Bachelor's thesis from 2014 in the field of German Studies - Modern German Literature, grade: 2, University of Vienna, course: Goethe's Werther, language: German. Abstract: This thesis deals with melancholy and its representation in the novel "The Sorrows of Young Werther." The central focus is on the portrayal of the character's melancholy in the novel. Other characters by Goethe, such as Torquato Tasso and Faust, are also introduced and analyzed. Furthermore, the various manifestations of melancholy that have influenced Werther are compared. I have attempted to answer the question of what exactly melancholy means for Werther and why it shapes the work so profoundly, making this author so unique.