Other meanings of August Wilhelm Schlegel
Literature
August Wilhelm Schlegel (1767–1845) was a German poet, translator, and critic, a central figure of early German Romanticism. He is best known for his Shakespeare translations, which set a new standard for literary translation, and for his influential lectures on dramatic art and literature.
Born in Hanover, Schlegel studied at Göttingen, where he developed an interest in classical philology and literature. He became a leading voice of the Jena Romantic circle alongside his brother Friedrich, collaborating on the journal Athenaeum. In 1798 he married Caroline Böhmer, a notable intellectual, though the marriage ended in divorce. He later held a professorship at the University of Bonn, where he lectured on art and literature, and he served as a private tutor to the sons of Madame de Staël, accompanying her on travels across Europe.
Schlegel's translation of Shakespeare, begun in 1797, is considered a landmark of German literature. He rendered 17 plays, including Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet, and Julius Caesar, in a verse that preserved the original's poetic and dramatic power. His work influenced later translators, such as Ludwig Tieck and Wolf Graf von Baudissin, who completed the project. Schlegel's translations helped integrate Shakespeare into German culture, shaping the repertoire of German theaters and influencing writers like Goethe and Schiller.
Schlegel's lectures, particularly those delivered in Vienna in 1808 and published as Lectures on Dramatic Art and Literature, were widely influential. He argued for a historical and comparative approach to drama, contrasting classical and romantic forms. He also wrote on Sanskrit literature, pioneering the study of Indian philology in Germany, and edited the journal Indische Bibliothek. His critical essays, collected in Charakteristiken und Kritiken, helped define the principles of Romantic criticism.
Beyond his famous translations, Schlegel was an accomplished poet, though his original verse is less known. He also produced a translation of Bhagavad Gita from Sanskrit, one of the earliest in a European language. His lectures on art history, delivered in Berlin, anticipated later developments in comparative literature. Schlegel was also a vocal critic of the French neoclassical tradition, and his advocacy for Shakespeare was part of a broader cultural project to establish a German national literature.
Schlegel's translations remain a standard German version of Shakespeare, still performed today.
Help improve the encyclopedia. Reports go straight to the site manager.