Unrequited Love

If there was ever a case of unrequited love, the emotional tale of Werther in "The Sorrows of Young Werther" is the epitome. In fact, the novel by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe presents the genre in its extreme. Set in Germany in 1771, Werther is dispatched to an unnamed town to resolve a family matter. In a village nearby, he encounters the alluring Lotte who is betrothed to Albert. Werther is immediately taken with Lotte's charm. His love continues to grow for her throughout the tale even though there is never a possibility that she will return his love.

The reader gains insight into Werther's pain through the epistolary style of the tome which is segmented into letters Werther writes to his friend, Wilhelm. Werther overreacts to each and every word spoken or gesture made by Lotte. When she casually refers to him as "Dear Werther" he is...