Chapter 12: poet in residence

From one publication to the other

In accordance with his contract, Schiller would deliver to Dalberg his next play, “The conspiracy of Fiesco in Genoa” on time, and in April 1783, Schwann would also put it under print. It is the period where he would devote all his efforts only to his works and love relationships.

Since his return to Mannheim, Schiller would more than ever be craving for love: a love which could only be fully satisfying to him. It came to him in the person of Margaret Schwann, the daughter of his publisher. Often, he would be seeing her as he would be working with her father on his next play “Don Carlos”, which he has begun and worked over in Bauerbach. Through the readings of and discussions about this play, the two young persons would learn to know each other, and the sympathy between them would be immediate. Margaret was young, tender and above all of an ethereal beauty. At 19, she possessed all the traits of innocence, and yet, she would already show a disposition for the most serious relationship. Schiller was only but looking for such companion in life.

In those days, Schiller would haunt very often the society in Mannheim and soon, his expenses would exceed his income. As he still did not have in sight a substantial improvement of his financial situation, hence he would soon, in truth, against his wishes and intentions cease these visits.

As his relationship, however, would become more serious with Margaret, Schiller felt that he, now, should propose to her, in accordance with the morals of the time, otherwise she would feel that he is actually deceiving her. Because of his financial situation, he will simply tell her that he must give a temporary end to their relationship, and when his condition will improve, he will definitely ask for her hand.

Hence, Schiller must still renounce to his tender love, for the moment, as he, simply, could not have a long term relationship with Margaret without casting a shadow on her unmarried status.

Would, he however, for that reason have to live alone? Could he, now, survive a time alone? Loneliness would always remind him of the cruelest times in the Karlsschule. How could he, now, alone, sustain the drives to improve his condition if love is not part of these drives? Or were, more pragmatically, his feelings for Margaret just not strong enough for an ordeal?

Hope

Looking back at his life, Schiller would only recognize that he, despite all the ordeals, still holds valuable and strong motivations to live, even if he, also, sometimes, has had suicidal ideas. He could still hope, that tomorrow, he will be able to live as a completely and perfectly free man, and a constant reassurance for this hope was the perspective of experiencing freedom, in the future. Now, he would have a lesser trust in human beings, but still have faith in a beautiful Humanity.

Loneliness is the price that a human being must pay, if he wants to direct his acts towards greatness, particularly if one is a writer. People can make plans together with other human beings, however, the way to greatness, to the completion of one's destiny, one must always take alone. So he has learned with pain. However, hopefully, with Greatness comes always Love. In his psyche, a man experiences Love with the fulfillment of his destiny, of his greatness.  He still confuses love and pleasure, and the attempts to unite and find both in one person have been, so far, the source of the torments in his soul. Naturally have all such attempts ended in failure. Enlightenment has brought many improvements in the life of the ordinary man, just not yet free love and contraception.

 

 

Reviews

[Samuel Dickens]

Thank you for this informative view into the life of Friedrich Schiller. It is well-written, but, so I believe, could be improved by using less passive language.
You wrote "Often, he would be seeing her as he would be working with her father on his next play “Don Carlos”, which he has begun and worked over in Bauerbach." Consider restructuring the sentence in a similar way as this--"Often, he saw her as he worked with her father.....," or "While working on his next play, "Don Carlos" with her father, he often saw her."