Goethe, Johann Wolfgang von (1749-1832), German poet, dramatist, and scholar. Involved at first with the Sturm und Drang movement, Goethe changed to a more measured and classical style, as in the 'Wilhelm Meister' novels (1796-1829). Notable dramas: Götz von Berlichingen (1773), Tasso (1790), and Faust (1808-32).