Das Motiv des Wahnsinns bei Georg Buechner und Luigi Pirandello

In the present thesis we compare two works: Lenz by Georg Büchner (1813–1837) and Enrico IV by Luigi Pirandello (1867–1936).;In spite of the difference in origin and time between the two authors, Büchner and Pirandello share the same poetics and worldview.;This similarity in poetics and worldview is expressed by one common topic, the madness of their protagonists. The theme of madness represents a leitmotif in their work.;The main purpose of our thesis is to analyse the spiritual affinity between these two authors by an examination of the causes of the madness of their leading characters Lenz and Enrico IV.