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The Robbers / Wallenstein

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Friedrich Schiller (1759-1805) was one of the most influential of all playwrights, the author of deeply moving dramas that explored human fears, desires and ideals. Written at the age of twenty-one, "The Robbers" was his first play. A passionate consideration of liberty, fraternity and deep betrayal, it quickly established his fame throughout Germany and wider Europe. "Wallenstein", produced nineteen years later, is regarded as Schiller's masterpiece: a deeply moving exploration of a flawed general's struggle to bring the Thirty Years War to an end against the will of his Emperor. Depicting the deep corruption caused by constant fighting between Protestants and Catholics, it is at once a meditation on the unbounded possible strength of humanity, and a tragic recognition of what can happen when men allow themselves to be weak.

480 pages, Paperback

First published November 22, 1979

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About the author

Friedrich Schiller

5,433 books866 followers
People best know long didactic poems and historical plays, such as Don Carlos (1787) and William Tell (1804), of leading romanticist German poet, dramatist, and historian Johann Christoph Friedrich von Schiller.

This philosopher and dramatist struck up a productive if complicated friendship with already famous and influential Johann Wolfgang von Goethe during the last eighteen years of his life and encouraged Goethe to finish works that he left merely as sketches; they greatly discussed issues concerning aesthetics and thus gave way to a period, now referred to as classicism of Weimar. They also worked together on Die Xenien ( The Xenies ), a collection of short but harsh satires that verbally attacked perceived enemies of their aesthetic agenda.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friedri...

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5 stars
115 (26%)
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168 (38%)
3 stars
118 (27%)
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24 (5%)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
Profile Image for Daniel.
42 reviews3 followers
August 23, 2007
"The bright spark of Promethian fire has gone out."

The Robbers rocks. The Wallenstein trilogy is good, too.

ps, if you've read Brothers Karamozov, the father makes reference to the Von Moors from The Robbers at some point (I forget where.)
Profile Image for Vanessa Wu.
Author 19 books200 followers
July 20, 2019
I've been wanting to write a review of The Robbers for months but unfortunately this wild and unruly play is packaged up in this Penguin edition with Schiller's late masterpiece about Wallenstein and the Thirty Years War, which I haven't read and probably won't read until next year.

One thing is certain. I am bound by more rules in my reading than young Schiller was in his writing.

It is easy to adopt a superior attitude to The Robbers. The characters are like the feral scrawls of a cave dweller who is haunted by recurring nightmares. Their actions make no sense. The killings are rampant and random. The violence is completely unjustified. And yet without it all the rhetoric would be hollow.

So the work seems immature. Even Schiller himself didn't know what to make of it. All these ideas just exploded out of him and he tried his best to give them shape. It appears he changed his mind a few times and probably never quite succeeded in getting down on paper exactly what it was he wanted to say.

But I loved the play's boldness. And I loved Schiller's description of it as 'a novel in dramatic form.'

It is completely appropriate to me that the plays of Schiller, of Shakespeare, Sheridan, Racine, Corneille and even the plays of Moliere, whose comic genius, we are told, was apparent in his performances as much as in his verse, should all exist now as books to be read. I can best appreciate these plays by reading them so it is very consoling to know that Schiller had no expectation of ever seeing The Robbers on stage.

And I really enjoyed reading The Robbers. The translation by F.J. Lamport is first rate. It is so good I forgot I was reading a translation. The language rolls along like a smoke billowing out of a furnace. At times it echoes Shakespeare. It burns up Corneille and Racine who are like fragile cinders in its wake.

Schiller's ambition is vaulting. Technically, he is not quite there yet but there is no doubting where he is going. He is like a fireball lighting up the end of the eighteen century and blazing a trail for generations of geniuses who will draw inspiration and sustenance from his vision.

His plays make excellent operas and there is an excellent rendering of The Robbers by Verdi in gorgeous lyrical music that tames the chaotic energy of its source. But you can't make The Robbers beautiful. It is ugly and damnable.

And youthful and immature though it is, it has the immaturity of budding genius. It has the glimmer of greatness.

