Johann Christoph Friedrich Schiller

"Robbers"

The action takes place in Germany, contemporary to the author of the play. The plot unfolds over two years. The drama is preceded by an epigraph from Hippocrates, which in Russian translation reads like this: “What medicine does not heal, iron heals; What iron does not heal, fire heals.”

In the family castle of the barons von Moor live the father, the youngest son Franz and the count's pupil, the eldest son's fiancée, Amalia von Edelreich. The beginning is a letter received by Franz from a solicitor from Leipzig, which tells about the dissolute life of a student at the University of Leipzig, Karl von Moor, the eldest son of the count. Old man von Moor, saddened by the bad news, allows Franz to write a letter to Karl and inform him that the count, angry with the behavior of his eldest son, is depriving him of his inheritance and his parental blessing.

At this time, in a tavern on the border of Saxony, where students of the University of Leipzig usually gather, Karl von Moor is waiting for an answer to his letter to his father, in which he sincerely repents of his dissolute life and promises to continue to do business. Together with Karl, his friend and fellow student Spiegelberg is killing time. He argues that it is better to be a thief than to live in poverty. A letter arrives from old man von Moor. After reading it, Karl becomes desperate. Meanwhile, Spiegelberg talks about how wonderful it is to live in the Bohemian forests, take money from rich travelers and put it into circulation. The poor students find this idea tempting, but they need an ataman, and although Spiegelberg himself is counting on this position, everyone unanimously chooses Karl von Moor. Hoping that “blood and death” will make him forget his former life, father, bride, Karl takes an oath of allegiance to his robbers, and they, in turn, swear allegiance to him.

Now that Franz von Moor has managed to expel his older brother from his father’s loving heart, he is trying to denigrate him in the eyes of his fiancée, Amalia. He tells her that the diamond ring she gave to Karl before separation as a pledge of fidelity, he gave to the libertine when he no longer had anything to pay for his love pleasures. He draws in front of Amalia a portrait of a sickly beggar in rags, from whose mouth he smells of “deadly sickness” - this is her beloved Karl now. But it is not so easy to convince a loving heart. Amalia refuses to believe Franz and drives him away.

But a new plan has already matured in Franz von Moor’s head, which will finally help him realize his dream of becoming the owner of the inheritance of the Counts von Moor. To do this, he persuades the illegitimate son of one local nobleman, Herman, to change clothes and, coming to the old man Moor, report that he witnessed the death of Charles, who took part in the battle of Prague. The sick count's heart is unlikely to withstand this terrible news. For this, Franz promises Hermann to return to him Amalia von Edelreich, who was once taken from him by Karl von Moor.

This is how it all happens. Old Man Moore remembers his eldest son with Amalia. At this time, Herman appears in disguise. He talks about Karl, left without any means of subsistence, and therefore decided to take part in the Prussian-Austrian campaign. The war took him to Bohemia, where he died heroically. Dying, he asked to hand over his sword to his father, and to return the portrait of Amalia to her along with her oath of allegiance. Count von Moor blames himself for his son's death. Seeing the joy on Franz’s face, the old man begins to understand who is really to blame for all of Karl’s troubles. He leans back on the pillows and loses consciousness. Franz thinks that the old man has died and rejoices at the long-awaited death of his father.

Meanwhile, Karl von Moor is robbing the Bohemian forests. He is brave and often plays with death, as he has lost interest in life. The ataman gives his share of the spoils to orphans. He punishes the rich who rob ordinary people, following the principle: “Retribution is my trade, revenge is my trade.”

And in the family castle of von Moor, Franz rules. He achieved his goal, but does not feel satisfied: Amalia still refuses to become his wife. Hermann, who realized that Franz had deceived him, reveals to the ladies-in-waiting von Edelreich a “terrible secret” - Karl von Moor is alive and old man von Moor is too.

Karl and his gang are surrounded by Bohemian dragoons, but they manage to escape from it at the cost of the death of only one soldier, while the Bohemian soldiers lost about 300 people. A Czech nobleman who has lost all his fortune, as well as his beloved, whose name is Amalia, asks to join von Moor’s detachment. The story of the young man stirred up old memories in Karl’s soul, and he decides to lead his gang to Franconia with the words: “I must see her!”

