Linguaggi degli affetti in "Dido" di Johann Elias Schlegel

Johann Elias Schlegel’s dramatic theory lies at a crossroads between Gottsched’s Classicism and the interest for tragic affects that will dominate the debate for Lessing’s generation. Admiration undergoes a gradual process of deconstruction, thus only retaining its importance formally. During his studies in Schulpforta, Schlegel writes his tragedy on Dido, published in 1744 on Gottsched’s “Deutsche Schaubühne”. In Schlegel’s text, the language of emotions works on the characters as a catalyst for self-reflection. This lexicon is a trust-worthy indicator of the actual motives that spark the dramatic action. Dido’s familiarity with the code of affects lets her unmask Aeneas’ intentions, hidden behind his impassibility, which is usually associated with the tragic affect of admiration.