Schiller is not just a writer who was great in his time. He towers above all our contemporaries and The Robbers is an astonishing piece of writing, like a comet in the dark. I loved it.
Profile Image for Sara.
Author 17 books1 follower
November 20, 2010
Loved the trans of Die Räubers, The Piccolomini, and Wallenstein's Death. Wallenstein's camp was translated to rhyme and was in the exact same meter as "The Night Before Christmas" which was super-distracting. I kept expecting Count Terzky to settle down for a long winter's nap. In a kerchief and cap. But seriously, this isn't a bad translation as far as translations go.
Profile Image for Robin.
343 reviews25 followers
May 23, 2011
This book contains two plays- The Robbers, and the trilogy Wallenstein.

I enjoyed The Robbers more than I thought I would. I give that one 4 stars. I think I'd describe it as the love child of the Robin Hood story and a Shakespearean tragedy. But it was very fast paced, well written (and well translated) and enjoyable to read.

Wallenstein is considered Schiller's masterpiece, but I did not enjoy it all that much. I give it two stars. This is actually three plays- Wallenstein's Camp, The Piccolomini, and Wallenstein's Death. I can sum up the three works in three words: history, politics, war. The last installment was the most enjoyable to me, probably because it was the only one with any action to it. The rest was a lot of standing around, talking about exciting things that already happened off stage.

If you have an interest in European political and military history, this might appeal to you a lot more than it did to me.
Profile Image for Lucinda Elliot.
Author 9 books116 followers
June 12, 2013
Intensely meolodramatic, extremely gloomy in tone, totally lacking in humour - but as critics say, full of energy and certainly compelling.

I think if Amalia had represented the 'loving kindness and forgiveness' aspect of Christianity as against the pastor's depiction of a Deity of wrath, then it would have brought the play together more (excuse the pun, Robber Moor). Her despair and killing at the end is most unpleasant.

I was outraged that the Pastor says that there are two heinous sins - patricide and fratricide.

So matricide or soroicide are of no particular account??????!!!!!! (steam bursts from ears, runs at a tree, writhes in chair, etc)...
Profile Image for James Violand.
1,268 reviews75 followers
March 9, 2018
The Robbers
A well-written, incredibly depressing tragedy. The plot is familiar – loyal, beloved son betrayed by an ambition immoral younger brother who usurps the throne and the fiancé of the true son is pursued by the evil one. The telling difference is the depths of depravity practiced by the “good” son that leads inevitably to a completely miserable and pathetic conclusion.
Wallenstein
This is a series of three plays concerning a principle player in the Thirty Years War. Schiller is at his best. It is unfortunate that this series is not performed in English. The first play, Wallenstein’s Camp, concerns the musings and happenstance of a myriad of soldiers and camp-followers. How brutal war has cursed Europe from peasants to clergy, farmsteads to provinces, soldiers to mercenaries, and their shifting loyalties, has seldom been so effectively exposed on stage. The second part (a play in 5 Acts) The Piccolomini concerns Wallenstein’s scheming to promote his interests beyond those of his Emperor. The final part (again 5 Acts) The Death of Wallenstein is about how his plans come undone. Throughout, Wallenstein is painted with fine strokes, his charismatic figure is juxtaposed with his ruthless ambition. He may know each soldier under his command after meeting him but once, yet, he sacrifices everyone for his quest to command a kingdom, even his most loyal including his daughter. Rarely have I encountered so rounded a character that you can both admire and loath.
Profile Image for Maria Varela.
14 reviews
March 12, 2015
My God was this ever a slog to get through! Literally, it took me three months to get through these two plays. Simply tedious and overwrought writing. For the life of me I can't understand why Dostoevsky was such a fan.
Profile Image for Realini Ionescu.
4,155 reviews20 followers
October 20, 2025
The Robbers by Friedrich Schiller

Not the best work I came across, but scholars appreciate it



I do not know what to make of this work.

On the one hand it is clearly a worthy endeavor to try and read it.

It deals with values, a fight for freedom, love, both romantic and filial, it benefited from good acting and suspense.

And yet, on the other hand I did not get emotionally, or indeed in any other way involved, which happens again with Schiller.