Under the name of Count von Brand from Mecklenburg, Karl enters his ancestral castle. He meets his Amalia and is convinced that she is faithful to the “deceased Karl.” In the gallery, among the portraits of his ancestors, he stops at the portrait of his father and furtively wipes away a tear. No one recognizes the count's eldest son, only the all-seeing and always suspicious Franz guesses that his elder brother is visiting, but does not tell anyone about his guesses. The younger von Moor forces the old butler Daniel to swear an oath that he will kill the visiting count. By the scar on his hand, the butler recognizes Count von Brande as Karl, he is unable to lie to the old servant who raised him, but now he must leave the castle forever. Before disappearing, he decides to see Amalia. She experiences feelings for the count that she previously had only with one person - Karl von Moor. Unrecognized, the guest says goodbye to his beloved.

Karl returns to his robbers, in the morning they will leave these places, but for now he wanders through the forest. In the darkness, he stumbles upon a tower and hears someone's voice. It was Herman who came stealthily to feed the prisoner locked here. Karl tears the locks off the tower and frees the old man, withered like a skeleton. The prisoner turns out to be the old man von Moor, who, unfortunately, did not die then from the news brought by Herman. When he came to his senses in a coffin, Franz secretly imprisoned him in this tower, dooming him to cold, hunger and loneliness. Karl, after listening to his father's story, can't stand it any longer. Despite the family ties that connect him with Franz, he orders his robbers to break into the castle, capture his brother and bring him here alive.

Night. The old valet Daniel says goodbye to the castle where he spent his whole life. Franz von Moor runs in in a dressing gown with a candle in his hand. He cannot calm down; he had a dream about the Last Judgment, in which he is sent to hell for his sins. He begs Daniel to send for the pastor. All his life, Franz was an atheist, and even now he cannot reconcile with the visiting pastor and is trying to conduct a debate on religious topics. This time he fails to laugh at the thesis about the immortality of the soul with the usual ease. Having received confirmation from the pastor that the most serious sins of a person are fratricide and parricide, Franz is frightened and realizes that his soul cannot escape hell.

The castle is attacked by robbers sent by Karl, they set the castle on fire, but they fail to capture Franz. In fear, he strangles himself with his hat cord.

The members of the gang who carried out the order return to the forest near the castle, where Karl is waiting for them, never recognized by his father. Amalia comes with them, rushes to the robber Moor, hugs him and calls him her fiancé. Then old man Moore with horror recognizes his beloved eldest son Karl in the leader of these bandits, thieves and murderers and dies. But Amalia is ready to forgive her lover and start a new life with him. But their love is hampered by the oath of allegiance given by Moor to his robbers. Realizing that happiness is impossible, Amalia prays for only one thing - death. Karl stabs her to death.

The robber Moor drank his cup to the end; he realized that the world cannot be corrected by atrocities, and his life is over. He decides to surrender to the hands of justice. Even on the way to the Moor castle, he talked with a poor man who has a large family, now Karl goes to him so that he, having handed over the “famous robber” to the authorities, would receive a thousand louis for his head.

In the same castle live Count Moor, his youngest son Franz and his eldest son's fiancee, Count's pupil Amalia von Edelreich. The story begins with the fact that the count was sent a letter about the wild life of his eldest son, who is studying at the University of Leipzig. Von Moor Sr. orders Franz to write a letter to his brother, in which he indicates that Karl will be deprived of his inheritance.

Having received a letter from his father, Karl fell into despair. He becomes the leader of a gang of bandits, former university students. His gang includes fellow student Shpigelberg, who persuaded Karl to take up this activity.

Franz was delighted with his father’s decision and decided to denigrate his brother in the eyes of Amalia. He tells her a vile story about the ring Karl gave her, but the girl does not want to listen to him and drives him away.

However, Franz is developing a new plan that will help him remove his father and become the owner of the count's wealth. He persuades Herman, who was in love with Amalia, to tell his father about the death of his brother, and promised to return the girl to him. Having heard the story about the imaginary death of his son in a military campaign, the count loses consciousness. The delighted Franz thought that his father had died.

At the same time, in the forests of Bohemia, Karl von Moor commits robberies. He rushes alone into various skirmishes, playing with death. He gives his spoils to poor children. He only robs rich people who rob ordinary citizens.

And at this time, in the von Moor castle, the management of affairs is in the hands of Franz. He has become the owner of wealth, but he cannot force Amalia to become his wife. Hermann, who was cruelly deceived by Franz, discovered Amalia's secret that her fiancé and the count were alive. Karl and his gang fight off the soldiers. After some time, a nobleman from the Czech Republic, who lost his entire fortune and his beloved Amalia, asks to join his squad. Karl remembers his bride and leads the squad to their native places.

