really was, and the two Dorias much worse.

Further study of the subject, however, soon opened the eyes of Schiller
to the other side of the question; for in Robertson's 'Charles the
Fifth' he found Fiesco portrayed as an ambitious revolutionist who
sought to overthrow the Dorias only in order that he might make himself
the master of Genoa--in short as a Catiline instead of a Brutus. The
dramatic problem then turned from the first upon the character of
Fiesco. In the 'Dramaturgic' of Lessing the doctrine had been proclaimed
that the dramatist is not bound by the so-called facts of history; that
he may deal with them as suits his artistic purpose. But what was the
purpose to be in this case? Should it be a tragedy of austere patriotism
going down against a relatively bad order too strong to be resisted, or
a tragedy of corrupt ambition dashing itself to death against a
relatively good order too strong to be overthrown? Either conception, if
consistently worked out, might have sufficed for the groundwork of a
good historical tragedy. What Schiller did, however, was to vacillate
between the two, to blend them in a confusing way, and finally to let
the interest of his play turn largely upon the hero's mental struggle
between selfish ambition and unselfish patriotism.

The Catiline conception required an avenger of Genoa, for it was
evident[44] that the accidental drowning of Fiesco in the moment of his
triumph would never do in a play. It was necessary that his death appear
as a punishment, a nemesis. So for the role of avenger Schiller invented
a stern patriot to whom, without historical warrant, he gave the name of
Verrina. Verrina is the real Brutus. To furnish the conspirators with a
definite grievance Gianettino was made to violate the helpless Bertha,
who was then provided with an avenger in the person of the young
Bourgognino. Leonora, the wife of Fiesco, is historical. Robertson