Johann Christoph Friedrich von Schiller (1759-1805) ranks with Goethe as one of the greatest dramatists and poets of the classical age of German literature. Writing on history, aesthetics, and philosophy, he influenced and was influenced by the English Romantics, and his lyrical poem Ode to Joy was set to music by Beethoven in his Ninth Symphony. His plays, including The Robbers, Maria Stuart, and Wilhelm Tell, contributed to his reputation as a stern moralist, but T.J. Reed's introduction to Schiller's works also reveal a passionate, subtle, and witty side that has been too often neglected.