Chapter 31: Ever more war and peace

 

 

Joan of Arc

 

Schiller works, now, with even more courage, if not efforts on his "Joan of Arc". The new century has now begun, and in sight, there is only but more wars, more losses on the front of citizenry. He wanted, however, not to renounce upon his long duty of enlightening the minds of his fellow citizens. He could, now, endure anything for that purpose, being cut off from all his friends living outside Weimar, or facing the treachery and perceived lightness of the other enlightened minds at the Palace in Berlin, and much more. If he should also abandon his work of enlightening the minds, then he would have nothing left in order to sustain his hope, his strenuous and still long course.

 

He would abandon then, all his existential concerns and threw himself into work, and completed "Joan of Arc" and "The entry into the new century", still under so many doubts and insecurity. He composed also in this same period, other smaller prose which he did already started some time ago and did not want to keep for himself anymore. Since "Wallenstein", without giving himself to pessimism, he has often thought that he would not survive after its publication. Ever since, he has composed and published other works, under the same circumstances: since 1799, he has always written his work always thinking that it would be the last.

 

Hence, in 1801, he would seek to deliver to the public all his not yet published works. "Further comments on the sublime" was among them, an unfinished writing which Schiller, in his living conditions in Weimar, wanted to publish at all costs. This work was part of his other essays "On the Pathetic" and "On the Sublime" which was removed from them at the moment of their publications. This work war the continuation of his researches about Kant’s Ideas. Or so he wanted the publisher and the readers, at first sight, to consider this work. In this work, however, he wanted to deliver some of his main thoughts about his current life conditions and mental state:

 

Great is the man who conquers fear.

Sublime is the one who, even in a

submissive position, does not have any fear.

 

A defying citation? A citation of revolt? Maybe simply an expression of his feeling of injustice. Schiller was well aware that he was on a mission for a higher goal, for the common good. The hostile conditions in Weimar would first surprise him, and then afterward, he would only find them regrettable. Even if the distant attitude of his other colleagues was aimed at hurting him, he would still find this whole situation even more regrettable: however, his sense of duty would ever drive him forward.

 

The human being can prove himself great in fortune,

 and sublime only in misfortune.

 

In "Further comments on the sublime" he would discuss a lot about Reason, Power and the Sublime. As if his situation in Weimar was totally impregnated by these themes: either Reason was completely missing around him or power was exerted too much upon him. And in the same writing, he would further discuss about the mysteries of Sais.