Der junge Gelehrte: Ein Lustspiel in drei Aufzügen

by Gotthold Ephraim Lessing

"Der junge Gelehrte: Ein Lustspiel in drei Aufzügen" by Gotthold Ephraim Lessing is a comedy completed in 1747. The play follows Damis, a pompous twenty-year-old scholar who believes he can earn multiple doctorates, speaks six languages, and devotes himself to meaningless academic pursuits. When his father arranges a marriage to his ward Juliane, Damis resists—until pride drives him to accept for all the wrong reasons. Meanwhile, Juliane's true love desperately schemes to win her hand, leading to deceptions, misunderstandings, and a humbling revelation that shatters Damis's inflated self-image.