He comes home under the guise of another person, and is convinced that the girl is still faithful to him. Only his younger brother recognizes him. He persuades the servant to kill the “stranger,” but he recognized Karl and abandoned this idea. Before leaving, Karl says goodbye to Amalia. She begins to experience a strong feeling for him that she only felt for her fiancé. The girl never recognized her beloved in the stranger.

The drama takes place in modern Germany. The entire plot is combined into a two-year time period. The premise of the drama is the epigraph of Hippocrates. This quote, translated into Russian, sounds like this: “What medicine does not heal, iron heals; What iron does not heal, fire heals.”

The ancestral castle of the barons von Moor is inhabited by the father, his youngest son named Franz, as well as the count's pupil Amalia von Edelreich. She is the fiancée of her eldest son.

The plot begins with a letter that was received by the youngest son from a solicitor from Leipzig. This letter describes the dissolute life of Karl von Moor, the eldest son of the count. The son is a student at the University of Leipzig. Old man von Moor learns of the sad news and decides to deprive his eldest son of his inheritance, as well as his parental blessing.

Franz describes this in detail in a letter and sends it to his brother.

At the same time, on the border of Saxony, in a tavern where university students usually spend their free time from studying, Karl von Moor is waiting for an answer to a letter sent to his father. In his letter, Karl frankly admits his wrong life. He promises to change his life in readiness to do something truly worthwhile.

At the same time, his friend Spiegelberg also spends time with Karl. A fellow student is killing time discussing the meaning of life. He believes that it is better to engage in banditry than to survive in a miserable state.

When a letter arrives from von Mohr, Karl falls into depression and despair.

Along with this, Spiegelberg reflects on the wonderful life in the Bohemian forests. He wants to rob the rich of money there and then put it into circulation. Talking about this, friends become more and more imbued with the relevance of this idea. As the action progresses, Spiegelberg dreams of becoming an ataman, but this position is eventually occupied by Karl von Moor.

Karl hopes that his life as a robber will make him forget about his family and his fiancée. He gives an oath of allegiance to his fellow robbers, and they swear allegiance to the chieftain.

After expelling his older brother from his father's life, Franz von More makes attempts to denigrate Karl in the eyes of Amalia. Franz tells Karl's fiancée that her fiancé gave the diamond ring, given by her as a sign of fidelity, to the libertine as collateral for love pleasures. Franz von Maur describes Karl in all dark negative tones, hoping that Amalia will throw him out of her heart. However, everything is not so simple. The heart of a loving woman is still offered to Karl von Mohr.

Act one

The plot is based on a family tragedy. In the family castle of the barons von Moor live the father, the youngest son, Franz, and the count's pupil, the eldest son's fiancée, Amalia von Edelreich. The beginning is a letter allegedly received by Franz from a “Leipzig correspondent”, which tells about the dissolute life of Karl von Moor, the eldest son of the count, taking a course in science at the university in Leipzig. Saddened by the bad news, the old man von Moor, under pressure, allows Franz to write a letter to Karl and inform him that, angry with the behavior of his eldest son, he, the Count, is depriving him of his inheritance and his parental blessing.

Karla calls for the implementation of “gigantic plans.” Shiigelberg is obsessed with the idea of his own omnipotence. he desperately wants to achieve power over people who are destined to “creep in the dirt.” Karl advises him to climb “the pillory to the pinnacle of glory.” He himself strives for other joys in “the shadow of his grandfather’s groves, in the arms of Amalia.” Karl receives a letter from Franz. In the letter, Franz “transfers” his father’s curse to his brother and says goodbye to him forever. Karl is desperate. Spiegelberg takes advantage of the confusion of Karl and his comrades and calls for the creation of a gang of robbers (implying that he will become their chieftain). Since young people do not have any real plans for their future life in their heads, they want money, but are reluctant to earn it, they decide to support Spiegelberg’s proposal. Karl is elected Ataman. Karl, betrayed by his father’s “blood love,” has no choice but to “violate the law.” “His spirit thirsts for exploits, his breath for freedom.” Spiegelberg decides to take revenge on Karl, poison him when the right opportunity presents itself, and become a chieftain himself.

Franz is trying in every way to persuade Amalia to betray Karl. He slanderes his brother, declaring that he spends time in the company of harlots, and tries to arouse disgust towards him by describing Karl, rotting alive from syphilis. Amalia repeats that she loves Karl too much and does not believe what Franz says. Trying to present himself in a more favorable light, Franz begins to extol his brother, looks for similarities between Karl and himself, pretends that Karl, when leaving, “bequeathed him to take care of his bride,” finally talks about how his father deprived Karl of his inheritance, and he, Franz, could provide for Amalia well. Not a single argument resonates with Amalia. She indignantly drives Franz, who is disgusting to her, away. Amalia is not afraid of poverty, she tears off an expensive necklace from her neck and says that she is now worthy of her beloved.

