| This thesis deals with the representation of death in Goethe's works.;The location of death, by its degree of separation from nature, corresponds to the character's relationship to the divine. Symbolism is attached to the positioning of death inside or outside man-made structures.;With few exceptions, the character who finds death is sensitive; this is an important principle that begins in Goethe's works during the Age of Sentimentalism and carries through Storm and Stress end the period of Classicism. Characters who succumbing to their emotions fail to balance their life or meet their individual and personal needs.;The spiritual attitude of these figures towards death is explored; metaphysical and undefined personal views are common, and few characters portray a religious conviction that coincides with Christian beliefs.;Goethe's understanding of time is cyclical, rather than linear in the traditional Christian concept. This shapes his use of symbolism: the time of death conveys the spiritual state of each character.;Participation in society is represented as an uplifting experience, and those who die range in character from the individualist to the impressionable. (Abstract shortened by UMI.). |
