Damon, or true friendship
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| Title: | Damon, or true friendship |
| Genus: | Comedy |
| Original language: | German |
| Author: | Gotthold Ephraim Lessing |
| Publishing year: | 1747 |
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Damon, or the true friendship is a comedy of Gotthold Lessing in a lift . The theme of the play is the difference between friendship and love. The play, written by Lessing in 1747, is his first attempt as a playwright.
Characters
- Damon, a suitor of the widow and Leander's best friend
- Leander, a suitor of the widow and Damon's best friend
- The beautiful young widow
- Lisette, the widow's servant
- Oronte, a suitor of the widow and Damon's cousin
action
The play takes place in a hall in the widow's house or in her garden (as there are no stage directions, it is up to the director to choose a location).
The following situation arises: Damon and Leander both love a young widow, and she loves both masters and cannot choose one of them. However, Leander and Damon are best friends, so neither of the two wants to dispute the other's wife, as friendship is above everything for them. In order to put an end to this situation, Lisette advises the widow to say yes to those who conclude an outstanding trade deal in India more successfully than the other. At the same time, Lisette persuades Leander to use a ruse to win the widow's favor and thus to boot his best friend Damon out. When Leander now learns that his ship has sunk on the way back from India and that he can therefore no longer hope for a connection with the widow, he decides to agree to Lisette's ruse. Leander leaves Damon in the dark about the severe blow of fate that befell him. Instead, he appeals to Damon's loyal friendship that if something happens to one of the two, the other will help with his or her fortune, even if the woman's favor would be lost as a result of this help. Damon agrees, of course, because friendship is more important to him. But when Leander's ship arrives happily in port and Damon's ship sank instead, Leander's infidelity is revealed. So the widow decides in favor of Damon, because although he is not the more successful trader, he has proven the greater soul. Leander, full of shame, wants to say goodbye because he no longer considers himself worthy of friendship. Damon forgives him and shows Leander again his great friendship.