August Schlegel German critic, translator, scientist and poet. Date of Birth: 08.09.1767 Country: Germany

1. Biography of August Schlegel
2. Career in Jena and Contributions to Shakespeare Studies
3. Founding the Romantic School and Literary Criticism
4. Literary Works and Influence
5. Later Years and Contributions to Oriental Literature
6. Legacy

Biography of August Schlegel

August Schlegel was a German critic, translator, scholar, and poet. He was born on September 8, 1767 in Hanover, Germany and passed away on May 12, 1845 in Bonn. He was the brother of Friedrich Schlegel.

Career in Jena and Contributions to Shakespeare Studies

After studying in Göttingen and teaching in Amsterdam, Schlegel moved to Jena in 1796. He collaborated with Friedrich Schiller in the journal "Die Horen" and contributed to other periodicals. His university lectures on the philosophical theory of art were published in 1809-1811. In Jena, Schlegel embarked on his monumental work, the translation of 17 plays by Shakespeare (1797-1810), which was executed with remarkable precision and brilliance, marking a true triumph of the art of translation. Alongside his insightful interpretation of the English playwright's works, Schlegel's translation laid the foundations of modern Shakespearean studies in Germany. He also introduced German readers to romance literature through his magnificent translations of five plays by Calderón (Spanisches Theater, volumes 1-2, 1803-1809), as well as works by Dante and other Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese poets (1804).

Founding the Romantic School and Literary Criticism

The rift with Friedrich Schiller soon led to the emergence of the so-called Romantic School and the publication of its main organ, "Athenaeum" (volumes 1-3, 1798-1800), where the Schlegel brothers authored many articles, thus inspiring the new romantic criticism. The theory of Romanticism, particularly in philosophy and art, was expounded in Schlegel's lectures on fine literature and art (volumes 1-3, published in 1884), which he delivered in Berlin from 1801 to 1804.

Literary Works and Influence

Schlegel's original literary creations can be found in his collection of poems (Gedichte, 1800), his satirical work on August Ferdinand Franz Koberstein (1801), and his tragedy "Ion" (1803), which shows a strong influence from Euripides and Goethe. His poetic works culminate in the publication of "Poetische Werke" (volumes 1-2, 1811). In 1804, Schlegel became the literary advisor to Madame de Staël, and her book "De l'Allemagne" owes much to his influence. In 1808, he delivered a series of lectures on dramatic art and literature in Vienna (Vorlesungen ber dramatische Kunst und Literatur, volumes 1-3, 1809-1811), which were soon translated into most European languages and became the primary source of information on German Romanticism in other countries.

Later Years and Contributions to Oriental Literature

From 1818 to 1845, as a professor at the University of Bonn, Schlegel began his research in the field of Eastern literature. He founded a journal on Indology and published a series of educational editions of Sanskrit literary classics.

Legacy

Schlegel possessed an extensive knowledge of ancient and contemporary literature, had a refined artistic taste, and as a critic and interpreter of Romanticism, he enjoyed immense authority far beyond Europe.