The subject of honor as an element and interpretive device in German literature

The purpose of this thesis is to show how the subject of honor has been used by various German authors as either a pervasive facet of literary characters or an interpretive device to study the deeper understanding of human existence. The paper studies two different types of works using honor as a theme. In the first section, works are considered which use honor as an overt theme. In the second, the framework of honor is expanded to consider aspects of honor contained in subjects such as compassion and self-actualization. Through library research, I have found facets of honor to be present in prominent works by Walther von der Vogelweide, Clemens, Brentano, Gotthold Lessing, Arthur Schnitzler, Heinrich von Kleist, Hermann Hesse, and, in particular, Hugo von Hofmannsthal. The essay evaluates each of the above authors for the content of honor in his works.B.A. (Bachelor of Arts