By 1795 he had become intimate with Goethe and renewed his poetic work, his principal dramas and "The Song of the Bell," all belonging to this period. Of the former, "Maria Stuart" and "The Maid of Orleans" deserve high praise beside his masterpieces, the "Wallenstein" trilogy, and "Wilhelm Tell," his last and most popular play. His character was noble and lovable, and his work possesses a high finish in style and a lofty vein of idealism which gives it a resemblance to those passages and plays of Shakespeare in which princes and potentates appear. He was a lover of the Bard of Avon and translated several of his plays into German. But Schiller did not attempt the many-sided portrayal of life that was Shakespeare's forte; for him the presentation of high ideals and a majestic plot involving the great motives of human action was sufficient. Yet his thought is not so profound as Goethe's, and its expression, on the other hand, is not so simple. The story of Margaret's tragedy, in "Faust," is bare as compared with the plots of "Tell" or "Maria Stuart" and the character development therein; but the lesson which Goethe drove home to the hearts of men was more forcible than any of Schiller's. THE MAN 1. What terms of intimacy existed between Goethe and Schiller? VIII, 182. 2. Was his education calculated to fit him for the calling of a poet? 3. Was Jean Paul Richter right in supposing Schiller to be of a strong nature? VIII, 175. 4. What was the nature of his connection with Jena? 5. In what respect did he resemble Shelley? VII, 222. 6. Where, and in whose company, were his latter years spent? 7. Compare Goethe and Schiller in character and in work. STYLE AND WORKS 1. In what two departments of literature did Schiller attain eminence? 2. Which works treat of scenes outside of Germany? 3. Name his four greatest dramas. 4. Which of these is esteemed the masterpiece? 5. Which first brought him to public notice? 6. For what two great historical works are we indebted to him? FROM "WILHELM TELL" 1. What are the social and political conditions in Switzerland at the beginning of the play? How did they compare with those of other lands? 2. From what class in society do the characters come? Is their style of speech consistent with their social position? Is absolute adherence to realism desirable? Why, and also why not? 3. What is the date of this play and what great social upheavals had recently taken place? 4. Why is Tell's son introduced? 5. Is the character of Gessler too harshly drawn? 6. The scene on p. 363 occurs at the close of the play; meanwhile previous acts have shown the development of the spirit of freedom in the hearts of the people and the determination to do away with tyranny. Does this justify Tell's act? 7. "The Robbers" was one of the first products of Romanticism; is "Tell" also a good example of this age?