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Which human weaknesses did Gotthold Ephraim Lessing criticize in his early Leipzig comedies?
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Gotthold Ephraim Lessing
Gotthold Lessing, detail of an oil painting by Georg May, 1768; in the Gleimhaus, Halberstadt, Germany.
In his early Leipzig comedies (1747ā1749), Gotthold Ephraim Lessing utilized his plays as witty commentaries to critique a variety of human weaknesses. These flaws included:
- Bigotry and prejudice
- Nagging
- Fortune hunting
- Matchmaking
- Intrigue
- Hypocrisy
- Corruption
- Frivolity1
In his specific work Der junge Gelehrte ("The Young Scholar"), he also satirized arrogance, superficiality, vanity, and the tendency to be easily offendedātraits he used to mock his own youthful bookishness. Through these comedies, Lessing aimed to move away from traditional dramatic "types" by portraying his characters as recognizable, flawed individuals.1