Why did Gotthold Ephraim Lessing turn from theology toward literature and theatre in Leipzig?

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German dramatist and critic Gotthold Lessing — Gotthold Ephraim Lessing Gotthold Lessing, detail of an oil painting by Georg May, 1768; in the Gleimhaus, Halberstadt, Germany.

Although Gotthold Ephraim Lessing enrolled at the University of Leipzig in 1746 to study theology, his true interests lay in literature, philosophy, and art.1

His shift toward the stage was primarily driven by a fascination with the local theatre scene, which had been revitalized by the actress Caroline Neuber. Neuber took an interest in the young student and produced his first comedy, Der junge Gelehrte ("The Young Scholar"), in 1748. This experience, combined with his earlier admiration for Latin dramatists like Plautus and Terence, solidified his ambition to become the "German Molière," leading him to focus on writing plays that moved away from traditional dramatic types toward more recognizable, individual characters.1