13 h 41 minAudiobook8 minSummaryRead it, hear it, the 15-minute summary, and print and large print at costPaperback · 6 × 9 in · printing soonHardcover · 6 × 9 in · printing soonAbout this book
Behind the strict walls of a duke’s school, a poet finds words for rebellion.
In The Life of Friedrich Schiller, Thomas Carlyle follows a German poet, playwright and historian from a modest boyhood to the literary world of Weimar. Strict schooling gives way to The Robbers, a drama of family conflict and revolt against corruption. Flight from Stuttgart, debt and new plays follow.
Carlyle traces Schiller’s turn toward history, his professorship at Jena, his long illness and his friendship with Goethe. He also explores the ideas behind the later work. Writing as an admirer, Carlyle argues for Schiller’s importance rather than simply praising him, inviting readers into German literature through one writer’s life.
What you’ll discover
- A poet under discipline Enter the closed world of the Karlsschule, where strict rules govern pupils’ daily lives.
- Rebellion on the stage Discover the family tensions and anger at corruption that drive The Robbers.
- Plays shaped by conflict Explore Fiesco and Love and Intrigue, where political plots and class divisions shape lives.
- A wider intellectual life Follow Schiller from writing plays to studying history and teaching at Jena.
- The friendship with Goethe Meet two writers, unlike in temperament, whose friendship marks a turning point for Schiller.
Who will love it
For readers who love literary biography, the lives and work of Germany's late eighteenth-century writers, or the young Carlyle. Schiller's plays, friendship with Goethe and anger at tyranny offer a portrait of a writer making himself.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- A boy raised under a duke's rule
- School discipline cannot silence a poet
- The Robbers and the flight from Stuttgart
- Years of drifting, debt and new plays
- From playwright to historian and professor
- Goethe, Weimar and the last great plays
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Das Leben Friedrich Schillers
by Thomas Carlyle · 1825
Schiller's anger at tyranny fuels The Robbers, as illness, debt and exile test his life as a writer.
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In short
The Life of Friedrich Schiller is a biography of the German poet, playwright and historian, written by the young Thomas Carlyle. It first appeared in parts in a London magazine in 1825 and was later printed as a book.
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1
A boy raised under a duke's rule
Johann Christoph Friedrich Schiller was born in 1759 in Marbach, a small town in the duchy of Württemberg. His father served as an army officer and looked after the family on a modest income. His mother was a gentle, devout woman, and Carlyle gives her real credit for the boy's early feeling for poetry and religion.
The family moved from place to place as the father's duties required. Young Friedrich was a quick, serious child, and he was meant for the Church. He showed an early love of words and of preaching, and his parents hoped he would find a quiet clerical post.
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What is The Life of Friedrich Schiller about?
It is Thomas Carlyle's biography of the German poet and dramatist. It follows Schiller from his boyhood and military schooling through his early plays, his work as a historian and professor, his illness and his friendship with Goethe.
When did Carlyle write his Life of Schiller?
It first appeared in parts in the London Magazine in 1825, when Carlyle was a young writer. It was published as a book soon after and later reissued with changes. It was among the first English lives of Schiller.
Why did Carlyle write about Schiller?
Carlyle had taught himself German and wanted British readers to know the literature of Germany. He admired Schiller's moral seriousness and ideals, and saw his life as a good way to introduce German writing to English readers.
The author
Thomas Carlyle
1795–1881 · Scottish essayist, historian and philosopher
Thomas Carlyle (1795–1881) was a Scottish essayist, historian and philosopher. He was born in Ecclefechan, Scotland, and settled in London in 1834, where he lived until his death. His works include The Life of Friedrich Schiller (1825), Sartor Resartus (1833–1834) and On Heroes, Hero-Worship, and the Heroic in History (1841).
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