Act two

Franz is extremely dissatisfied with his father’s “survivability”. He doesn’t want to kill him, but he makes plans to better kill the old man from the world. Franz read the works of philosophers and doctors, where it was argued that a person’s state of mind and his health are in close interaction. Therefore, he decides to greatly scare his father, hoping that this will finish off the old man and he will finally die. Franz calls Herman to him, reminds him how much the old man Moop (he humiliated Herman, reminding him of his illegal origin) and Karl (he took Amalia from Herman and lowered him down the stairs) offended him. Subtly flattering the decisive and courageous Herman, Franz gives him money and hints that if he, Franz, became a sovereign count, he would be much more generous towards Herman. Herman admits that he would like to see the old man Moopa and his son Karl in a coffin. Franz persuades Herman to play the role of an eyewitness to the death of Charles in the battle of Prague, as he hopes that the news of the death of his son will bring the old man Mcopa to the grave. As a reward, Franz promises to give Hermann Amalia. Herman, having changed clothes and made up, copes brilliantly with the role. He colorfully describes the heroic “death” of Karl. At the end, Herman adds that Karl blamed his “death” on his father, who had abandoned him. The last word Karl supposedly uttered was “Amalia.” Herman gives Amalia a sword, on which is written in blood that Karl asks Franz to marry Amalia. Amalia doesn’t believe it, cries, and consoles old man Moore. The old man asks to read the Bible to him (the story of Jacob and Joseph). Amalia reads how Jacob's beloved son was betrayed by his brothers (they stole his clothes and, staining them with the blood of a goat, brought them to Jacob). The treacherous brothers tried to prove to Jacob that Joseph was dead. The father wanted to follow his son into the grave. Franz at this moment leaves his father’s chambers. Old man Moopy becomes ill and dies in the arms of Amalia, not his son.

A gang of robbers gathers in the Bohemian forests. Thanks to Spiegelberg's efforts, more and more people are flocking here. Spiegelberg knows a lot of recruiting methods: to rob a person so that he is left penniless and has nowhere to go; tempt the poor with money; drive an honest person out of his home, deprive him of shelter, etc. Spiegelberg himself is very proud of his robber exploits, such as when he and his comrades secretly stole the clothes of nuns in the monastery at night, and then noisily chased naked women through the corridors of the monastery. At the same time, his comrades deprived many of the nuns of their virginity. Ratzman, listening to Spiegelberg's stories, wonders why their chieftain Karl Moop is so indifferent to money. He does not kill for robbery, he distributes money to orphans or donates money for the education of poor youths. However, the demon takes possession of Moor if on his way he comes across “a landowner who skins his peasants, or a slacker in gold braid who crookedly interprets the laws and averts the eyes of justice with silver.” Schwartz brings sad news: one of the robbers, Roller, has been captured and executed. The chieftain rushed to the city to avenge Roller: to burn the city to the ground. Roller himself suddenly appears. Karl literally pulled him out of the loop: the city was set on fire by robbers from all sides at once, and the residents fled from the square where the execution took place. Roller took advantage of the confusion to jump on a horse led to the scaffold by Moo-rum. At the same time, children, pregnant women and old people died in the fire, that is, all those who were not present at the execution. Schufterle even personally threw one baby into the fire. Karl angrily expels Schufterle from the gang and calls him a scoundrel. Such atrocities oppress him. A messenger appears and announces that the gang is surrounded. The priest comes to the robbers and offers to surrender. His words have no effect on Moore. Then the priest begins to convince his comrades to betray the chieftain. None of the robbers succumbs to provocation, even when Karl himself begins to convince people of the obvious benefits of such betrayal for them. Only Spiegelberg is frightened by the large army advanced against the robbers. The robbers tear up the amnesty given to them by their father and surround their chieftain, ready to protect him from an entire army of government horsemen. In front of the whole gang, Karl swears never to abandon his people, to take full responsibility for their atrocities, since everything that the robbers did, they did on his orders.

Act three

Franz does not leave Amalia with his harassment. German, seizing the moment, is left alone with Amalia. He realized that Franz had deceived him by promising him Amalia after his father’s death. Herman admits to Amalia that the news of Karl's death was untrue. In addition, Herman tells Amalia that old man Moor is also alive.

