The Opposition of Solar and Lunar Elements in Gerhart Hauptmann’s Plays: the Atreus tetralogy

Abstract

This article dealt with Atreus tetralogy, which are considered to be the main works of Hauptmann’s late period of creative writing. Created in the middle of World War II this monumental work summarizes the results of his long-term creative search and philosophical thoughts about the ways of human development. This article examines the opposition of solar and lunar elements and the main mythologemes in the poetics of Hauptmann’s work. The analogy to and parallels with Eugene O'Neill’s Atreus trilogy are drawn.