Why did Gotthold Ephraim Lessing oppose Johann Christoph Gottsched’s model of French theatre?

Gotthold Ephraim Lessing opposed Johann Christoph Gottsched’s model of theatre because he believed that the courtly, mannered style of French drama—particularly that of Pierre Corneille—was alien to the German mentality.1

Lessing’s critique, primarily articulated in the Briefe, die neueste Literatur betreffend, centered on the following points:

• National Identity: Lessing argued that Germany required a truly national drama that belonged to its people, rather than one imported from abroad.1
• Faithfulness to Nature: He demanded that theatre be based on a genuine faithfulness to nature and reality, contrasting this with the artificial rules and classicist standards championed by Gottsched.12
• Alternative Models: Instead of French classicism, Lessing urged German playwrights to look toward William Shakespeare as a model for dramatic writing.1

By challenging these French-influenced conventions, Lessing sought to free German drama from conservative dogmatism and pave the way for a more authentic, psychologically grounded theatrical tradition.13