“Ohnmöglich können wir ihm hierin recht geben…” – DAS ANTIARISTOTELISCHE IN DER DRAMENTHEORIE VON J.M.R. LENZ. PROBLEMATIK DES DICHTUNGS-UND GESCHICHTSBEGRIFFS IN DEN WERKEN VON ARISTOTELES UND LENZ.

Abstract

Based on Aristotle’s Poetics and J.M.R. Lenz‘ Anmerkungen übers Theater, this thesis deals with the problematic concept of historians and poets and Lenz’ anti-Aristotelian views. As sources of inspiration for his work, Lenz sites nature and reality from which he derives his demands for characters acting freely. This theory is in contrast to ancient Greek thought and Lenz is a strong opponent of French theater and subse-quently of any type of regulation in his works. In his works Lenz addresses the condition of society and attempts to visualize this. On this basis Lenz develops his theory of drama which is antithetical to Aristotle’s and is discussed in Der neue Menoza. For Lenz, the poet’s task is to depict reality, in contrast to the Aristotelian view. He designs a poetic reality combined with historic facts. As a result, the line between the historian and that of the poet is blurred.