13 h 41 minAudiobook13 minSummaryRead it, hear it, the 15-minute summary, and print and large print at cost
Audiobook edition · 13 h 41 minPaperback · 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
This book suits readers who love lives of writers, the story of German drama and poetry, and a biographer with strong opinions. It also rewards anyone curious about Goethe or William Tell.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- A surgeon's son grows up in Württemberg
- The Duke's military school nearly crushes him
- The Robbers makes him known across Europe
- He flees Stuttgart with nothing but his pen
- Fiesco and Intrigue and Love show him maturing
- Don Carlos and a wandering search for home
- History, Goethe and a home at Jena
- Illness, Kant and the history of a war
- The late plays: Wallenstein, Joanna and Tell
- A man judged by his works and his farewell
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Vita di Friedrich Schiller
by Thomas Carlyle · 1825
A surgeon's son writes The Robbers under a duke's harsh discipline, then flees Stuttgart after the play stirs Europe.
Challenging5–10 hours to readItaliano
Learn a language with challenging classicsSpagnoloFranceseTedescoItalianoGiapponesePortogheseIngleseHow we measure levels
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In short
What drives a duke's medical student to climb out of his world and write a play that unsettles all Europe? In 1782 Friedrich Schiller slips out of Stuttgart during a royal festival with almost no money and no country.
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1
A surgeon's son grows up in Württemberg
Friedrich Schiller is born on November 10, 1759, in Marbach, a small town on the Neckar in Württemberg. Carlyle offers no finished portrait and no formal verdict, only the fortunes of a man who gave him pleasure. That modest aim sets the warm tone of the whole book.
Schiller's father is a former army surgeon who serves the Duke of Württemberg as officer and then gardener. The family moves often, yet Carlyle insists that honest, pious parents made up for what the household lacked. His mother loves poetry and is closest to the boy. At Lorch the pastor Moser teaches him and puts the idea of the ministry in his head.
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Which edition is right for me
- 15-minute summary
- The key ideas of the whole book in about 13 minutes. A good first look, or a refresher.
Details
- First published
- 1825
- Language
- Italiano
- Level
- Challenging
Cite this edition
Carlyle, Thomas. The Life of Friedrich Schiller. Library of Alexandria, 2026, libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-life-of-friedrich-schiller.
Carlyle, T. (2026). The life of Friedrich Schiller. Library of Alexandria. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-life-of-friedrich-schiller (Original work published 1825)
Carlyle, Thomas. The Life of Friedrich Schiller. Library of Alexandria, 2026. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-life-of-friedrich-schiller.
@book{carlyle2026life,
author = {Carlyle, Thomas},
title = {The Life of Friedrich Schiller},
publisher = {Library of Alexandria},
year = {2026},
url = {https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-life-of-friedrich-schiller},
note = {First published 1825}
}
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What is The Life of Friedrich Schiller about?
It follows Schiller from his birth in Marbach in 1759 to his death in 1805, covering his school years, his flight from Stuttgart, his friendship with Goethe and his plays, with Carlyle's comments on each.
Who was Friedrich Schiller?
Schiller was a German poet, playwright and historian, author of The Robbers, Don Carlos, Wallenstein, The Maid of Orleans and William Tell. He also wrote on history and on art and beauty.
What was the Karlsschule in Schiller's life?
It was the Duke of Württemberg's military school, which Schiller entered in 1773. He studied law and then medicine there under strict drill, and wrote The Robbers while still a pupil.
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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