Der Hofmeister

by Jakob Michael Reinhold Lenz

"Der Hofmeister" by Jakob Michael Reinhold Lenz is a tragicomedy written in 1774. A private tutor takes a position with a Prussian major's family, teaching both the lazy son and the fourteen-year-old daughter Gustchen. When an illicit relationship develops between tutor and student, resulting in pregnancy, both flee in disgrace. The major's rage and the lovers' desperation set off a chain of tragic events involving betrayal, imprisonment, and attempted suicide, leading to an unexpected and disturbing resolution.