Andreas Gryphius

Gryphius, Andreas 

Born Oct. 2, 1616, in Glogau; died there July 16, 1664. German poet and playwright. Son of a pastor.

The pessimistic mood of the sonnets, odes, epigrams, and religious songs of Gryphius (in Latin) reflected the collapse of Germany after the Thirty Years’ War (1618–48). His historical tragedies in the baroque style— Leo Armenius (1646; published, 1650), Carolus Stuardus (1649; published, 1657), Katharina von Georgien (1646–48; published, 1657), Papinianus (1659), and Cardenio and Celinde (1649; published, 1657—also deal with contemporary problems. Gryphius’ best comedies are Peter Squentz (published, 1657) and Horribilicribrifax (1659; published, 1663). The most realistic and democratic of Gryphius’ plays— The Beloved Briar Rose (1660)—is a comedy in the Silesian dialect; its heroes are German peasants.

WORKS

Werke: In einem Band. Weimar, 1963.

REFERENCES

Istoriia nemetskoi literatury, vol. 1. Moscow, 1962. Pages 381–89.
Purishev, B. I. Ocherki nemetskoi literatury XV-XVII vv. Moscow, 1955. Pages 311–29.
Bibichadze, A. A. Grifius i ego tragediia “Koroleva Gruzii Katarina.” Tbilisi, 1950.
Flemming, W. A. Gryphius.... Stuttgart, 1965. (Bibliography.)
Szyrocki, M. A. Gryphius. Tübingen, 1964. (Bibliography.)

IU. M. KAGAN