in verse, set in a single indoor location with a small cast, its plot revolving around misunderstanding, concealment, and moral transgression. Though short, the play already reveals Goethe's interest in human weakness and moral dilemma: the characters are not types of clear good and evil but waver between self-interest, love, and duty, ultimately prompting reflection on guilt and complicity. For Chinese readers, this work is better suited as supplementary reading for understanding the starting point of Goethe's dramatic writing than as a first choice for beginners. Its language is polished and its dialogue sharp, and the German verse itself poses a reading challenge; readers are advised to have some German or to read alongside a translation. As a public-domain electronic edition without modern annotations, readers should first grasp the general plot framework before entering the text, so as to focus on the subtleties of character psychology and dialogue.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Researchers and enthusiasts interested in Goethe's early dramatic writing
Readers with some German who wish to read German verse drama
Literary readers concerned with themes of moral transgression and human weakness
Drama students using it as material for small-theater script analysis

Not a good fit for

Readers new to Goethe who hope to start with his major works
Readers with no German at all and no translation to assist them
Readers who prefer dramas with intricate plots and grand spectacle

Reading tips

First learn the plot summary and character relationships, then enter the verse dialogue to lower the language barrier.
German learners can read closely scene by scene, noting rhymes and the puns and wit in the dialogue.
Read in light of the social background of Goethe's youth to understand how the play handles moral transgression.
The length is short; read it in two or three sittings, reviewing changes in character motivation after each act.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is this play suitable as an introduction to Goethe?

Not very. It is an early work, short and written in German verse, better suited as supplementary reading. For a first encounter with Goethe, read his major works first, then return to savor this early comedy.

Can I read this book without knowing German?

The original is in German verse, and reading it directly requires some German. If you do not know German, read alongside a reliable Chinese translation, first grasping the plot and character relationships, then appreciating the interest at the language level.

Does this electronic edition have annotations?

This is a public-domain electronic edition from Project Gutenberg, plain in format and generally without modern annotations or introduction. Readers need to consult background materials themselves or rely on notes in a translation for assistance.

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About the author

Goethe, Johann Wolfgang von, 1749-1832 Author

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749–1832) is a highly important writer in the history of German literature, whose work spans poetry, fiction and drama. The library holds 75 of his works, including the tragedy Faust: Der Tragödie erster Teil in several editions and translations, the epistolary novel Die Leiden des jungen Werther — Band 2, and the play Iphigeneia Tauriissa. Faust centers on a scholar's pact with the devil, combining philosophical reflection with poetic language; Die Leiden des jungen Werther uses the epistolary form to portray the conflict between personal feeling and social constraint. Goethe's works cover a wide range of subjects and combine lyricism with philosophical depth, exerting a profound influence on German literature and later European writing. Public information is limited, so biographical details are omitted here.