Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Egmont

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Goethe's tragedy

Egmont

, about the life and downfall of a glamorous and popular Flemish political leader and brilliant general in the service of Philip II of Spain, was composed in sporadic work over a period of twelve years, a first draft having been set down in 1775, when Goethe was still living at his parents' Frankfurt home and encouraged “day and night” by his republican-minded father. Like

Götz von Berlichingen

and various fragmentary treatments of

Julius Caesar, Mahomet,

and the mythical

Prometheus

,

Egmont: A Tragedy in Five Acts

reflects Goethe's preoccupation with the lives of great, powerful men (“Kraftkerle”). The original

Faust

was a product of the same short period of prodigious creative energy and fascination with exceptional human greatness, while

The Sufferings of

2428 words

Citation: Dye, Ellis. "Egmont". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 26 September 2005 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=16859, accessed 31 October 2024.]

16859 Egmont 3 Historical context notes are intended to give basic and preliminary information on a topic. In some cases they will be expanded into longer entries as the Literary Encyclopedia evolves.

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