It looks like I am getting into the wrong mindset- if it is Schiller, then I am going to miss most or all of it.

As I try and make some sense of what was going on, I recall the curse and how it comes true.

I am influenced in what I read from literature and fiction by my parallel immersion into psychology, so a curse and magic can work for me.

If you curse someone who believes in the power of magic, or has a frame of mind where doubt gives way to depression- it will come true.

The father curses the son and the latter is falling apart, under the weight of the bad omen.

In other words, he becomes negative and pessimistic.

Those who are pessimistic are exposed to illness, and live shorter lives.

And when they become depressed, the negative spiral can lead to tragedy.

The plot of the saga may also add to the pleasure of a reader who comes with an open mind and ready to enjoy Schiller.

Those who are dead at one stage, show up very much alive like we are dealing with Avengers, Terminator or other movies in the same vein.

There is one good son- Karl and another- Franz- who much like Cain, ready and willing to finish off his own sibling-

- To the devil with my brother

- I want to be the only master

There is talk about the failings of the time, in this dialogue for instance:

- This is a century of castrati, eunuchs

- They have no respect for the ancient values

- The poor are cheated and the rich steal from them

- I would make a republic that would make Sparta seem small and weak

The son is waiting for a letter of absolution and forgiveness from his father, but instead there is a letter from his wicked brother, Franz

- You will be sent in the cave with no food and never be forgiven

- Our father cannot forget you

- The life of a thief is better than being imprisoned in a cave

- Stones would have cried- so much I have asked for forgiveness

So the wretched son joins a band of outlaws as their captain, because he is very bitter and upset, angry with his father:

- I do not have a father, not anymore

As a consequence, Karl becomes a kind of Robin Hood.

At one point, the tragic news comes- the son that was banished is dead.

In another letter, he blames the parental curse for his death:

- I died alone, in the battlefield, because you, father did not want to forgive me

But this is not the end of the story, and you have to read more to find out.
242 reviews
November 6, 2017
I enjoyed The Robbers. Wallenstein was difficult. When rhyming verse is translated and forced into the same meter and rhyme scheme, I have a hard time staying interested (undistracted may be a better description). I appreciate the talent required of the translator, but maybe some things should just be left to the native speakers.
Profile Image for Rebeccas_reads.
21 reviews2 followers
March 20, 2019
I thoroughly enjoyed the play is reminiscent of Robin Hood and the brotherly dispute reminded me of the feud between Gloucester’s sons in King Lear. What I especially like about the play is that it shows that the idea of transgression is not black and white; a good person can make poor or bad decision and still retain some morality.
Profile Image for Bubba.
17 reviews
June 15, 2016
It was a decent book that begs the old phrase, "Two wrongs don't make a right." Committing crimes for vindication is not the anecdote to cleanse your soul, but rather puts you in the company of those from whom you are trying to distance yourself.
Profile Image for Ali.
Author 17 books677 followers
October 22, 2007
راهزنان همراه با توطئه ی فیسکو توسط عبدالحسین میکده به فارسی ترجمه شده و بنگاه ترجمه و نشر کتاب آن را در 1336 منتشر کرده است
190 reviews
August 26, 2010
Really good. Shakespeare good (Wallenstein).
Profile Image for Astir.
268 reviews9 followers
June 30, 2018
1800s German was pretty hype for sturm und drang poetry plays. I am not.
Profile Image for Derek.
1,861 reviews142 followers
October 15, 2020
I feel that the average American spends all his or her time on Mann, Goethe, Grass, and Kafka. But is this a life? What about Schiller?!
Profile Image for Chris.
196 reviews5 followers
June 15, 2009
Great era in history- just bloodshed. A modern classic about a crazy MF
Profile Image for Zach.
216 reviews10 followers
July 20, 2018
The Robbers was...fine. Melodrama is a pretty appropriate label, but it's not quite as bad as Young Werther.

It was a mistake to translate Wallenstein's Camp in rhyming couplets - it just makes the play sort of silly. I'm not sure that pulling out the "low" characters into their own mini-play really works, but it's a reasonable idea.

