Nathan the Wise

A five-act dramatic poem written by German Enlightenment thinker Lessing after a dispute with pastor Götze. Published in 1779. In Jerusalem at the end of the 12th century after the Third Crusade, a wealthy and wise Jewish merchant named Nathan answers the difficult question posed by the Muslim ruler Saladin, "Which is the true religion: Judaism, Christianity, or Islam?" by using the parable of the three rings (from the Decameron), which are impossible to distinguish between true and false, to explain the meaninglessness of the question. For Nathan, devotion to the one God and the practice of loving one's neighbor are the only proof of correct faith. He overcomes his own serious doubts with reason and gains this conviction. The story revolves around the love between Nathan's adopted daughter and a young Christian temple knight, and the climax is when the relationship between the two is recognized as brother and sister, and at the same time, their blood relationship with Saladin is recognized. This work elevated the "serious comedy" that was popular in the 18th century, especially the family drama, into an ideological drama teaching tolerance, and is still popular on the stage today.

[Minamioji Shinichi]

"The Wise Man Nathan, translated by Hideo Shinoda (Iwanami Bunko)"

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

ドイツの啓蒙(けいもう)思想家レッシングが牧師ゲッツェとの論争を契機に執筆した5幕の劇詩。1779年刊。第三次十字軍遠征が終わった12世紀末のエルサレムで、富と知恵を兼備したユダヤ商人ナータンは、イスラム教の名君サラディンによる難問、「ユダヤ教、キリスト教、イスラム教のいずれが真の宗教か？」に対し、真偽の識別がまったく不可能な三つの指輪のたとえ話（『デカメロン』に由来）を用いて、この問いの無意味さを説く。ナータンにとって唯一神への帰依と隣人愛の実践こそ正しい信仰の証(あかし)にほかならない。彼自身深刻な懐疑を理性によって克服し、この確信を得る。筋はナータンの養女とキリスト教の若い神殿騎士の恋をめぐって進行し、2人の兄妹関係、同時にまた、彼らとサラディンとの血縁関係が認知されて大団円となる。18世紀に流行の「まじめな喜劇」、とくに家庭劇を、寛容を教える思想劇にまで高めたこの作品は、今日の舞台でなお生きている。

［南大路振一］

『篠田英雄訳『賢人ナータン』（岩波文庫）』

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