General characterization--English Beginnings of bourgeois tragedy--'Miss Sara Sampson'--Development of the tragedy of social conflict--Love in the age of sentimentalism--Rousseau and the social conflict--Wagner and Lenz--Diderot's 'Father of the Family'--Gemmingen's 'Head of the House'--Evolution of Schiller's plan--Debt to predecessors--Hints from Wagner and Lessing and 'Siegwart'--Weakness of the tragic conclusion--Character of Louise--Her religious sentimentalism--Fearsomeness--Lack of mother-wit--A cold heroine--Character of Ferdinand--Sentimental extravagance--Father and son--Prototypes of President von Walter.
Mannheim in 1783--Dalberg and his theater--The situation on Schiller's arrival--Letter to Frau von Wolzogen--Contract with Dalberg--Illness and disappointments--Pecuniary troubles--'Fiesco' on the stage--Triumph of 'Cabal and Love'--Critical notices--Discourse on the theater--Contract with Dalberg not renewed--Disappointments and distractions--Relations to women--Charlotte von Kalb--The poems 'Resignation' and 'Radicalism of Passion'--A friendly message from Leipzig--Project of the _Rhenish Thalia_--Honored by the Duke of Weimar--Unhappiness and longing for friendship--Escape from Mannheim.
Gottfried Körner and the Stock sisters--Huber--Schiller's arrival in Leipzig--A proposal of marriage--Sojourn at Gohlis--Schiller and Körner--An enthusiastic letter--Körner's helpfulness--With the new friends in Dresden--Influence of Körner--A poetic 'Petition'--The 'Song to Joy'--Contributions to the _Thalia_--Quickened interest in history--Letters of Julius and Raphael--'The Ghostseer' begun--Unwillingness to leave Dresden--A dramatic skit--Affair with Henriette von Arnim--From Dresden to Weimar.
Poetic merit of 'Don Carlos'--Its slow genesis--Schiller's explanation--St. Réal's 'Dom Carlos'--The original plan--Ripening influences--Decision in favor of verse--Change of attitude toward Carlos and Philip--Influence of Körner--Completion of the play--Character of Prince Carlos--The Marquis of Posa--Posa and the king--Posa's heroics in the last two acts--Character of Philip--General estimate.
Weimar in Schiller's time--Renewal of relations with Charlotte von Kalb--First meeting with Herder and Wieland--Visit to Jena--Pleased with Weimar--New literary pursuits--Visit to Meiningen and introduction to the Lengefeld family--Charlotte von Lengefeld--A summer idyl--Awakening interest in the Greeks--First meeting with Goethe--Appointed professor at Jena--Bitterness toward Goethe--Love, betrothal and marriage--'The Gods of Greece'--'The Artists'--'The Ghostseer'--The 'Letters on Don Carlos'--Review of 'Egmont'--'The Misanthrope'--Translations from Euripides and other minor writings.