Die Räuber

The Robbers, drama in five acts by Friedrich Schiller, published in 1781 and produced in 1782 as Die Räuber. Set in 16th-century Germany, The Robbers concerns the rivalry between the brothers Karl and Franz, both of whom operate outside conventional morality. A protest against official corruption, the play condemned a society in which men of high purpose could be driven to live outside the law when justice was denied them.