Emilia Galotti

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Emilia Galotti
Copy of the play from 1772
Written by	Gotthold Ephraim Lessing
Based on	The myth of Verginia by Livius
Date premiered	13 March 1772
Original language	German
Genre	Bourgeois tragedy

Emilia Galotti (German pronunciation: [eˈmiːli̯a ɡaˈlɔti] ^ⓘ) is a play in five acts by Gotthold Ephraim Lessing (1729–1781), which premiered on 8 March 1772 in Brunswick ("Braunschweig" in German). The work is a classic example of German bürgerliches Trauerspiel (bourgeois tragedy). Other works in this category include Schiller's Kabale und Liebe and Hebbel's Maria Magdalene. The story is based upon the Roman myth of Verginia.

Emilia Galotti is a drama of the Enlightenment, though it doesn't precisely follow the standard French model of the era. Although love is a central theme, in reality Emilia Galotti is primarily a political commentary. The arbitrary style of rule by the aristocracy is placed in stark contrast to the new and enlightened morality of the bourgeoisie. The more feudal ideas of love and marriage thus come into conflict with the growing tendency to marry for love, rather than family tradition and power. This combination results in a rather explosive situation. It was made into a film in 1958.