Werther & Charlotte
The love that unleashed a wave of suicides
Young Werther falls hopelessly in love with Charlotte, engaged to another; unable to bear the unrequited love, he takes his own life, in the epistolary novel that made Goethe famous.
01Why it matters
It defined Romanticism and triggered such a wave of copycat suicides that the term "Werther effect" was coined.
02The conflict
Charlotte's engagement to Albert.
03The iconic moment
Werther in blue and yellow, writing his last letter.
04What survived
"The Sorrows of Young Werther"; German Romanticism.
05Frequently asked questions
Why is the story of Werther & Charlotte famous?
It defined Romanticism and triggered such a wave of copycat suicides that the term "Werther effect" was coined.
How does the story of Werther & Charlotte end?
Werther in blue and yellow, writing his last letter. "The Sorrows of Young Werther"; German Romanticism.
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