Gotthold Ephraim Lessing published his "dramatic poem" in 1779 as a direct response to censure by official orthodox religious circles, to which he was subject after publishing a work by Samuel Reimarus that was critical of religion. He set his story in Jerusalem at the time of the Crusades, where Christians, Jews and Muslims were in constant and close confrontation. It threaten...
Hilde Warren, a famous actress, is impregnated by a convicted murderer and becomes plagued by visions of an extremely gaunt and sepulchral Death. Upon discovering her child is the image of its criminal father, Hilde must decide whether to allow it to live or to kill it and risk the embrace of Death himself.