empfinden, welches dem Ekel schon viel naher kommt, als
das, was uns andere Unformlichkeiten des Korpers, ein
krummer FuS, ein hoher Riicken, empfinden lassen; je
zartlicher das Temperament ist, desto mehr werden wir von
den Bewegungen in dem Korper dabei fuhlen, welche vor
dem Erbrechen vorhergehen (Lessing 1964).
Lessing lists physical attributes commonly perceived as ugly. He creates
a division between ugliness and Unformlichkeiten, which one might
translate as physical impairments. Lessing differentiates between
different elements of ugliness, creating a divide between the face and the
body. The face and its parts determine whether it is ugly. Lessing
maintains, the more delicate the constitution of the observer of ugliness'
body, the more easily they will be prone to vomiting when observing the
disfigurement of the body—a crooked foot or a hunchback (here one can
easily read a reference to Mendelssohn). Not unlike Lavater's and Plato's
descriptions of Socrates, Lessing ameliorates aspects of Mendelssohn's
ugliness into something more acceptable.
An Ugly Text?
Numerous textual elements substantiate reading Nathan as a
failed work. It seems relevant that the subtitle describes the work as "ein
dramatisches Gedicht in funf Ausziigen," rather than a Trauerspiel,
Lustspiel, or a drama. By calling the work a play, Lessing emphasizes
how Nathan fails as a play. To some degree, reviews of the work agreed
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