The Life and Works of Friedrich Schiller | Page 2

be said, so far as concerns his
title to renown. The creative achievement is far more precious and
important than any possible criticism of it. This does not mean that in
dealing with such a poet the critic is in duty bound to abdicate his lower
function and to let his scruples melt away in the warm water of a
friendly partisanship; it means only that he will be best occupied,
speaking generally, in a conscientious attempt to see the man as he was,
to "experience the savor of him", and to understand the national
temperament to which he has endeared himself.
This, I hope, defines sufficiently the spirit in which I have written. In
discussing the plays I have endeavored to deal with them in a large way,
laying hold of each where it is most interesting, and not caring to be
either systematic or exhaustive. Questions of minute and technical
scholarship, such as have their proper place in a learned monograph, or
in the introduction and notes to an edition of the text, have been
avoided on principle. Everywhere--even in the difficult thirteenth
chapter--my aim has been to disengage and bring clearly into view the
essential, distinctive character of Schiller's work; and where I have had
to fear either that the professional scholar would frown at my sins of
omission, or that the mere lover of literature would yawn at my sins of

commission, I have boldly accepted the first-named horn of the
dilemma.
New York, Nov. 6, 1901.

CONTENTS
CHAPTER I
Parentage and Schooling
Captain Schiller and his wife--Sojourn at Lorch--Traits of Friedrich's
childhood--Removal to Ludwigsburg--Karl Eugen, Duke of
Württemberg--Impressions from court, theater and school--Poetic
beginnings--Duke Karl's change of heart--Franziska von
Hohenheim--The Academy at Solitude--Schiller at the
Academy--School exercises--From law to medicine--Early poems and
orations--An ardent friend--Books read and their effect--Dramatic
plans--Dissertation rejected--Genesis of 'The Robbers'--Morbid
melancholy--Release from the Academy--Value of the education
received.
CHAPTER II
The Robbers
General characterization--The Schubart story--Schiller and
Schubart--The contrasted brothers--Comparison with Klinger and
Leisewitz--Influence of Rousseau and Goethe--Unlike earlier attacks on
the social order--Outlawry in the eighteenth century--The noble bandit
in literature--Karl Moor's crazy ambition--His
sentimentalism--Schiller's sympathy with his hero--Character of
Franz--Influence of Shakespeare--Ethical attitude of Franz--A dull
villain--Character of Amalia--The subordinate outlaws--A powerful
stage-play--Defects and merits.

CHAPTER III
The Stuttgart Medicus
Schiller's position at Stuttgart--Personal appearance--Convivial
pleasures--Visits at Solitude--Revision of 'The Robbers' for
publication--The two prefaces--Reception of 'The Robbers'--A
stage-version prepared for Dalberg--Changes in the
stage-version--Popularity of the play--Medicus and poet--The
'Anthology' of 1782--Character of Schiller's youthful verse--Various
poems considered--The songs to Laura--Poetic promise of the
'Anthology'--Journalistic enterprises--Schiller as a critic of
himself--Quarrel with Duke Karl--The Swiss imbroglio--The duke
implacable--Flight from Stuttgart.
CHAPTER IV
The Conspiracy of Fiesco at Genoa
General characterization--The historical Fiesco--Influence of
Rousseau--The conflicting authorities--Fact and fiction in the play--Not
really a republican tragedy--Character of Fiesco--Of Verrina--Schiller's
vacillation--Fiesco's inconsistency--Lack of historical lucidity--The
changed conclusion--Weak and strong points--Fiesco and the
Moor--The female characters--Extravagant diction.
CHAPTER V
The Fugitive in Hiding
Reception at Mannheim--An elocutionary failure--'Fiesco' rejected by
Dalberg--Refuge sought in Bauerbach--A new friend--Relations with
outside world--Interest in Lotte von Wolzogen--Literary projects and
employments--Beginnings of 'Don Carlos'--Friendly overtures from
Dalberg--Work upon 'Louise Miller'--Jealousy and
resignation--Flutterings of the heart--Departure from Bauerbach with
new play completed.

CHAPTER VI
Cabal and Love
General characterization--English Beginnings of bourgeois
tragedy--'Miss Sara Sampson'--Development of the tragedy of social
conflict--Love in the age of sentimentalism--Rousseau and the social
conflict--Wagner and Lenz--Diderot's 'Father of the
Family'--Gemmingen's 'Head of the House'--Evolution of Schiller's
plan--Debt to predecessors--Hints from Wagner and Lessing and
'Siegwart'--Weakness of the tragic conclusion--Character of
Louise--Her religious sentimentalism--Fearsomeness--Lack of
mother-wit--A cold heroine--Character of Ferdinand--Sentimental
extravagance--Father and son--Prototypes of President von Walter.
CHAPTER VII
Theater poet in Mannheim
Mannheim in 1783--Dalberg and his theater--The situation on Schiller's
arrival--Letter to Frau von Wolzogen--Contract with Dalberg--Illness
and disappointments--Pecuniary troubles--'Fiesco' on the
stage--Triumph of 'Cabal and Love'--Critical notices--Discourse on the
theater--Contract with Dalberg not renewed--Disappointments and
distractions--Relations to women--Charlotte von Kalb--The poems
'Resignation' and 'Radicalism of Passion'--A friendly message from
Leipzig--Project of the _Rhenish Thalia_--Honored by the Duke of
Weimar--Unhappiness and longing for friendship--Escape from
Mannheim.
CHAPTER VIII
The Boon of Friendship
Gottfried Körner and the Stock sisters--Huber--Schiller's arrival in
Leipzig--A proposal of marriage--Sojourn at Gohlis--Schiller and
Körner--An enthusiastic letter--Körner's helpfulness--With the new

friends in Dresden--Influence of Körner--A poetic 'Petition'--The 'Song
to Joy'--Contributions to the _Thalia_--Quickened interest in
history--Letters of Julius and Raphael--'The Ghostseer'
begun--Unwillingness to leave Dresden--A dramatic skit--Affair with
Henriette von Arnim--From Dresden to Weimar.
CHAPTER IX
Don Carlos
Poetic merit of 'Don Carlos'--Its slow genesis--Schiller's
explanation--St. Réal's 'Dom Carlos'--The original plan--Ripening
influences--Decision in favor of verse--Change of attitude toward
Carlos and Philip--Influence of Körner--Completion of the
play--Character of Prince Carlos--The Marquis of Posa--Posa and the
king--Posa's heroics in the last two acts--Character of Philip--General
estimate.
CHAPTER X
Anchored in Thuringia
Weimar in Schiller's time--Renewal of relations with Charlotte von
Kalb--First