Kosinsky comes to the gang of robbers and asks the chieftain to accept him as one of his devotees. Karl encourages him to think many times whether his decision to become a robber is correct, and whether Kosinsky will later regret it. Kosinski tells his story. He is a Bohemian nobleman, was in love with a girl named Amalia and enjoyed her reciprocity. On the eve of their wedding, Kosinsky was slandered, accused of treason and imprisoned. A month later he was acquitted and released, but Amalia was taken to the prince’s palace. There, the prince gave the girl a choice: allow Kosinsky’s death or become the prince’s mistress. To save the life of the groom, Amalia chose the second. After listening to the story, Karl decides to immediately rush to his Amalia.

Act Four

Karl, in disguise, accompanied by Kosinski, enters Moor Castle under the name of Count von Brand. Together with Amalia, he walks through the gallery where portraits of the Moors’ ancestors hang. Stopping in front of the portrait of his father, Karl calls the old man Moopa the most wonderful person. Tears flow from Amalia's eyes as they pass by Karl's portrait. Karl realizes that his bride still loves him. Franz Moop is extremely dissatisfied with the way the strange guest behaves. He suspects that Brand is his brother in disguise. Franz tries to extract something from the servant Daniel, but he pretends that he knows nothing. Then, without explanation, Franz orders Daniel to kill Brand. Daniel goes to the guest, takes his hand and recognizes his young master by the scar on it. Daniel is very happy. Amalia also suspects that Brand is not who he says he is. The girl feels that she is irresistibly drawn to the guest, as she once was drawn to Karl. But she does not allow her feelings to reveal herself; she is faithful to her missing groom. Karl is trying to find out from Amalia with hints how she would behave if her fiancé turned out to be a murderer. Amalia declares that such a wonderful person as her Karl simply could not raise his hand against another person.

Spiegelberg is trying to plot against Karl in order to become an ataman himself. Ratzman exposes him. Schweitzer, reminding Spiegelberg that he was only brave in front of naked nuns, stabs the traitor to death. Karl returns and says that he “lost himself” after visiting his native castle. He plays the lute (as he and Amalia did) and sings a song about Caesar and Brutus:

Only Caesar had the power to destroy Rome,
Only Brutus could push Caesar;
Where Brutus lives, Caesar cannot live there.

Karl ponders, looking around himself, why “divine harmony reigns in soulless nature, - and where does this discord in a rational being come from?.. I am my own heaven, my own hell.” Karl wants to commit suicide because he is torn between the atrocities he has already committed and his unwillingness to commit such a thing in the future, but then decides that he is strong enough to overcome the fear of “a painful life.” Thinking like this, Karl comes across a tower in the forest. On the other side, Herman approaches the tower. It turns out that old man Moore has been imprisoned inside for many months. When Amalia read the story of Jacob to the old man, Moop did not die, but only lost consciousness. Having learned the truth, Franz became embittered to such an extent that he buried a dog in the family crypt, and ordered his father to be imprisoned in a tower so that he would die of starvation. So Franz wanted to argue with nature, because of which (his father’s good health) he was deprived for so long of the opportunity to individually rule the Moor castle. In the presence of his comrades, Karl swears revenge on his brother for the abuse of his father. He declares Schweitzer and his henchmen “the punishing right hand of God” and orders Franz to be brought to him alive. Karl is ready to tear to pieces anyone who dares to raise his hand against Franz. Brother must die by brother's hand. Schweitzer goes to the castle.

Act five

Franz imagines scenes of the Last Judgment over him. He is slowly going crazy and doesn't sleep at night. It seems to him that “spirits are rising from the graves.” Franz has a dream about how his father comes to God and throws a strand of his gray hair onto the cup of Franz's sins - and the cup overflows. Franz, a convinced atheist who explains everything materialistically, summons a priest, Pastor Moser. He tries to convince Franz that the path he has chosen is wrong, he says that there is an afterlife - and the proof of this is his, Franz’s, fear of death (that is, he subconsciously understands that a terrible punishment awaits him for his sins). However, the pastor “comforts” Franz, claiming that he did not commit the most terrible sins - parricide and fratricide. Franz drives the priest away.

The servants report that Count Brand and Amalia have disappeared from the castle, and robbers are running along the corridors. Franz tries to pray himself, but he fails. Then he makes Daniel pray for him. As Schweitzer approaches the room, Franz tries to force Daniel to stab him (Franz) with a sword, but he refuses. Then Franz hangs himself with a golden cord. Schweitzer bursts in. Seeing that Franz is dead (that is, he was unable to complete the task of his chieftain), Schweitzer shoots himself in the temple.

