Heinrich von Kleist

Bernd Heinrich Wilhelm von Kleist (18 October 1777 – 21 November 1811) was a German poet, dramatist, novelist, short story writer and journalist, considered among the greatest of the 19th century. Poets of the Realist, Expressionist, Nationalist, and Existentialist movements in France and Germany saw their prototype in Kleist. His first tragedy was Die Familie Schroffenstein (The Schroffenstein Family), his second Penthesilea (1808), but more successful than either of these was his romantic play, Das Käthchen von Heilbronn (1808), a poetic drama which retained its popularity for many years. In comedy, Kleist made a name with Der zerbrochne Krug (The Broken Jug; 1808), while Amphitryon (1808), an adaptation of Molière's comedy, received cri...