Book dossier

Nathan der Weise

by Gotthold Ephraim Lessing

Nathan the Wise (original German title: Nathan der Weise) is the last play published by Gotthold Ephraim Lessing. The play was published in 1779; its world premiere took place only in 1783, two years after Lessing's death, at the Döbbelinsches Theater in Berlin. It is a fervent plea for religious tolerance. Set in Jerusalem during the Third Crusade, just after the 1187 taking of Jerusalem by Saladin (1187), it describes how the wise Jewish merchant Nathan, the enlightened sultan Saladin, and the (initially anonymous) Templar, bridge their gaps between Judaism, Islam, and Christianity. Its major themes are friendship, religious and social tolerance, the value of inherited traditions of religion (and the damage done when those of different religious persuasions attack each other instead of focusing on the welfare of humankind), the validation of human goodness and moral intelligence as the source of good in the world, and the need for communication, self-questioning, and openness to others' good intentions.