Old Man Moop persuades his savior (he does not yet know that the robber who freed him from the tower is Karl) to spare Franz: “Let forgiveness be his punishment; double love is my revenge.” He cries for his sons, appeals to the angelic image of Karl, asks for his forgiveness (the old man still believes that he was responsible for the death of his eldest son). The robber Moop decides that he cannot return to his father (since he is a sinner and a murderer) and says that Karl will never return. At the same time, the robber kneels before his father, asking for his blessing for freeing him and saving him from starvation. Old Man Moop kisses him “as he would kiss his son.” Schwartz informs Karl about everything that happened in the castle. Karl is glad that he did not have to kill his brother. “Charity is now our slogan,” he announces. The robbers bring Amalia. She recognizes the old man and Karl, tells him about her love, and begs him not to leave her. Karl admits that he is the leader of the robbers. Old man Moop dies of grief. Amalia declares that she forgives Karl everything, as long as he is with her. Karl kisses her. But his comrades remind him of the terrible oath given by Charles in the Bohemian forests. Karl announces to Amalia that he has no right to leave the gang and will continue to rob and kill. Amalia refuses to live without him and asks her lover to kill her. Karl stabs Amalia. He disbands the gang: he is pure before his comrades, he did not betray his oath, he did not exchange them for a woman. Karl decides to surrender to the hands of justice in order to accept death. He remembers that he saw a poor man on the road, the father of eleven children. A large sum has been promised for the head of the robber Moopa. Karl goes to this poor man: he will need a thousand louis...

The main motive of Schiller's "The Robbers" is the enmity of two brothers. The plot of the tragedy was influenced by the story of the then progressive poet and publicist Daniel Schubart, “On the History of the Human Heart.” In the features of his hero Karl Moor, Schiller himself recognized a well-known reflection of the image of the “noble robber” Rock Guipart from Cervantes’ Don Quixote. The cruel reality of Württemberg, stories about real robbers, Swabians and Bavarians, also provided a lot of combustible material.

The topicality of the tragedy was emphasized by indicating the time of action (the middle of the 18th century) and the place of action - Germany.

Translation from German by N. Man

Notes by N. Slavyatinsky

Illustrations by B. Dekhterev

Friedrich Schiller
BRIGERS
Drama in five acts

CHARACTERS

Maximilian, sovereign Count von Moor.

Karl, Franz- his sons.

Amalia von Edelreich.

Spiegelberg, Schweitzer, Grimm, Ratzmann, Schufterle, Roller, Kosinsky, Schwartz- dissolute young people, then robbers.

Hermann, the bastard son of a nobleman.

Daniel, servant of Count von Moor.

Pastor Moser.

Pater.

A gang of robbers.

Minor characters.

Location: Germany; time - about two years.

ACT ONE

Scene one

Franz, old man Moor.

Franz. Are you healthy, father? You are so pale.

Old Man Moore. Healthy, my son. Did you want to tell me something?

Franz. The mail has arrived... A letter from Leipzig from our solicitor...

Old Man Moore(excitedly). News about my son Karl?

Franz. Hm, hm! You guessed! But I’m afraid... Really, I don’t know... After all, your health... Are you really feeling well, father?

Old Man Moore. Like a fish in water! Is he writing about my son? But why are you so worried about me? This is the second time you ask me about my health.

Franz. If you are sick, if you feel even slightly unwell, excuse me... I will wait for a more opportune moment. (Sotto voce.) This message is not for a frail old man.

Old Man Moore. God! God! What will I hear?

Franz. Let me first step aside and shed a tear of compassion for my lost brother. I would have to remain silent about him forever - after all, he is your son; I should have hidden his shame forever - after all, he is my brother, But to obey you is my first, sad duty, And therefore do not demand...

Old Man Moore. Oh Karl, Karl! If only you knew how you are tormenting your father’s heart with your behavior! One single good news about you would add ten years to my life, would turn me into a young man... But - ah! - every new news brings me one step closer to the grave!

Franz. Oh, if so, unfortunate old man, goodbye! Otherwise we’ll be tearing your hair out over your coffin today.

Old Man Moore(sinking into a chair). Don't go! I only have one step left to take... And Karl... Free will! The sins of the fathers will be punished in the third and fourth generation... Let him finish off!

Franz(takes a letter out of his pocket). Do you know our solicitor? Oh, I would have my hand cut off for the right to say: he is a liar, a low, black liar! Gather your strength! Forgive me for not letting you read the letter yourself. You don't have to know everything yet.

