Nathan The Wise

Nathan The Wise is a play written by German playwright and philosopher Gotthold Ephraim Lessing in 1779. This particular edition of the play is a translation by American historian John Fiske. The play is set in Jerusalem during the Third Crusade and tells the story of Nathan, a wealthy Jewish merchant, and his interactions with a Christian Knight Templar and a Muslim sultan. Through their conversations, Nathan espouses the idea that all religions are equally valid and that the true measure of a person is their moral character, rather than their religious affiliation. The play is considered a masterpiece of the Enlightenment era and is still performed today.THIS 28 PAGE ARTICLE WAS EXTRACTED FROM THE BOOK: Unseen World and other Essays, by John Fiske. To purchase the entire book, please order ISBN 0766104249.This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.