The Siblings

Though less expansive than Goethe’s major dramas, Die Geschwister possesses a concentrated dramatic power, focusing on the psychological tension arising from withheld truths and sudden revelations. Its literary merit resides in the efficient character development and the nuanced portrayal of bourgeois life, capturing the quiet desperation and hidden longings beneath a surface of respectability, reflecting broader interests in individual psychology and social constraints characteristic of the era’s dramatic literature.

This critical reader's edition offers a fresh, modern translation of the original manuscript in Fraktur (the old German script), designed to help any curious reader delve into Goethe's works, using clear, contemporary language and straightforward sentences to illuminate his complex ideas. It includes supplementary material providing autobiographical, historical, and linguistic context to this 18th century work- including an afterword by the translator discussing Goethe’s history, impact, and intellectual legacy, alongside an index of the philosophical concepts he explored—with a focus on Romanticism and Classicism. Included is a comprehensive chronological list of his published writings and a detailed timeline of his life, highlighting the personal relationships that profoundly influenced his philosophy.