Kabale und Liebe

(Intrigue and Love) by Friedrich Schiller.

   Premiered 1784. Like Gotthold Ephraim Lessing's Emilia Galotti, Schiller's "middle-class tragedy" involves class distinctions, of which young love is the principal casualty. Schiller's is the more realistic portrayal, however, with dialogue that echoes usage characteristic of the 18th-century middle class. The aristocratic Ferdinand von Walter loves Luise Miller, daughter of an upstanding court musician; the elder Miller attempts to break off the relationship between his daughter and the young man, knowing what perils lie ahead for such relationships. There ensue numerous intrigues between Ferdinand's father, Prime Minister von Walter (called simply "President"), and his unappealing courtier Wurm to arrange a marriage between Ferdinand and the prince's mistress, Lady Milford. Lady Milford herself is on the side of young love and promises Ferdinand her assistance. Ferdinand pleads with Luise to run away with him, but she refuses to "overturn the order of society." Meanwhile, the President and Wurm convince Luise to write a letter to Ferdinand, falsely confessing infidelity. She then plans to commit suicide, but her father convinces her instead to run away with him, thereby putting effective distance between his daughter and such intrigues typical of the court. When Ferdinand confronts her with the letter of confession, she maintains that she does not love him. Ferdinand then poisons her drink and in her dying gasps, she confesses her true feelings for him and discloses what his father and Wurm forced her to do. Ferdinand finishes the drink and, as he too dies, accuses his father of murdering them both. In the end, the President and his henchman Wurm give themselves up to justice.