TY - JOUR T1 - Trauerspiel und Offenbarung: Apokalyptik als Reflexionsfläche ästhetischer Theorie in Andreas Gryphius’ <em>Catharina von Georgien</em> JF - Monatshefte SP - 1 LP - 15 DO - 10.1353/mon.2012.0025 VL - 104 IS - 1 AU - Christian Clement Y1 - 2012/03/20 UR - http://mon.uwpress.org/content/104/1/1.abstract N2 - This article explores the extensive use of apocalyptic imagery in Andreas Gryphius’ drama Catharina von Georgien. The author argues that in this play, Gryphius uses apocalypticism not only as a literary tool to demonstrate the futility of all worldly things, as was common in baroque literature, but also as a medium of reflecting about and illustrating drama theory. As Gryphius describes how drama can facilitate a deeper understanding of the world and the self, he refers to mystical concepts such as imitatio and unio, thus establishing a theory of drama which closely links not only aesthetics and apocalypse, but also aesthetic and mystical experience. Thus drama itself turns into a genuine apocalypse, whose purpose it is to facilitate transcendent experience. (CC; in German) ER -