Statements in Schiller's early essays seem to suggest that he adhered to the view of the dramatic illusion as a temporary escape from reality, an experience in which the spectator is encouraged to forget that he is in the theatre and be caught up in a deceptive and convincing illusion. Analysis of Schiller's dramatic and aesthetic theory and of his correspondence from 1790 onwards, however, shows that the ideas of moral freedom, aesthetic harmony and of the autonomy of art led Schiller to reject the ideal of convincing illusion which was current and popular in his time. In its place he wished to encourage awareness of the illusory nature of the stage action and drama which was obviously different from everyday reality in its subject matter and style. Analysis of Schiller's plays from Wallenstein to Wilhelm Tell shows that Schiller aimed at illusion of this type in his own practice. With reference to the dramatic illusion, Schiller's views actually come close to those of Brecht, in spite of statements to the contrary in Brecht's Kleines Organon für das Theater. The detailed analysis of Schiller's theory and of his later plays is preceded firstly by a chapter on problems associated with the topic of the dramatic illusion. Secondly, a background chapter considers influential developments in drama, dramatic theory and in aesthetics from the origins of western drama in Greek classical tragedy to the theatre of Schiller's time, to establish possible influences on Schiller or similarities between his views and existing traditions, and to suggest Schiller's position with regard to his contemporaries and to the historical development of the dramatic illusion.

Schiller's career as a dramatist spans more than two decades. Without too much difficulty, one observes that his plays are intimately related with one another. Particularly in the Storm and Stress period, his motives appear to be much the same: Schiller is an advocate of freedom, and the rights of men. I maintain that the youthful rebel is a recurrent theme in Schiller's dramatic works and this can be shown by an analysis of four characters from three plays, followed by a summary of their similarities. The rebellious youths of Schiller are Karl Moor (Die Räuber), Ferdinand (Kabale und Liebe), and Don Carlos and Marquis Posa (Don Carlos). These men seek freedom, and hope to have their dreams realized. They want to experience the world, but only on their own terms, as free and unoppressed individuals. It is shown that they are all egoists, ultimately concerned with the fulfillment of their own needs. At the same time they are moral young men, objecting to the immorality they encounter. However, their methods of rebellion are naive. This leads to their eventual downfall. Only when it is too late do they realize their inherent failing, when they finally bring the world back into focus. This thesis explores Schiller's Storm and Stress rebel, a dramatic figure which seems to lack the ruthlessness of a truly rebellious character: Schiller's "rebels" challenge authority on all social levels, yet, they finally submit to this authority. This is not at all characteristic of the actions of a rebel. It is significant that Schiller alters the direction and force of these young heroes. As Karl Moor turns himself over to the law, the question of motive arises: why does a rebel give himself up? My thesis will outline the reasons for this inconsistency. At the heart of the problem is of course the author. Schiller has decided to reconstruct the "rebel" Why he initiates this alteration is an essential part of the study.

The strong-minded woman as a character capable of genuine self-determination has not received nearly as much literary attention and study as the less psychologically and socially aware sublime woman, the innocent woman, and the femme fatale. Consequently, the strong-minded woman is only an occasional literary phenomenon and is absent entirely during some literary periods. Thus the purpose of this thesis is to establish that the strong-minded woman exists as a literary figure, that she is a fully developed character capable of forming meaningful and even traditional relationships when allowed by circumstances. She is capable of relying on her own abilities and is willing to take the consequences stemming from her actions.