The Piccolomini and Wallenstein's Death, on the other hand, are fantastic. Wallenstein and Octavio are complex characters that keep you guessing; there's unscrupulous schemers on both sides; and the obligatory love story that has some teeth between Max and Thekla. The plays do a great job of exploring - and leaving ambiguous - the historical questions around Wallenstein: Was he always going to be a traitor? Did Ferdinand (and Octavio) push him into rebellion? Was the rebellion fated? Did Wallenstein want peace, or to maintain his own power in the army? And in the Thirty Year's War more generally: What was the real role of religion in the war? What does a multicultural Imperial army owe an Austrian German Emperor who wants to expand his power over Germany? What is the best way to achieve peace and who was actually seeking it?

A good play leaves you thinking, and Wallenstein is quite successful on that front.
Profile Image for Dylan.
218 reviews
Read
November 12, 2023
This book collects two of the important German playwright Friedrich Schiller's most essential plays.

The first, The Robbers was written early in his career during the proto-Romantic Sturm und Drang movement. It is melodramatic and completely over the top with a scheming villain, star-crossed lovers, patricide, betrayal, etc. etc. There are also some very good monologues in here, one specifically by the main villain, in which he says "my forehead shall be your barometer!" which I still think about regularly.

The second, written in a later, more mature stage of Schiller's career, is actually a trilogy of plays, known collectively as Wallenstein, based on events in the life of Bohemian commander Albrecht von Wallenstein during the Thirty Years' War. This one gets off to a painfully slow start, as the entire first play is just setting the scene from the perspective of the various military members in Wallenstein's camp, with none of the major players appearing until the second play. Nonetheless, by the end of the final play I was invested and really enjoyed the story.
Profile Image for Diwan Mal.
21 reviews1 follower
Read
November 14, 2025
im reading coleridge s translation this good too prologue and first part

coleridge fucked up fuck u can't wait to read his marginalia and hate him more
hes like eliot in someway look at this clever preface eliot is still a better poet and translator than him
"The pleasure or disgust from his own labor will mingle with the feelings that arise from an afterview of the original. Even in the first perusal of a work in any foreign language which we understand, we are apt to attribute to it more excellence than it really possesses from our own pleasurable sense of difficulty overcome without effort. Translation of poetry into poetry is difficult, because the translator must give a brilliancy to his language without that warmth of original conception from which such brilliancy would follow of its own accord."
Profile Image for Reinosuke Kusano.
67 reviews
October 27, 2020
I personally prefer Schiller to Goethe in terms of playwriting, although the latter is far more well known for his "Faust" than Schiller is for any of his dramas. Schiller's characters have believable dialogue and their motives are very clear and explicit.

"Die Räuber" and the Wallenstein trilogy were pretty good in my opinion, although I do prefer his later works "Don Carlos" and "Mary Stuart", as they feel more structurally coherent to me.

If you want a clearer grasp of Schiller's mastery of language and drama, better read Carlos and Stuart; "The Robbers" and "Wallenstein" are a bit harder to read too.
94 reviews1 follower
February 16, 2022
Surprisingly, I liked the melodramatic Robbers more than Wallenstein. Wallenstein was good, but it was long and it just didn't hit me like The Robbers did. The Robbers, though silly at times, had some great parts that make it very profound. Wallenstein is profound too, just more subtly so, and I didn't enjoy it as much. The Robbers was also much shorter. Still, very glad to have read both of these works, and I can say that Schiller is a good read.
Profile Image for Bernard English.
268 reviews3 followers
February 21, 2021
The two plays couldn't be more different. I believe the Robbers is by far the more famous and it is easy to see why. Insanely violent and and emotionally charged.
Profile Image for Tamara.
11 reviews
December 29, 2024
I read this in Germany, learned how to act the technique

Slow and paced is the key

So many words that probably don’t make sense in English wish I could read it in German
Profile Image for Andrew Weitzel.
248 reviews6 followers
July 8, 2020
The Robbers, I liked. But Wallenstein is a truly great play, especially the The Piccolomini and The Death of Wallenstein. The fact that I loved it is saying a lot since I usually hate reading verse. Anyway, if you like tragedies, you should pick up a copy of this collection.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews

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