Schiller's guarantee

The poet Friedrich Schiller

Friedrich Schiller, actually Johann Christoph Friedrich von Schiller, was born on 10. Born November 1759 in Marbach am Neckar and died on 9 November 1759. May 1805 in Weimar.

• Along with Goethe, Schiller is the ultimate German poet. He is one of the most important German playwrights and poets. Many of the poet's plays are regularly performed in German-speaking theaters. His most famous dramas include "Cabal and Love", "The Robbers", "Maria Stuart", "Wilhelm Tell", "The Maid of Orleans" and "Wallenstein".
•  Among the most important lyrical works of the poet are the ode “To Joy”, “The Song of the Glocke ”and a number of ballads, including“ The Cranes of Ibykus ”,“ The Glove ”and“ The Guarantee".

The guarantee - that's what it's all about

“The Guarantee” was created in 1798 and was first published in 1799 in the Muses Almanac. The ballad is based on the ancient tale of Damon and Phintias.

• "The guarantee" begins with Damon, who wanted to stab the tyrannical king Dionys, arrested by his captors and brought before the tyrant. This explains to him that he will be crucified for it. Damon is ready to die, but asks for three days because he still has to marry his sister. He promises to leave a friend as guarantor and definitely come back on time. The king doesn't think he will return but he agrees and tells Damon that in his place the friend would be killed if he was not back in time, but he himself would be killed get. Damon's friend is actually ready to surrender to the king and silently hugs Damon goodbye.


Schiller's glove - informative

Schiller's "The Glove" is a famous ballad that he wrote in 1797 ...

• Before the morning of the third day, Damon has married his sister and is on his way back to Syracuse. Suddenly, however, such a rain sets in that the river he has to cross turns into a raging vortex and he waits hour after hour, desperate and weeping. Finally he plunges into the raging waters and miraculously manages to arrive at the other bank and hurry on. But further adversity holds him back, and when he finally reaches Syracuse, his servant comes to him against, who tells him to flee, that he can no longer save his friend, only his own Life.
• Damon explains that if he can no longer save his friend's life, he will himself also die, the tyrant should not be able to boast that Damon broke his friendship have. He arrives at the crucifixion site just as the friend is being pulled up and declares that he is the one who is about to die. Not only the people are touched, but also the tyrannical king. He lets them both be brought to him and explains to them that they had shown him that loyalty is not an empty delusion after all. He asks to be the third party in their friendship covenant.

So this is the content of the ballad of the guarantee.