Old Man Moore. That's it, that's it! Son, you will save me from feeble old age.

Franz(is reading).“Leipzig, the first of May. If I were not bound by an inviolable word to tell you, dear friend, everything that I learn about the adventures of your brother, my humble pen would not torment you so much. I know from many of your letters that such news pierces your brotherly heart. I can already see how you are shedding burning tears because of this vile, dissolute..."

Old Man Moore covers his face with his hands.

You see, father, but I’m still reading the most innocent thing... “... shedding burning tears...” Oh, they flowed, they flowed in salty streams down my cheeks! “I can already see your old, venerable father, deathly pale...” God! You really have turned pale, although you don’t know even a small part yet!..

Franz. "... deathly pale, falls into a chair, cursing the day when he first heard the babble: “Father.” I was unable to find out everything, and therefore I am reporting only the little that became known to me. Your brother, apparently, has reached the limit in his outrages; in any case, I can’t think of anything that hasn’t already been committed by him, but perhaps his mind will be more inventive than mine last night, having incurred a debt of forty thousand ducats...” Not bad pocket money, father! “...and before that, having dishonored the daughter of a rich banker and mortally wounded her admirer, a worthy young nobleman, in a duel, Charles and seven other comrades, whom he had involved in a dissolute life, made a significant decision - to flee from the hands of justice.” Father! For God's sake, father! What's wrong with you?

Old Man Moore. Enough, stop it, my son!

Franz. I will spare you. “A quick letter was sent after him... The insulted are crying out for vengeance. His head is valued... The name Moor...” No! My unfortunate tongue will not become a parricide. (Tears up the letter.) Don't believe the letter, father! Don't believe a single word!

Old Man Moore(cries bitterly). My name! My honest name!

Franz(falls on his chest). Despised, thrice despicable Karl! Didn’t I have a presentiment of this even in childhood, when we delighted our souls with prayers, and he, like a criminal from prison, turned his eyes away from God’s temple, dragged after girls, drove through the meadows and mountains with street boys and all sorts of rabble, begging for coins from you and threw them into the hat of the first beggar he met? Didn’t I have a presentiment of this, seeing that he reads more readily the lives of Julius Caesar, Alexander the Great and other equally wicked pagans than the life of the repentant Tobias? Hundreds of times I predicted to you - for love for my brother always coexisted in me with filial duty - that this boy would plunge us into shame and destruction. Oh, if only he had not been named Moor! If only I had less love for him in my heart! Godless love that I cannot tear out of my heart! She will still testify against me before the throne of the Most High.

Old Man Moore. Oh my hopes! My golden dreams!..

Robbers
Friedrich Schiller

Robbers

The plot is based on a family tragedy. In the family castle of the von barons live the father, the youngest son Franz and the count's pupil, the eldest son's fiancée, Amalia von Edelreich. The beginning is a letter allegedly received by Franz from a “Leipzig correspondent”, which tells about the dissolute life of Karl von Moor, the count’s eldest son, who is at the university in Leipzig. Old man von Moor, saddened by the bad news, allows Franz to write a letter to Karl and inform him that the count, angry with the behavior of his eldest son, is depriving him of his inheritance and his parental blessing.

At this time, in Leipzig, in the tavern where students of the University of Leipzig usually gather, Karl von Moor is waiting for an answer to his letter to his father, in which he sincerely repents of his dissolute life and promises to continue to do business. A letter arrives about the Bohemian forests, taking money from rich travelers and putting it into circulation. The poor students find this idea tempting, but they need an ataman, and although Spiegelberg himself was counting on this position, everyone unanimously chooses Karl von Moor. Hoping that “blood and death” will make him forget his former life, his father, his bride, Karl takes an oath of allegiance to his robbers, and they, in turn, swear allegiance to him.

Now that Franz von Moor has managed to expel his older brother from his father’s loving heart, he is trying to denigrate him in the eyes of his fiancée, Amalia. In particular, he tells her that the diamond ring she gave to Karl before separation as a pledge of fidelity, he gave to the libertine when he no longer had anything to pay for his love pleasures. He draws in front of Amalia a portrait of a sickly beggar in rags, from whose mouth he smells of “deadly sickness” - this is her beloved Karl now. But it’s not so easy to convince a loving heart; Amalia refuses to believe Franz and drives him away.

