The Robbers

Published in 1781, The Robbers was the first play written by Friedrich Schiller. The drama follows the story of two aristocratic brothers, Karl and Franz Moor, as the younger Franz plots to take his older sibling's inheritance. The play was immediately successful and greatly influenced the subsequent development of European melodrama. It is even referenced in Dostoyevsky's The Brothers Karamazov. Schiller (1759-1805) went on to author many famous plays, including the Wallenstein Trilogy and William Tell. In 2008, he was voted the second most influential European playwright next to Shakespeare by the ARTE network.

The Robbers is written in a traditional five-act structure, and each act has two to three scenes. The play opens in the Moor family's castle home. Count von Moor ("Old Moor") listens as his youngest son, Franz, reads aloud a letter containing bad news. Karl (called "Charles" in some translations) has seduced Old Moor's niece Amalia von Edelreich and killed her fiancé. Naturally, Karl is wanted by the authorities, so he is now on the run and has accumulated a huge amount of debt.

Old Moor is grieved by his son's actions, so Franz suggests that his father disown Karl. Doing so would not only protect the family name, it would help distance the old man from the pain of his son's wrongdoing. Old Moor is reluctant, saying he will leave Karl to his fate unless he repents. Then the old man will help him. Franz manages to convince his father that Karl will simply lie about repenting to save his skin, then go back to his wicked ways. Finally, Old Moor sends a letter disowning Karl and exits the scene. Franz celebrates, having assured himself a large inheritance now that he is the only son.



In a tavern in Saxony, Karl chats with a man named Spiegel. As they discuss literature, Karl receives the letter informing him that he has been disowned. When Spiegel says that he is going to form an outlaw band, Karl is interested, and Spiegel invites him to join. The invitation backfires, however, when the other outlaws vote Karl be the group's leader. Spiegel is furious.

Meanwhile, Franz visits Amalia, trying to convince her that Karl has abandoned her because he no longer loves her. She refuses to believe him and kicks Franz out of her room; he makes an allegiance with a servant named Herman. If Herman will pretend to be a stranger who has witnessed Karl's death, Franz will reward him.

The plan is put into effect during one of Amalia's visits to Old Moor. Franz has been mistreating the old man, so he is weak and frail. While Amalia sings to comfort her uncle, Herman arrives in disguise and delivers news of Karl's death. He says that his dying wish was for Amalia to marry Franz. She refuses and, weeping, exits the room. She returns shortly, however, after Franz and Herman leave, and stays with Old Moor as he appears to die of illness and a broken heart. In reality, the old man has only fainted.



Back in the forest, Spiegel returns to the outlaws’ camp with a new group of men. They brag about raping and killing women and children. When Karl hears this, he is upset. The outlaws are then ambushed and must battle for their lives. They receive word that if they will hand over Karl, they'll be allowed to go free. But the men will not betray their leader, and so the battle continues. In the end, they manage to escape with only one of their men having been killed.

At Castle Moor, Franz tries to bribe Herman to keep silent about their plot, but feeling guilty, Herman refuses. Franz attempts to kill the servant, but realizing that Herman is armed with a pistol, he relents. Herman goes to Amalia and confesses everything, including that both Karl and Old Moor are still alive, but that Franz has imprisoned his father.

A new man named Kosinsky approaches the outlaws and requests to join them. He tells his story: he was a nobleman engaged to be married, but the night before his wedding, he was accused of treason and imprisoned. His fiancée agreed to be the Prince's mistress in exchange for his freedom. Furious, he attempted to assassinate the Prince and was banished. After hearing this, Karl decides to visit Castle Moor in disguise as Count Brand. While Karl is gone, Spiegel attempts to convince the outlaws to kill Karl, but they kill him instead and decide to then go to Castle Moor.



Although a servant quietly recognizes Karl, neither Amalia nor Old Moor sees through the disguise of Count Brand. Karl frees his father and commands Herman to bring Franz to him. Franz, meanwhile, has been having nightmares and is tormented with guilt over his actions. When the outlaws arrive and begin attacking the castle, he strangles himself to death.

Karl reveals himself to Old Moor and sits with his father as he dies. Next, Karl reveals himself to Amalia but says that he cannot stay with her because he has taken an oath to lead the outlaws. Unwilling to live without him, Amalia asks Karl to kill her. He refuses, but when he sees one of the outlaws taking aim at her, he finally kills her. Now, disenchanted with the outlaw life, he finds a poor man and asks the man to turn him over to the authorities; in exchange, the poor man will receive the reward for his capture.