Die Räuber

(The Robbers) by Friedrich Schiller.

   Premiered 1782. Franz von Moor launches a conspiracy against his older brother Karl, a university student. Franz convinces their father that Karl has dissipated himself beyond redemption, then forges a letter in the old man's hand that disinherits Karl. Karl takes the news of his disinheritance badly and goes on a criminal spree with fellow students, among whose number is the devious and bloodthirsty Spiegelberg. Their crimes include not only robbery but also rape and murder. Karl is disgusted when he learns of his friends' criminality, but his oath of allegiance to them forbids his departure from their company. Franz unsuccessfully attempts to win the affection of Amalia, who remains loyal to Karl; he is luckier with his father, whose distress with Karl has caused in him a kind of apoplexy. Franz seizes the opportunity to lock up his father in a tower "for his own safety." Karl appears on the scene in disguise, hoping that Amalia still loves him; when he discovers the destruction his brother's intrigues have wrought, he launches an attack on the Moor estate. Franz hangs himself rather than be captured; in the tower, Karl finds his father naked, starving, and near death. But when the old man learns that his beloved younger son has become the leader of a criminal gang, he dies. Karl hopes for a new life with Amalia, but his comrades remind him of his oath; he kills Amalia and awaits the arrival of authorities, who will render justice upon him.

   The Robbers has been a significant play in German repertoires since its premiere; the roles of both Moor brothers have offered several actors the priceless opportunity of presenting themselves as a "Schiller-ian hero," though Franz von Moor is hardly heroic. As Schiller's premier "outcast of Hell," he compares favorably with Iago, Gloucester, and Sir Giles Overreach as a fascinating schemer on which actors of several generations have put a personal stamp of attainment.