This is how it all happens. Old Man Moore remembers his eldest son with Amalia. At this time, Herman appears in disguise. He talks about Karl, left without any means of subsistence, and therefore decided to take part in the Prussian-Austrian campaign. The war took him to Bohemia, where he died heroically. Dying, he asked to hand over his sword to his father, and to return the portrait of Amalia to her along with her oath of allegiance. Count von Moor blames himself for his son's death, he leans back on his pillows, and his heart seems to stop. Franz rejoices at the long-awaited death of his father.

Meanwhile, Karl von Moor is robbing the Bohemian forests. He is brave and often plays with death, as he has lost interest in life. The ataman gives his share of the spoils to the orphans. He punishes the rich who rob ordinary people, following the principle: “My craft is retribution, revenge is my trade.”

Karl and his gang are surrounded by Bohemian dragoons, but they manage to escape from it at the cost of the death of just one soldier, while the Bohemian soldiers lost about 300 people. A Czech nobleman who has lost all his fortune, as well as his beloved, whose name is Amalia, asks to join von Moor’s detachment. The story of the young man stirred up old memories in Karl’s soul, and he decides to lead his gang to Franconia with the words: “I must see her!”

Under the name of Count von Brand from Mecklenburg, Karl enters his ancestral castle. He meets his Amalia and is convinced that she is faithful to the “deceased Karl.” In the gallery, among the portraits of his ancestors, he stops at the portrait of his father and furtively wipes away a tear. No one recognizes the count's eldest son, only the all-seeing and always suspicious Franz guesses that his elder brother is visiting, but does not tell anyone about his guesses. The younger von Moor forces his old butler Daniel to swear an oath that he will kill the visiting count. By the scar on his hand, the butler recognizes Count von Brande as Karl; he is unable to lie to the old servant who raised him, but now he must hurry to leave the castle forever. Before disappearing, he still decides to see Amalia, who is experiencing feelings for the count that she previously had associated with only one person - Karl von Moor. The unrecognized guest says goodbye to the ladies-in-waiting.

Karl returns to his robbers, in the morning they will leave these places, and while he is wandering through the forest, in the darkness he hears a voice and sees a tower. It was Herman who came stealthily to feed the prisoner locked here. Karl tears the locks off the tower and frees the old man, withered like a skeleton. The prisoner turns out to be the old man von Moor, who, unfortunately, did not die then from the news brought by Hermann, but when he came to his senses in a coffin, his son Franz secretly imprisoned him in this tower from the people, dooming him to cold, hunger and loneliness . Karl, having listened to the story of his father, is unable to endure any longer and, despite the family ties that connect him with Franz, orders his robbers to break into the castle, capture his brother and bring him here alive.

Night. The old valet Daniel says goodbye to the castle where he spent his whole life. Franz von Moor runs in in a dressing gown with a candle in his hand. He cannot calm down, he had a dream about the Last Judgment, in which he is sent to the underworld for his sins. He begs Daniel to send for the pastor. All his life, Franz was an atheist, and even now he cannot reconcile with the new pastor and is trying to conduct a debate on religious topics. This time he fails to laugh at the thesis about the immortality of the soul with his usual ease. Having received confirmation from the pastor that the most serious sins of a person are fratricide and parricide, Franz is frightened and realizes that his soul cannot escape hell.

The castle is attacked by those sent by Karl, they set the castle on fire, but they fail to capture Franz. In fear, he strangles himself with his hat cord.

The members of the gang who carried out the order return to the forest near the castle, where Karl is waiting for them, never recognized by his father. Amalia comes with them, rushes to the robber Moor, hugs him and calls him her fiancé. Then, in horror, old Moor recognizes his beloved eldest son Karl in the leader of these bandits, thieves and murderers and dies. But Amalia is ready to forgive her lover and start a new life with him. But their love is hampered by the oath of allegiance given by Moor to his robbers. Realizing that happiness is impossible, Amalia prays for only one thing - death. Karl stabs her to death.

The robber Moor drank his cup to the end, he realized that the world cannot be corrected by atrocities, his life is over, he decides to surrender to the hands of justice. Even on the way to the Moor castle, he talked with a poor man who has a large family, now Karl goes to him so that he, having handed over the “famous robber” to the authorities, would receive a thousand louis for his head.

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Brief summary of the work The Robbers. Brief summary of the plot of Schiller's drama "The Robbers"

"Robbers"

Friedrich Schiller
BRIGERS
Drama in five acts

CHARACTERS

ACT ONE

Scene one

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"Robbers"

Friedrich Schiller BRIGERS Drama in five acts

CHARACTERS

ACT ONE

Scene one

Latest news

Categories

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Essays on the topic

Friedrich Schiller
BRIGERS
Drama in five acts