Tragedies aim to stimulate the spectator's passion and sympathy. How precisely do they achieve that goal? Through close readings, the course contextualizes the tragedies of such authors as Lessing, Goethe, Kleist, Buchner, Hebbel, Wedekind, and Hofmannsthal within major literary movements and the theoretical reflections of Nietzsche and Benjamin. Note: Readings and discussions in German.