Give me an essay direction for the following paragraph
As a result of the Germans' adoration for Englishman such as Shakespeare, the Storm and Stress, also known as the "Sturm und Drang" movement, emerged. During the late 1700's, dramatists not only rebelled against the ideals of neo- classism, but also started to question the ethicality of conventional/bourgeois tragedy and nostalgic comedy. Similar to Shakespeare, dramatic rules were not followed, violence occurred on stage, and genres were mixed. Furthermore, they made use of the episodic structure, and the style and subject matter of these plays were rather progressive, which led to only a few plays being staged. Even though very few Storm and Stress plays were performed, the movement was still the precursor of the Romantic period that took place during the 19th century (Wilson & Goldfarb, 2004:321). In Faust we see that violence occurs on stage when Faust murders Gretchen's' brother, Valentine, while these two are fighting. We also recognize that Faust has an episodic structure, as each scene presents its own independent story and has a climax. In Faust, the neoclassical ideal that characters have to act their age is broken, as some of the characters act like children during the course of the play, rather than what age they actually are. In Faust they break away from the realistic by incorporating mystical or supernatural figures, such as the devil. We also see that another neoclassical rule, the rule of unity of place, was broken in Faust, as the play takes place in many different locations.
1 answer
The paragraph provided highlights the emergence of the Sturm und Drang movement in Germany during the late 1700s and its impact on German drama. The movement, influenced by the adoration for English playwrights like Shakespeare, rebelled against neo-classical ideals and questioned conventional tragedy and comedy. It disregarded dramatic rules, incorporated violence on stage, mixed genres, and adopted an episodic structure. Though few Sturm und Drang plays were performed, they paved the way for the Romantic period in the 19th century. This essay will explore the influences of the Sturm und Drang movement on German drama by comparing Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's Faust with Shakespearean plays. Specifically, it will analyze the incorporation of violence and episodic structure, the departure from neoclassical character expectations, and the inclusion of mystical or supernatural elements. Additionally, it will examine how Faust breaks the neoclassical rule of unity of place, taking place in various locations. Ultimately, this essay aims to illustrate the impact of the Sturm und Drang movement on German drama through a comparative analysis of Faust and Shakespearean plays.