The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-05-10

A4luAA tAie dramas created DE Scuti-
Z Ter his own life might well be called
not the ieast-the- tragedy pf the spirit
in conflict with the material elements
/ of earthly life, slain apparently in
mld-career, yet living on into immortal
triumph. But the narrow limits of the
stage here at our disposal forbid the
I presentation Of this drama. nor can We
portray Schiller, the lyric poet. the his
torian the critic the philosopher. The
literary dramatist alone shall occupy
us. and we may here only note that he
was born Nov. 10. 1853, at Marbach. in
Wurtemberg, and died March 3, 1905
in Weimar
Schiller's earliest play was published
7 in 1871; his death prevented the COM
pletion Of his "DemetTiJs." Those of
his dramas that may be called great
number nine or eleven, according as We
count 'Walenstein''- form a trilogy
one or three. Now, these twenty five
years and nine dramas fall naturally
/ into two distinct periods or groups. sep
arated by about decade given mainly
70 study and writing Of history and phi
+ Iosophy.
The FIRST group comprises the three
prose dTamas-"The Robbers" G7SD
'Flesco' (17SS), Love and CabaT' 17S4)
and ore in iambic blank verse, Don
I Carlos" 17SO. The prose dramas all
breathe that spirit of rebellion against
: established order and social conven-
/ tiOna which was not only favored by
/ general despOtic conditions, but kindled
( into consuming flame by Schiller
I personal experience of Tyranny.
! The Robbers" is first, not only IN
ltime, but also in rank. It is the trag-
/ edy of personality in conflict with law
/ the individual with civilization which
! he regards as based on wrong alone I'M
! til, made wise by experience. he resigns
/ himself TO his fate in submission to law.
! So excellent is the technical dramatic
skill. SO many-sided are the characters
/ 50 full and fiery is the diction that the
/ first reviewer could not refrain from
/ exclaiming of the author: IF we are
/ ever to expect a German Shakespeare
/ it is he"
The Conspiracy of Fiesco in Genoa, ~
/ is TIE least successful of the early
/ plays, although of interest as being the
/ first historical drama written by Schil-
/ Ter, and both more moderate in diCtiOn
and OF cOmpacter structure than The
/ Robbers" The theme Of this 'repubH-
/ can tragedy" is the political revolution
/ attempted by a nobleman of Genoa in
/ the sixteenth century.
! The Indictment Of the tyranny and
/ wickedness of many petty German
/ princely courts, which, in "Fiesco," is
] half hidden under the italian veil, is
/ made in Love and CabaT' with ire
mendOus franlIness. This tragedy OF
/ middle-claSs existence that is crushed
/ BY the cruel Selfishness of the higher
| classes is so charged with elemental
/ life and passion as to make the chords
+ Of popular emotion vibrate in SYM
/ pathy.
Don Carlosr marks transition in
j many respects; from despaiTing satire
/ of the present to confident nope Ia the
| future, from poetry TO history, from
/ prose to veTse ahdany poets have drama
| tized the strange history Of this son Of
( Philip II Of spain.
Schiller drama is interesting. and in
( parts very beautiful. It's weakness liae
/ in its lack Of unity. due 10 the author $
/ own development during the long five
years between it, inception and COM
/ pletiOn. The earlier portion Of the
drama IS, in SchiHer5 original inten-
/ ton, "A family picture OF a royal house
the situation of G father who is the
unhappy rival of his sOn-of a son who
/ loves without hope and is sacrificed -
/ But in the later portion this is essen
/ italy lost from sight. and the hero IS
/ the Marquis Posa. an embodiment Of
all thc faith in man and the social
y
! fine, inspiring figure many passages Of
ststehest beauty, and the happy use OF
/ iambiC blank verse. meiodious and i'm
( preesive, impart extraordinary vitality
10 this Werk, great though imperfect.
The second group Of Schiller's drama,
/ his Modest creations, all but one pri-
{ marily historical in subject and written
+ in verse, were published in the years
from 1929 to 1903. One OF the few really
D 4 "a.
first Of theSe-~W allensteiu. Dra-
matte Poem" IN content and spirit this
lis one long drama. though having the
form tril0Ey mace up Of a One-act
prelude, "Wanenstein's Camp" and two
hve-act plays, The PiccOlOmim' and
'Wallenstein's Death. Within a
smaller frame than that of his grandest
national drama OF Germany it would
scarcely be possible to present rot only
the tragedy Of the great mans charac-
ter and fall. but also the struggle and
the triumphs of the whole thirty years
war. OF this work TieCk said a genera
ton later that all Germany felt that it
established a new epoch in dramatic
literature
Marie Stuart" 1900 with its skill
/ fully elaborated plot and close con-
1-ruction. rs, perhaps, the best known
70 the English stage of ali Scniller's
plays Since it's main theme is the
moral elevation Of the heroine by her
life expel fence. the author deviates
from exact historical truth IN brighten
( ing her character aud darkening shat OF
Elizabeth. This drama is highly pa
Ghetto, Astounding in passages of lofty
I thought and intense passion powerfully
expressed
Ever new in his art. as in his life.
Schiller now turned to France. produc-
ing a romantic drama with a medieval
subject containing miracles and idylllc
elements. His Maid of Orleans" 1901,
is highly p0etical creation, written
with much lyric fervoE, The charm and
power of purity ia woman, the inspira-
ton drawn from religion and patriot
ism, are presented in strong theatrical
5 situations, with language noble and
full of feeling.
A unique exception among the works
we are considering is The Bride of
Messina," 1903 The subject is a free
invention of the poets Imagination, not
HISTORICAL; the tragedy Of a family
doomed TO destruction through the love
of two brothers Tor their own sister
unrecOgnized until IT is too late. This
subject matter. though largely mod
eTn in its spirit is treated after the
fashion of the ancient Greek tragedy,
for the individual characters are few, a
chorus is employed. and fate seems TO
/ be all-ruling. In spite of the unsur-
mounted difficulty of blending in or
ganic union the ancient and the modern
elements, the literary critic is tempted
to place it first among Schiiler's dramas
in respect of stateliness Of style and
melody Of dfctiOn. and as having the
most finished artistic form. The writer
oeaps witness that when well acted il
, is of enhancing beauty and power.
Nowhere in Schiller's life and works
does the ever dominant note Of liberty
sound clearer and stronger than ia his
/ last sarge drama, Wilhelm Tell, 1904
| OF il our pest BRYANT said: He took a